Roasted Brussels Sprouts

A common side dish in this house is Brussels sprouts. Most often I prepare them in the skillet--either halved or shredded. Both are great methods to prepare them. Most recently, I've been roasting them in the oven. Roasting allows for crispy edges and you can season them however you like. You can experiment with different seasonings to find something that you especially like.

Now if you think you don't like Brussels sprouts, you're probably recalling the bitter vegetable that you were forced to choke down over the holidays. But over the last quarter century, farmers have been selectively breeding them to reduce the bitter compounds (glucosinolates) that have turned you off of this healthy vegetable. It's time to try them again. Brussels sprouts are high in Vitamin K and C and also provide protein. 

Roasted and Seasoned Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

• Brussels sprouts - enough for a side dish for each person, trim off stem, pull off outer leaves, and cut in half
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Your favorite seasonings
• Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat to 400 degrees.

Prepare Brussels sprouts and put them into a quart-sized plastic bag. Add to the bag the olive oil, salt, pepper, and your favorite seasonings. Shake the bag (Shake and Bake style!) to coat the Brussels sprouts with the oil and seasonings. This time, the seasonings I added were some roasted garlic powder and some of Penzey's Mural of Flavor. This is where you can experiment with various seasonings to find a few variations that you like. Add a bit of soy sauce for an Asian twist. Add a bit of your favorite hot sauce if you like. You can try it out with a different seasoning mix each night. But never omit the salt (unless you are under doctor's orders) as the salt helps a great deal with the flavor. 

Place the coated sprouts face down on a baking sheet and pop them into the pre-heated oven. Every 5-10 minutes give them a stir. Cook 30-40 minutes depending on how blackened and crispy you want them. When finished, remove from the oven and let cool for a bit. Sprinkle with some finishing salt and more pepper and serve as a side dish. 

Another technique is to add some grated Parmesan cheese (actual cheese, not the stuff in the green can) during the last few minutes of cooking.