Who says brussels sprouts are icky? Most likely someone who hasn't had them cooked properly. The trick to cooking brussels sprouts is walking the fine line between tender and mushy. Colors tell the story: tender = vibrant green, mushy = army green. Here's a simple way of preparing brussels sprouts and kale that keeps the flavor and color in tact.

Ingredients:
1 lb. brussels sprouts, halved or quartered, depending on size
pine nuts (raw or minimally roasted)
2 gloves garlic, crushed
1 tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
handful of chopped kale

Procedure:
Sautée all but pine nuts over medium heat until bright color develops. Add pine nuts, cook for another few minutes until sprouts are fork-tender.

Creative commons photo credit: Random Duck