Being more adventurous with Brussel Sprouts

Do you have a certain ingredient that you just always seem to cook the same way? I have found that I can get stuck in a rut with certain ingredients and it takes some nudging to try something new with it. It isn't that I don't like trying new things, just that there are some ingredients that I only know how to cook one way and I am not always as adventurous to try a new method. For me one of those ingredients has been brussel sprouts. The only way I knew how to cook them was roasting them or boiling them as a side vegetable. Now that I think about it there are probably a lot of ways I could try and serve brussel sprouts, it is just until now I had never attempted it.  But after trying this creamy dish I must say I will try to be more adventurous about all of my food because you never know what you might be missing out on.

Creamy Brussel Sprout and Mushroom Pasta

340g (12 oz) whole-wheat fettuccine
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
350g (4 c.) sliced mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, oyster and/or shiitake-350g
300g (3 c.) thinly sliced Brussels sprouts
1 Tbsp minced garlic
125mL (1/2 c.) dry sherry, or 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
500mL (2 c.) low-fat milk
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
225mL (1 c.) finely shredded Asiago cheese, plus more for garnish

(www.eatingwell.com)

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.Drain, return to the pot and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over high heat and saute mushrooms until mushrooms are a golden brown. Set aside.

Add a small splash of oil back to the pan and add the brussel sprouts, cook stirring frequently so they don't burn.  Cook until tender about 8-10 minutes, add the garlic for the last minute.

Bring the mushrooms back to the pan and add the sherry (or vinegar), scraping up any brown bits; bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, 10 seconds (if using vinegar) or about 1 minute (if using sherry).

Whisk milk and flour in a bowl; add to the skillet with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 2 minutes.

Stir in Asiago until melted.

Add the sauce to the pasta; gently toss. Serve with more cheese, if desired.