brussels sprouts salad

i really like brussels sprouts - perhaps you're starting to catch on. in a sinister attempt to get the rest of the world to love them as much as i do, i have cleverly disguised them as a salad.

actually, the real story is this: i had steamed some brussels sprouts to go with my dinner and i noticed how tasty the outer leaves were when eaten individually. i thought the leaves would probably make a delicious, albeit labor-intensive, salad.

today's weber-paper-discussion potluck was the perfect opportunity to try out this new dish. if i ever make this again, i'll probably do something differently (don't know quite what yet), but the dish seemed to go over well. several people had seconds, thirds and fourths - and one classmate had brussels sprouts for the first time ever. successssssssss.

[if any of you happen to make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out and how you improved it.]

ingredients:

brussels sprouts (1 lb should serve about 4 people as a side dish)
red/yellow/orange bell peppers (1 large pepper should do it)
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
mustard
some kind of fruit jelly/jam
grated parmesan cheese

to make:

wash brussels sprouts
cut off the bottom/stem part and remove any gross outer leaves (but leave the nice looking ones - you need as many outer leaves as possible)
slice in half lengthwise and place in a pot with about 1/2 in. water in the bottom
when all the sprouts are in the pot, cover and heat the water
let the water come to a boil
when the sprouts are bright green and slightly tender, remove from heat and drain
dump the sprouts onto a cutting board or other work surface
peel off outer leaves and place on paper towels or in a salad spinner
set brussels sprouts' "hearts" aside for later
dry the leaves and place them in a bowl
put them in the fridge to chill and crisp up

meanwhile, slice the hearts into little crunchy bites and place in a smaller bowl
cut the bell peppers into bite sized pieces and set aside

to make the dressing, combine 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil with 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar. add 2 tsp brown mustard and 1 tsp jam. stir up.

take the greens out of the fridge and toss lightly. add the hearts and bell peppers. pour dressing over the top and toss salad. sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

it should keep in the fridge for a day or so. if the leftovers are terrible, i'll post and let you know.