Brussels Sprouts

The older I get, the more selective I've become about what I put into my body.  I'm all about a good food experience (I'm one of those crazy folks that treat trips to the grocery store like an outing at the Mall of America), but a chick can't survive on dry aged beef and pate alone.  Many foods, particularly veggies, that I never liked as a child have slowly become my new BFFs.  So what's the key to my tastebuds' change of heart?  For me, it's all in the preparation.  On the handful of occasions my mom cooked Brussels sprouts when I was growing up, she boiled them.  YUCK (sorry, Bettie).  What a difference it makes when instead of boiling them and killing any flavor they could have had, I tried roasting them for about 20 minutes in the oven.  BRILLIANT.  Here's a quick and easy recipe that you can make in less than 30 minutes....no fooling!  Many grocery stores now sell these tasty little gems already trimmed and cut in half for you; if you're lucky enough to find them already prepped, take advantage of the 10 minutes saved!  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts - Serves 4

1 lb of fresh brussels sprouts - washed, and sliced in half

1 tsp kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp of balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese 

1 baking sheet

Preheat oven to 350 with the baking sheet in the oven.

Rinse, trim and slice the Brussels Sprouts in half, then toss with olive oil, vingear, salt and pepper. Toss lightly in a bowl to combine the ingredients. Spread the sprouts on the baking sheet, and roast on the top rack for about 15 minutes or until tender.  Check them at least once to make sure they aren't burning....you want them to be brown, but not burnt!  Last 5 minutes, take the sprouts out, and sprinkle the cheese on top.

Options:  have leftover bacon from breakfast?  Crumble it and toss it with the sprouts before you roast them.  Not a fan of balsamic vinegar? Substitute it with a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.  Don't do dairy?  Feel free to leave out the cheese (you may want to add a little more salt at the end of roasting though).