One of my favorite vegetables is the brussel sprout.
I did not eat them much growing up. I have always liked cabbage, so I figured why not give brussel sprouts a shot? They are usually available in grocery stores but my favorite treat is finding them at the local farmers market still on the stalk. This adds a bit of work removing them from the stalk, but the guaranteed freshness is worth the extra elbow grease.
This recipe is fairly basic, but is so delicious. I add garlic and crushed red pepper to give the sprouts a little kick. The roasted garlic gets sweet, creamy and balances out the brussel sprouts perfectly. This is my favorite way to cook brussel sprouts. Even my non-veggie-lover fiance devours these delicious bites of brussel sprout goodness. I like to cook the sprouts until they are very crisp–some may say borderline burnt–but the burnt’ish outer leaves are crunchy, salty, a little spicy and make the perfect veggie bite! I find the leaves that fall off and are actually burnt taste good–almost like little brussel sprout chips. If you prefer less browning, just reduce the roasting time by 5-10 minutes and cook to your preference.
Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients:
Fresh brussel sprouts (remove a little from the bottom if buying from the grocery store because it will be slightly dry), slice in half lengthwise
6-8 cloves of garlic (use more or less depending on how many sprouts you cook), peeled and cut if cloves are large–but do not chop (approx 1/2 inch pieces is enough to hold up through the entire cooking time)
olive oil (enough to coat the sprouts and garlic)
crushed red pepper to taste
salt and pepper
To make:
Toss all ingredients together in a mixing bowl to integrate evenly. Layer the garlic and sprouts on a foil lined baking pan or roasting pan in a single layer–do not overlap. I prefer cut side down to which allows more surface area to get crispy and caramelized–they also seem to dry out less using this technique vs. cut side up. Roast in 375 degree oven for approximately 30-35 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your sprouts to be (check at 20 minutes if you don’t want much browning, then in 5 min. increments until you get to you desired level of “roasted”). Serve warm and enjoy!!!
I love when brussels become available on the stalk! I love roasting them, so delicious.
Fresh from the stalk are certainly the best—I just found out about buying them on the stalk last year at a farmers market.