For some reason, brussel sprouts have been getting a bad rap for years – so much so that, until recently, I definitely never wanted to eat them, despite having no conscious recollection of ever having tried them.
Something changed in the past few years. Maybe it’s when I became vegan and began to expand my vegetable horizons, or maybe it’s because of the locovore/organic farmer craze in Northern California, or maybe it’s what my mother would call “maturing tastebuds,” but suddenly, any brussel sprout dish on a New American restaurant menu was something I had to try.
I’ve had different kinds, ranging from super fancy to super plain, and most recently decided to go as simple as I can: roasted brussel sprouts.
These are actually relatively easy to prepare – the hardest part being the actual prep work with the sprouts. Seeing as I had them sitting in my cupboard/fridge for a good week or two before I actually set out to prepare them, there was a considerable amount more that I had to do in readying them for cooking (i.e. peeling off the outer layer of the leaves), but it’s still nothing to complain about.
Directions:
-Rinse a couple pounds of brussel sprouts, then cut off the ends and pull off any yellowed or browned leaves.
-Mix them in a bowl with three tablespoons of olive oil.
-Sprinkle salt and/or pepper to taste, or try another herb or spice if you’d prefer.
-Pour out into a pan or onto a baking sheet and cook at 400 F (~ 200 C) for 30-40 minutes, depending on how crisp or crunchy you prefer them.
-If you want the sprouts evenly browned, mix them up every 10 minutes or so.
-Sprinkle with more salt, and serve.
I took my recipe from the Food Network, although it’s a relatively basic one, so adding different flavours (lemon, vinaigrette) in lieu of the salt is easily doable, if you want to mix up the taste a bit. And I might have accidentally left my sprouts in the oven a bit too long, but the great thing about brussel sprouts is that you can peel off the burnt leaves and underneath they’re perfect!
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