I must be becoming a grown up, because my love of Brussels sprouts grows deeper every day.  Whoda thunk?  I was so excited to be off over the holidays because it meant that I could whip up a quick and tasty lunch like this salad.  It only took a couple of minutes, but was absolutely delicious and extremely healthy.  If you think you don’t like Brussels sprouts, give it a try.  Really.  They’re not the horrible little cabbages your mom tried to feed you as a kid.  Treated well, they’re green gold.

Avocado and Brussels Sprouts Salad

1 T fresh lime juice

1 t spicy brown or Dijon mustard

2 T good quality olive oil

8-10 oz fresh Brussels sprouts

1 medium avocado

2 T sunflower seeds

salt and pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice and mustard.  Very slowly, dribble in the olive oil, whisking continuously.  If you stop whisking, the mixture could break and turn into a bit of a mess.

Prepare the sprouts by trimming the bottom ends off of each one.  Then separate the leaves apart as best as possible.  As you get to the center of the sprout, the leaves won’t separate very easily.  Just slice up the inside cores.  Add all the sprouts into the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat.  Peel, seed, and slice the avocado.  Very carefully toss it with the sprouts and dressing.  Top with the sunflower seeds, salt, and pepper.