Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Garlic

Using what’s probably the quickest way to cook Brussels sprouts, these Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Garlic are filled with bold flavor and easy to make.

I spend a lot of time considering ways I can inspire folks to cook more. But really, it’s not just about cooking. It’s using whole ingredients to make something delightful.

In a way, I feel like I’ve come full circle. This site was created around the idea that you can make good, wholesome, flavorful foods at home from scratch — and do so easily. Over the years, I have touched on other ways — other methods of cooking — but I keep coming back to this.

I believe in cooking real food, simply.

That’s the message I continue to try to impart on readers here. Cooking at home does take time. But so does ordering takeout. So does waiting for it to arrive. And when you factor in the 30 or 40 minutes you wait for your food, well … cooking doesn’t seem so time-consuming anymore.

Instead, I see quick and easy cooking as a time saver, a money saver and a way to feel better. It makes me feel better when I can cook foods, choosing the ingredients and opting for more healthful preparation methods.

And when you aren’t ordering takeout all the time, you’re letting yourself save those restaurant meals for when you can go and savor them. Maybe you even treat yourself to something more special. Dining out should be an experience — not just a means to an end.

What do you think?

These Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Garlic are a good example of the kind of cooking I do at home. This recipe doesn’t take long to make — in fact, sauteeing is one of the fastest ways to cook Brussels sprouts.

But despite their simplicity, they are bold and robust with flavor.

You start with fresh Brussels sprouts. With the surge in popularity of Brussels sprouts has come easier ways to purchase them. In my grandmother’s day, they were always packed in little cups covered in crinkly plastic. These days, however, bulk bins offer a less expensive per-pound price and the ability to buy as many or as few as you need.

The Brussels sprouts are sliced thinly for this recipe. They cook faster this way — and soak up more of the garlic flavor as well.

If you don’t mind paying a premium, you can often purchase already sliced ones from grocery stores as well. I prefer to cut them myself.

The Brussels sprouts are then sauteed for about 10 minutes, until tender. Toss in the garlic at the end, sauteeing until fragrant before mixing it in with the Brussels sprouts. A little more cooking and they’re done. Ready. Perfect.

It’s less than 15 minutes of cooking time. And then they are ready.

These are great served with an equally quick and easy protein like Parmesan Baked Haddock with Lemon and Garlic, Oven Poached Flounder or Teriyaki Salmon. Or perhaps an easy chicken dish? Easy Chicken Souvlaki — which needs time to marinate but is otherwise fast to make — comes to mind.

If you can give yourself a half-hour, you can make a nutritious, flavorful dinner at home. Put down the phone. Step away from the tablet. Just cook. And do so not because I am telling you too, but because feeding ourselves well is one of the most loving things we can do.