Remember those glorious meals your mother, or grandmother—or maybe father—would make when you were a kid? Remember the smells that would permeate the house and beckon you to the table … the chicken frying, lasagna baking, AND OMG the fresh banana bread, chocolate chip cookies … and so on and so forth. Go ahead. Take a minute. Close your eyes, go there … this post will wait.

You back? OK. Good. Because I can honestly say, other than the occasional french toast in the morning, (french toast drowning in pure maple syrup) I don’t really have any pleasant “food-smell” memories. But. I do have some horror-movie worthy ones. The worst, Brussels sprouts.

I literally have to stop myself from shaking just thinking about the smell and the painful realization that I was going to be asked to put those disgusting little balls of green in my mouth. Bleck!

And so, as an adult, I’ve never been a fan. Never even cooked them myself until very recently. See my guy likes them. A lot. Truth be told, the first time he ever cooked for me, Brussels sprouts were part of the meal. Yea. I still remember thinking, “this is never going to work.” Alas, I stomached them and even liked them. And now we cook them weekly and my favorite way is simple and even makes my mind drift back to those aforementioned mornings when the house smelled of french toast drowning in pure maple syrup : )

Maple glazed brussels sprouts

PREP TIME: 15-20 minutes  |  COOK TIME: 15-20 minutes

• 4 cups Brussels sprouts, cut in half and smashed
• 2-3 TBS garlic, minced
• 4 TBS butter, preferably plant-based
• 1-2 TBS walnut oil (or olive oil is fine)
• 4-5 TBS pure maple syrup

Cut the stem off the Brussels sprouts, and then cut them in half and smash a few of the larger ones, being sure to keep all of the leaves. Warm the oil and butter in a large cast iron skillet and add Brussels. Cook over medium high, turning frequently until they start to brown, about 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes. Drizzle maple syrup throughout the pan and cook for another 3-5 minutes, tossing every 30 seconds or so. And that’s it. Enjoy : )

DISCLAIMER: Our recipes are just that, ours. Some are modified versions of dishes we’ve had elsewhere or old-favorites that contained animal proteins that we replaced with plant-based options, while others are a concentrated effort of trial and error. But all are intended to be altered by you and made to suit your tastes. So if you want more garlic or none at all, go for it. You do you ; ) Now for the serious part … periodically this site does offer health, nutrition and exercise information. The information provided is not intended as medical advice and is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice given by a licensed physician or other health-care professional. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, consult your physician and never delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.