Every once in awhile I eat something other than desserts and sweets.
Shocking but true.
I love chocolate and cookies as much as the next person, or in my case, probably more than the next person, but I have to have green vegetables every day.
Without them I feel weird. off, out of balance, and although I crave brownies, I also crave broccoli and Brussels’s sprouts.
Yes, really. I love cruciferous vegetables of all kinds, but broccoli and Brussels’s are two of my favorites. Never met a brassica I didn’t like and that didn’t stink up my house.
When I feel the need to crunch on some cellulose and don’t have time for anything too fussy, complicated, or time-consuming, I steam veggies in the microwave, and make a quickie cheezy sauce by warming coconut oil and mixing it with nutritional yeast, and adding a few spices based on my mood.
Drizzle sauce all over veggies.
Eat.
Enjoy.
And if I want some sinus clearing to go with my cheezy-coconutty vegetables, super simple homemade Spicy Honey Mustard comes in handy.
So as much as I have a seemingly voracious appetite for pina colada marshmallows and cookie dough, it’s nice to round out the sugar with a little chlorophyll.
But there must have sauce because everything is better with lots of frosting lots of sauce.
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Steamed Brussels’s Sprouts and Broccoli with Cheezy Coconut Sauce (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, Refined-Sugar-Free)
1 cup whole Brussels’s sprouts and broccoli florets (or more, or other vegetables you enjoy)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (use olive, hemp, grapeseed or another oil if you don’t like or have coconut oil)
pinch of salt, pepper, stevia; all to taste & optional (also consider a pinch of chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, curry, turmeric, cinnamon, or nutmeg based on taste preferences)
Place vegetables in a microwave-safe dish, fill dish halfway with water, cover with plasticwrap, heat on high power for 1-2 minutes, or until vegetables are as tender as desired. After steaming, place vegetables under cold running water for a few seconds to stop the cooking process. Slice cooked sprouts in half, if desired.
Make the sauce by mixing all remaining ingredients in a small bowl, whisking or stirring to combine, and pour over vegetables.
Note: Steam the vegetables any way you wish; that is how I do it because I am done in under two minutes. I like my vegetables very crunchy and more toward the raw side; steam (or oven-roast) to taste.
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If you’re not familiar with nutritional yeast (nooch), I previously written about it included over a dozen recipes using nutritional yeast.
It’s not the same as brewer’s yeast, it’s vegan, gluten, soy-free and nut-free; it adds a cheesy and nutty quality to food, and it’s packed with protein and B vitamins.
Nutritional yeast is not typically sold in grocery stores or at Trader Joe’s, and although it is sold at Whole Foods, I buy it from iHerb because it’s about 40% cheaper. Use code AVE630 at checkout to save another $5 off your iHerb order. Stock up on stevia, bulk spices, honey, body wash, and supplements while you’re ordering. May as well stock up, right.
One favorite nutritional yeast-based sauce recipe is Spicy Doritos Cheezy Dip (vegan, GF, soyfree)
If you’d rather skip the nutritional yeast but still enjoy some cruciferous veggies with coconut oil, try Chocolate Coconut Kale Chips
Do you like Brussels’s sprouts, broccoli, or crave vegetables?
I really can’t imagine a day without vegetables. Or dessert. Balance, moderation, a little bit of this, a little bit of that.
Do you like nutritional yeast?
If you’ve made anything with it that you enjoy, feel free to link it up.
If you’ve never had nutritional yeast, I won’t say it tastes just like cheese. Instead, I find it to have a cheesy and nutty quality, which is why many vegans use it as a cheese alternative. It’s also packed with B vitamins and protein.
It may be a bit of an acquired taste but clearly, I’ve acquired it. Daily.
Cheezy chocolate coconut oil popcorn is a staple, too.
The winner of the Sprinklebakes Cookbook Giveaway is Cassie
The winner of the Trop50 Juice coupons is Amber K
Have a great weekend and Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!
I’ve seen a lot of bloggers using nutritional yeast but I’ve never tried it. I want to, but it sort of creeps me out! I should probably just pull the trigger and give it a shot…
I think you’d love it…super versatile for sauces and dips!
