Cutesy Little Cabbages

Yes, Brussels Sprouts.   You may have hated them as a child, you probably hated them as an adolescent, but your sophisticated adult pallet is ready to enjoy their yummy goodness now.   Brussels Sprouts might be the cutest vegetable, I challenge you to find a cuter one*.  They contain good amounts of Vitamins A and C, folate, fiber and sinigrin which is believed to protect against colon cancer.  Brussel Sprouts are available fresh and frozen.  Frozen Brussels are ok, but for our cooking purposes, we want fresh. Why do we want fresh?  Because we’re gonna roast them and roasting frozen sprouts is a bad idea.

*Baby carrots are NOT cute, they’re just big carrots that have been shaved.  Nothing cute about that.

Here’s what you need:

1 1/2 pounds fresh brussel sprouts
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the bottom of each brussel sprout off (most of the stem) and then slice in half lengthwise. Toss all ingredients and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 12 or so minutes remove from the oven and mix them around a bit, put em back in for another 12 minutes or so until they are slightly browned* and tender throughout.   Serve hot or cold.
*As the chef’s in school used to say, you want them GBD.  Golden Brown Delicious

A few things you could do:

• Add a Tablespoon of Sugar or honey (not vegan anymore) when tossing to bring out the sweetness.
• Add a bit of chipotle tabasco or chipotle in adobo sauce to give it a mouth watering smoky flavor.  (This one gets my vote)
• Add 1/2 to 2/3 cup of cornmeal when tossing for a nice crunch.
• The original recipe is great by itself, but feel free to be creative.