I ain't got nothing to say

The backlog of recipes has been mounting, as lately I feel like "I ain't got nothing to say" and "I'm just tired and bored with myself." (Head 3:20 into the video and see a pre-Friends Courteney Cox get pulled from the crowd to dance onstage with Bruce.) That's what happens to me when I feel like my ass is on fire for at least a part of every run. In my desperation, I've been to a chiropractor (twice), which didn't help, and last weekend, I went to the VCU Run Lab for a 3-D gait assessment. (My appointment was scheduled during the UVA-Duke basketball game; incredibly, Mom twice offered to go to Richmond with me instead of watching the game live.) Not surprisingly, I was informed that I have multiple weaknesses and imbalances, am too tight, and my cadence is way too slow. I'm being prescribed a series of exercises and stretches to help with all of that, so we'll see if that does anything, before I consult a witch doctor. Anyway, time to clear out some of the backlog.

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Mom and I have been roasting Brussels sprouts in a high-temperature oven for years to good effect. It's an especially good technique in the winter, when you can heat up the kitchen some with the hot oven, but less appealing on a warm day. Andi recently pointed us to this recipe for making Brussels sprouts on the stovetop, with a tasty honey-mustard glaze. I tweaked the recipe to steam the Brussels sprouts some, since I think it helps them get cooked through before the cut sides are burned, rather than nicely browned. So now we have a recipe for Brussels sprouts that we can make year-round and that we like even better than the old roasted sprouts. If only these sprouts could cure my ass woes, they'd be perfect.

Glazed Stovetop Brussels Sprouts

Adapted from The Hungry Bluebird and Cook’s Illustrated (Nov. 2017)

1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

    1. In a large nonstick skillet that has a lid, melt the butter in the oil over medium heat. Remove from the heat. Place the Brussels sprouts in the pan cut side down. Cover the pan and return to the heat. Cook until the cut sides are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
    2. Add 2 tablespoons water to the pan, cover again, and cook for 2–3 more minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until the cut sides are deeply browned and a sharp paring knife slides in with little or no resistance, as much as another 3–4 minutes. If the cut sides are overbrowning at any point before the sprouts are cooked through, lower the heat and/or give them a stir.
    3. When the sprouts are done, remove the pan from the heat. Add the honey, mustard, a good pinch or two of salt, and a few twists of pepper, and stir until the sprouts are evenly coated. Taste for seasoning. Serve promptly. Serves 2–4.