I just had to let you know that the balsamic brsesul sprouts were amazing. I improvised a little added a touch of bacon grease to the olive oil and sprinkled some fresh-grated parmesan just before serving.My kids, generally, refuse to eat any kind of cabbage, but they actually ate the sprouts and got seconds!!
That sauce looks delish! Here’s to hoping that someday my cravings will be for broccoli and brussels sprouts… :)
LOL…I hope your cravings turn that way then too!
This is me right here. My favorite snack is just steamed broccoli or cauliflower with nooch and mustard. Sometime ketchup too, if I’m needing something a little sweeter. I can’t do raw brassicas though. T hey eat my insides all up.
I’d put nooch on everything if I could. I kind of do already. It’s great in eggs, on steamed veggies, on salad, for thickening soup, love it. All of it.
I love broccoli, have become a fan of kale, but good luck on getting me into brussels sprouts. I’ve given it several gos and I like cabbage but those little nuggets just aren’t my cup of tea! And they look so good! UGGH. Happy Mom’s Day to you too!
Shocked you don’t like Brussels’s but you like broccoli and kale; it’s all so similar…but hey, that’s just more for me if you don’t like the little cabbage nuggets :)
I love veggies! That sauce looks de-lish!
I want the sauce that’s on your blog right now! Whoa, come to mama!
I definitely crave vegetables when I don’t eat much of it!!
Broccoli is one of the greens I miss when couple weeks go by without eating it!
And yes.. lots of sauce is always a good idea :)
I miss it if more than a few days go by without the crunchy stalks :)
This sauce is over-the-top perfect, Averie. And I love brussels sprouts. I’m all over this one!
2 seconds to make & jazzes things up in a hurry :)
This past winter I was crazy about roasted brussles sprouts in coconut oil with TJ’s smoked sea salt. Now I’ve moved on to broccoli rabe. . . and I eat kale most days for lunch. I really prefer vegetables with character.
Never used nutritional yeast. . . though my aunt likes to sprinkle it on popcorn. Hmmm.
Whoo hoo! That’s awesome that I won the coupons :)
I love broccoli and brussel sprouts, two of my favorite veggies ever. I have had nutritional yeast before, but not with any veggies. I’ve mostly used it in sauces to top quinoa or pasta with.
Always nice to balance the sugary treats with some healthy greens. I love using coconut oil but I’ve never tried it with nutritional yeast. Can’t wait to give it a go!
I wonder if this would FedEx well….
Love that wood surface!!
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see that post & info about San Diego Rustic Furniture. YOU HAVE TO GO THERE!!!!! Total diamond in the rough and then some. Life.Changing.Store. Especially for photographers!
Awesome!! Thanks for the tip. I’ll check it out :)
I have to admit, I love vegetables, and I have a special relationships with all cabbage family, Including the ones that make our house smell (it smells only for a very short time though, and I never had a complain from my guests when I served sauerkraut or kim chi, I guess we acquired the smell as well as taste…:) BTW, I am eating my cabbage-radish-cilantro salad with avocado dressing as I write this: I just got back from the gym and am very-very hungry for my vegetables…:) Nutritional yeast: I keep forgetting to use it, thanks for the reminder. I am not a vegan, so I get my B12 from other sources. But I do love the taste on the nutritional yeast, ok, I am going to sprinkle it on my salad… Have a great Mother’s Day Averie!
Have a wonderful weekend, too! And all your cabbage family creations sound…wonderful! As well as that dressing!
I was searching for lighting tips on food photography and got hooked to your site for the last one hour! Read in detail all the 101’s and more..what an informative posts. Need to browse the recipe section as well. Glad to find this wonderful space.
Love the cheezy coconut sauce idea. Haven’t had nooch in awhile so I’d probably better get some … Yum :-)
yes, you better! :)
i LOVE the nooch. I sprinkle it over kale and bake it almost every single night! I can’t believe your recipe is so easy with so few ingredients- I definitely need to make it!
And whoa- chocolate kale chips?? How did I miss that before??
those chips are the best way to get some kale into those who claim “they don’t like kale” :)