Seasoned, Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I know, I know... "brussel sprouts?!" Let me explain; I just got back from a visit to my old college town- San Luis Obispo, CA... which also seems to be home to the nation's BEST farmer's market (not that I'm biased or anything :) So, I visited one of my old favorite produce vendors at the farmer's market. During college, I would go to him every week to buy a flat of strawberries for my house's weekly pancake brunch that my roommates and I would host after church on Sundays. During this week's visit to SLO, I thought it would be fun to buy a flat of strawberries and bring it home to my husband so that we could reminisce about our college days. However, strawberries aren't in season!!! Duh! So..... I came home with a big bag of beautiful, fresh, bright green brussel sprouts instead. I know, not a fair substitute huh! Poor Peter. However, we (I) roasted and seasoned them and they came out so delicious that Peter sat on the couch watching the national college football championship and went through a whole bowl of them like it was popcorn! Tonight, I made them again and he told me that I did not make enough! This tells me that these brussel sprouts passed the test! :)

As usual, I will start with your shopping list:

• Fresh Brussel Sprouts (about 10 per serving), rinsed, trimmed, and halved
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, enough to coat your sprouts
• Salt and Pepper, to taste 

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, rinse the brussel sprouts and remove any 'sorry-looking' outer leaves. Then trim off the rough stem, and slice each brussel sprout in half. 

Next, toss them in a bowl and coat them with extra virgin olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. 

After they are all well coated, dump them onto a baking sheet to go into the oven. I like to line my baking sheets with the silpat... nothing sticks to it, and it makes cleanup so easy! Then, slide them into the oven for about 30-35 minutes. 

The high heat and the olive oil are the keys to this recipe. This duo creates a wonderful, lightly crunchy outer 'crust' on the sprouts and the insides just bake into a soft tenderness. Okay, I know this might be a little bit of a stretch, but it is almost like eating a french fry! It has the crispy salty outer layer, and that delicious soft inside.

When it comes out of the oven, you can even hit 'em with a little extra drizzle of fresh EVOO and a pinch more salt for added taste and crunch.


Tonight I plated up my roasted brussel sprouts with this delicious lemon-herbed whole roasted chicken (see picture at beginning of post)Cooking the entire chicken is so easy, delicious and cost effective. This entire chicken cost me 2 dollars and some change, and it made several meals. After tonight's dinner, I pulled the rest of the meat off the bone and stuck it in the fridge in tupperware for another recipe later this week. Then I can boil the carcass in a pot with some herbs and veggies to get a tasty homemade chicken broth (then I use this broth to make a truly homemade chicken soup). Plus, it is so easy to get SUCH tender and juicy meat when cooked whole, as opposed to cooking the breast alone, for example. Anyway, that will have to be a post for another day. Unfortunately, I only caught this snapshot of the chicken as it came out of the oven:

**This was my reminder today of God's beauty. This shot was captured from the car as I drove down Pacific Coast Highway on my way home from a coffee date with some of my amazing girlfriends: