I think just about anything tastes good roasted: eggplant, potatoes, asparagus, red peppers, tofu, garlic; the list goes on. But I had never thought to roast brussel sprouts before.
Truth be told, until recently, I hadn’t touched them since I was at least ten. It took me that long to recover from the way my mom prepared them when I was growing up: boiled. Total blasphemy, at least in my book! I refused to eat them.
I was missing out.
The truth is that brussel sprouts aren’t all that bad after all. They are low in saturated fat, and very low in cholesterol. They are also a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese. Source.
In addition, we get cancer protection from brussel sprouts thanks to four specific glucosinolates found in this cruciferous vegetable: glucoraphanin, glucobrassicin, sinigrin, and gluconasturtiian. These same cancer-preventive components also aid in detoxing your body and ridding it of inflammation. Hello antioxidant. Source.
And roasting them in olive oil and a little salt? Totally divine.
Simply chop your desired number of brussel sprouts into small pieces and arrange on a baking sheet. Keep in mind that they will shrink as they cook.
Toss liberally with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring once. You know they are cooked to perfection when a few start blackening.
Simple. Fast. Delicious.
And perfect for your first al fresco meal of the season. We enjoyed our first on the back patio Friday. Even K-Bear thought it was divine!
Eat my brussel sprouts? Heck ya. I’ll even enjoy them with a glass or two of wine. Cheers to the arrival of warm weather!
Have you ever roasted brussel sprouts? What’s your favorite roasted vegetable?
I shared this post on Hearth and Soul, Fat Tuesday, Mangia Mondays, Meatless Mondays, Monday Mania, Healthy 2Day Wednesdays, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, Whole Food Wednesdays, This Chick Cooks, It’s a Keeper, Frugal Food Thursday, Show Off Your Stuff, Tastetastic Thursday, Fresh Bites Friday, Freaky Friday, Friday Food, Flaunt it Friday, Home and Family Friday, Scrumptious Sunday, and Homestead Barn Hop.
Will have to try them roasted too! We love our brussel sprouts in our house, and I recently posted a recipe for caramelized brussel sprouts, you should give that a try too
Can’t wait to see what you link up this week!
Oh, caramelized? I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks for stopping by!
Looks fun and delicious! Thanks for linking up to Healthy 2Day Wednesday….hope to see you back next week!
Thanks, Erin!
Stopping by from the Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways Wednesday Blog Hop! http://queenofsavings.com
Thanks for visiting, Justine!
Visting from the Frugally Sustainable hop: I think we think we “hate” something simply because we’ve never had them cooked properly. Or because we grew up on the canned, processed, fake version of it. (it wasn’t until I tried fresh, not canned asparagus that I realized that I love it).
As for Brussel’s sprouts, my advice:
a) If you don’t like cabbage, buy sprouts that are no bigger than a quarter. They’ll have more green and less of the white in them. (The white is what gives them a cabbage-y taste).
b) Grow your own and, if you live in an area that gets cold, wait until there’s been a winter frost. The cold draws out the sweetness.
c) If you boil them, boil the water first, throw them in, TURN THE HEAT OFF, and leave them in for no more than five minutes. They’ll stay crisp but loose the cabbage-y taste.
d) After boiling, take them out and toss them in a hot skillet with just-fried bacon. Everything tastes good with bacon!
Thanks for the tips, Jill, and for visiting. Maybe I’ll have to try them boiled after all, and I certainly would love to try growing them!
I love roasting them. SO glad you came back to the brussel sprout! All things are right in the world!
Thanks, Frances. I always find it fun when I remember I am an adult and can rediscover things with new eyes (and tastebuds)!
Completely rediculous but with the sun, she insists on both the hat and glasses. Smart kid!
Mmm. I started making them this way too about a year ago when Josh’s roommate introduced me to the method. I don’t eat them enough though. Kiera looks cute BTW. A little ridiculous in all of her bling and accessories, but very cute.