Brussels Sprouts (hey, keep reading!)

Seriously, these are AWESOME! My husband does the majority of the grocery shopping, going off of a list I prepare, and I had asked for Brussels sprouts. He brought me some- still on the stalk! That was a new experience for me, as I like to buy them ready to cook. Apparently you can roast them on the stalk, but I wanted to toss them with oil and seasonings, so I spent about 15 minutes hacking them off the stem. 

After preheating the oven to 400 degrees, I washed the sprouts and then froze all the smaller ones (I had dozens of sprouts from that one stalk). The bigger ones (about 3 cups worth) I sliced in half, and tossed with  1.5 TBS of olive oil, finely chopped garlic (3 small cloves), and a sprinkling of both sea salt and lemon pepper. Using a rimmed baking pan with a layer of parchment paper in the bottom, I spread the sprouts out to roast. About 12 minutes in to the roasting process, I pulled them out, flipped them all over (and took off the single leaves that had fallen to the sides and started to burn- those were yummy!), and put them back into the oven for about 6 more minutes. It seemed to me that they were drying out, so I covered the sprouts with a clean towel (AFTER they were out of the oven!!) and let the trapped heat steam them a few minutes longer. 

They were finished off by squeezing some fresh lemon juice over them and stirring in a tablespoon of whipped Earth Balance.  They really were delicious, and I’m sold on the freshness of getting them right off the stalk. The inspiration for this dish came from the November issue of Real Simple magazine, but I adapted it quite a bit. However, if Brussels sprouts are a tough sell in your family, I suggest trying the recipe their way- adding a lot of butter and bread crumbs, and increasing the olive oil and lemon juice. Watch that you follow their directions (higher oven heat, two pans, etc.) not the directions I’ve given here.

However you make them, give them a try. They are a great source of Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and have a host of other health benefits. And tell me how you like to prepare them, please! I’m thinking of taking all the outer leaves that fall off, washing them, and roasting them like kale chips. Mmmm.