Happy Friday! Tis’ the season to roast vegetables and today is no exception. Lately I have been turning into a huge brussel sprout fan and I am loving it. Many years have passed in my life where I never tried a brussel sprout let alone thought about roasting it in the oven.

Well my friends that has all changed. I am on the brussel sprout bandwagon like society is onto chia seeds. Yep that is right. I heart brussels sprouts. Oh wow, did I just say that?

Ok, enough banter, let’s move on. This recipe doesn’t get much easier than this – 6 ingredients and you have a side dish that will make you happy.

Ingredients

• Brussel Sprouts, halved
• Drizzle of Olive oil
• Parmesan Cheese, grated
• Pine nuts
• Salt & Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lay out the brussel sprouts, season with salt and pepper and drizzle the olive oil.
3. Toss and roast
4. In a small dry pan over medium heat, add the pine nuts to toast them for extra flavor
5. After the brussels are tender ( about 30 minutes) remove from the oven, add the grated Parmesan cheese and pine nuts.  Toss together.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip:  When you are buying brussel sprouts, make sure you hunt for the firm ones with a tight outer leave.  I find these are the freshest and best for roasting.

A simple dish that goes with anything.  It works as a side dish, an evening snack or for some – maybe even a main course.

Have a great Friday wherever you may be and a nice weekend.

Take care

zesty

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US Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and you know I have been harping on brussel sprout side dishes that will make your mouth water.  Most recently I posted about the roasted plum and brussels and a couple of years back we had this classic!  One of my all time favs.  Roll out the cutting board for this one…. and try it next week.

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Have you ever had figs, maple and Brussels sprouts in the same dish?  If you remember from past thanksgiving summary, I gave you a heads up on some amazing vegetable creations.  I do not cook Brussels sprouts that often, however this dish was one of my favorites with Saturday’s turkey dinner.  The roasting flavor of the Brussels sprouts paired with the sweetness of the figs and maple was a great combination.

As far as simplicity goes, this dish is very easy to make yet packs that powerful aroma when serving.  You could serve this as a side dish for almost anything – fish, chicken, pork, beef – you name it.  It could also be served as the star of the show if you so desired.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Brussels Sprouts ( halved )
• 2 Figs ( Dried and chopped finely )
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
• 1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.
2. In a bowl, add halved Brussels sprouts and coat with olive oil and salt and pepper.
3. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread Brussels sprouts out evenly to prepare for roasting.



4. Roast for 20-30 minutes until done.



5. In a small sauce pan, add chicken stock and figs and bring to a gentle boil.  Then turn to simmer and let reduce.  Add maple syrup and continue to let it reduce for 10-15 minutes.



6. Once the Brussels sprouts are fully roasted, remove the pan from the oven and pour the maple fig mixture on top.  Toss to coat evenly and place back in the oven until ready to serve.





7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When making chicken stock from scratch – be sure to make it in large quantities and freeze it when you can.  You can store it in freezer bags, ice cube trays or even containers for a quick fix when you are in a pinch.  As for health benefits – it allows you to control the sodium content and customize it to your liking.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and try it if you enjoy Brussels sprouts.  Even Mrs. Zesty who had never tried a sprout in her life – attempted these and was pleasantly surprised.  Contact me through the comments and let me know what you think of this recipe.

Have an awesome Wednesday and stay tuned for Friday fun day with a movember update..

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Make this for thanksgiving!

Ok sorry for starting off a little on the blunt side but seriously – you need to make this for your family and yourself.  As a special request post today I am bringing you the brussel sprout recipe from our thanksgiving feast that so many of you emailed about and are dying to try.

Not everyone loves brussel sprouts, not everyone is a big fan of plums but put these two together with the crunch of a pine nut and the sweetness of a maple glaze and I honestly think nothing else matters.  The texture and flavor profile in this dish is stunning.  Can you believe I said stunning?  Yeah I guess you are right…. I am a bit of a flake at times so it is not that uncommon.

Enough horsing around here, I am going to give you the recipe, show you a couple of pictures and almost twist your arm to try this recipe.  You will NOT be disappointed.  I Promise.

Ingredients

• Brussel sprouts – 1 1/2 pounds, similar sizes if able.
• Olive oil – 2 Tbsp.
• Salt – 1/2 Tsp.
• Fresh ground black pepper – 1 Tsp.
• Cayenne pepper, ground, 1/4 Tsp.
• Plums – 3/4 lb,
• 4 Tsp. pine nuts
• 1/3 Cup maple syrup

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Clean, prep and half brussel sprouts. Remove loose leaves, cut through stem to half larger sprouts, and cut a cross into the stem of the larger sprouts. This should allow the different part of the sprouts to cook at the same rate.
3. Coat well with olive oil then add salt as well as pepper and cayenne as desired.
4. Roast in preheated oven for about15 minutes. This will vary slightly with the average size of the sprouts.
5. During the initial roasting slice ripe plums into wedges and remove pits. Try to keep the wedges about the same size of the brussel sprouts.
6. Toast pine nuts in a dry pan till slightly brown and aromatic.
7. Reserve 1 tsp pine nuts and grind or mash the remaining into a paste. A mechanical girder will work, but avoid a used coffee grinder. A mortar and pestle will work best.
8. After 15 minutes add to the plums to the partially cooked brussel sprouts and mix before returning to the oven for a further 15 minutes.
9. Heat the maple syrup to a slow boils and add the paste of pine nuts and mix.
10. Pour syrup over roasted plums and sprouts and mix well.
11. Serve warm
12. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Proportions can be changed or altered with ease depending on what is available and if you do not have maple you could substitute honey and the same goes for the pine nuts.  Use what you have on hand.

So there you have it… a must try with brussel sprouts for your next holiday dinner, your next week night dinner, maybe a snack on Saturday night, or just something you make and let me know how it turned out.  I am excited for you guys to try this because I am confident you will love it.  Have a great weekend and a super Friday.  Talk to you on Monday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty