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

Well Well Well…. Did you think I got lost in New York?  Not really the case, but we did get stranded on Sunday as the flight was cancelled due to weather conditions in the JFK area.  On top of all that, we had to check a bag because we shopped too much and in that bag I had placed my power cord for the laptop… ooops and the laptop died.  That is the sob story as to why no post on Monday.

Too make up for the missed day I thought I would do a recap of NYC in pictures and share with you a shrimp recipe that I whipped up last night that made my heart sing.  Oh so good and oh so easy to prepare.

NYC Recap

Things We Did

• STOMP
• The Lion King
• Mets Game
• Hop N Go Tour – Central Park, downtown loop, world trade centre
• Shopped at Century 21 – mind boggling
• Hit up Macy’s for 3 Hours
• Hung out at Times Square
• Ate at the Shake Shack!!
• Became Subway gurus

Times Square in the Night

Times Square in the Night

The Food Emporium

A Cool Curved Building... can't remember the name

Trump Towers

Some greenery

Radio City Music Hall

New York Mets Stadium

Good Ol'e Lulu

New York Public Library

YUM... Chipotle

Atop the double Decker bus I spotted this on the lamp post.... Classic

Ever Have this Popcorn?

Times Square

Times Square Street Sign

Empire State Building

Empire State Building

Eataly.... so good

Zest in Central Park ...relaxing

Curry Fig Shrimp

Ingredients

• 16 Large Shrimp
• 2 Figs , chopped
• Lemon zest
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
• 1 Tbsp. Curry Paste
• 1/4 Cup water
• 2 Cups spinach
• 1 Cup of Basmati rice
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil

Method

1. Preheat a sauce pan over high heat and add olive oil.
2. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and quickly sear the shrimp, 30 seconds per side.  Pull them out of the pan and place on a plate while you make the sauce.
3. Add garlic, lemon zest, maple syrup, figs and curry paste.  Stir quickly and lower the heat to medium.  Add water and let reduce for 2 minutes.
4. Toss shrimp back in the sauce and coat evenly for 1 minute.
5. Remove shrimp leaving liquid in the pan to saute the spinach.  Cook the spinach until wilted about 1-2 minutes.
6. Serve over rice
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Don’t over cook the shrimp!  It is very easy to do, just ensure as soon as they become translucent, you remove them from the heat.

OK, I better get my butt to the office and start the work day.  I hope you enjoyed the recap and again sorry for the lack of posting on Monday.  I will talk to you all on Friday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty