BRUSSELS SPROUTS

What I'm loving right now.....BRUSSELS SPROUTS!

I have a serious addiction to brussels sprouts, I truly love them! But, I find that every time I mention the veg people wrinkle up their nose and frown at the idea of them. They are such a versatile vegetable, that can be cooked in multiple ways and showered with different flavour combinations! I have been cooking them a lot recently, trying to convert family and friends into brussels sprouts lovers...and I think for a few it has actually worked! (Although it may just be the butter they are loving...)

Boiled and steamed brussel sprouts are fine, but the best way to eat and enjoy them is roasting them - or a combo cooking method, such as boiling and then a quick roast at the end. Last week I cooked dinner for my family as it was two of my cousin's birthday's, and I quickly put brussels sprouts on the menu! For this dish I roasted them, roasting gives a really nice caramelization to the veg making it incredibly candy like in my mind! A little butter, olive oil, salt and pepper can really take you where you need to be when roasting vegetables.

My Brussels Sprouts
Serves 4

Ingredients:
- 15-20 brussel sprouts, halved
- a few knobs of butter
- salt and pepper
- 1 shallot finely diced
- a few sprigs of time, (florets off the stem)
- olive oil

Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Peel the outer dirty or discoloured layers off the brussels sprouts and trim the bottoms to remove the stem like part. Cut in half
- Chop shallot
- Pull thyme off of the stem
- In a roasting pan, cover with a good swig of olive oil, add in the shallots, thyme, brussels sprouts, salt and pepper. Toss so that the brussels sprouts are coated
- Place knobs of butter randomly throughout the dish and place the roasting pan in the oven
- Roast for 30-45 minutes, once they have a nice charred golden colour they are ready to go! (see picture)

** For a variation on this, finish the dish with grated parmesan and toasted almond slivers, it gives the dish a nice crunch and a bit of a salty punch from the parm!!

BON APPETIT!


photo credit: my own