Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts are a pretty new addition to my diet. I never ate them as a kid, and didn't really understand what they were or what they tasted like. When I ate them the first time, it was a revelation: a vegetable that highlights all of the flavors that I love. They're a little bitter, go well with acid and salt and are really easy to cook. Well, roast anyway. Roasting the best way to cook all vegetables, in my opinion.

Anyway, let's get started:

You need a package of sprouts, olive oil, salt, pepper, and any other herbs you want. Thyme is good, plus I love thyme.

Sprouts are so cute, look at them up close:

they're like tiny cabbages.

Before you roast them, you can cut off the little nub at the end (where it was attached to the vine), but it's not strictly necessary. You should cut them in halves or quarters though.

Oh yeah, speaking of on the vine, this is what they look like if you get them really fresh. You can find great shots of other fresh veggies here: GardenSeed

See, tiny cabbages.

Anyway, put the brussels in a pyrex pan and put on a healthy dose of olive oil (probably around 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp), salt and pepper (also a healthy dose) and the fresh herbs.

A squeeze of lemon is also good here, since it cuts the bitterness of the veggies.

Now, put these in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes until they are tender and have some brown on them. You may want to toss them around with a spatula after about 20 minutes to stop sticking.

Just a little bit of burnt adds some sweetness, which compliments the bitterness inherent to brussels perfectly.

They really are a great side dish, or even a snack, if you want to just pop a few of these in your mouth from time to time.

Enjoy!