Roasted Brussels sprouts so tasty there will be fights over the leftovers!
This recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple and Mustard Glaze takes this often snubbed vegetable to a new level, making it easy to add this nutritional power house to your diet. It is a great option for a family dinner, but is special enough to bring to a potluck or serve as a side dish at a holiday gathering.
Why You Should Eat Brussels Sprouts.
A member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, these little gems are high in fiber and deliver on the nutritional goods. They are high in vitamin C, delivering 81% of your daily requirement in just one half cup. Brussels sprouts also provide Vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting and bone growth, with that one half cup providing 137% of your daily requirement. Like other cruciferous veggies, they are rich in antioxidants which help to neutralize free radicals and decrease inflammation. These are just some of the nutritional benefits that are great reasons to incorporate Brussels sprouts into your diet! Source
My Experience with the Sprouts
Growing up, I am sure that I never saw a Brussels sprout in the house. My mom pretty much determined what we ate, so I am not sure if she didn’t like them, didn’t know what to do with them, or decided it wasn’t worth the effort to try and get seven children to eat them.
Once I became an adult I was aware of them and sort of knew that they were considered an acquired taste. But then, when I was studying plant based nutrition, I realized that they were definitely worth learning how to cook, but it wasn’t until I saw them on the stalk, crazy looking and gorgeous, that I knew I needed to play with those gems in my kitchen.
I remember the day I brought them home, carrying the stalk that was impossible to fit in any normal grocery bag. Greg thought they really looked cool. I mean, he is a photographer. He was thinking about shapes and light. But, he did mention something about not being that fond of the taste.
Its All a Matter of Taste
At that point, my kids were older, definitely more adventurous about trying things, and very quick to express their opinions about my cooking experiments. So, I thought “everything is better when marinated and roasted, right?” and got to work. The first try actually came together pretty quickly, got good reviews, and was followed by a few tweaks. Eventually, It reached a point where it became such a favorite, that if I made it, everyone was picking hot pieces out of the pan as soon as it came out of the oven. The greatest seal of approval, however, is when there is a fight over leftovers. That is when you stop winging it and write down the recipe.
Time To Make Roasted Brussels Sprouts Official
I made again them a few weeks ago and Greg and I, pretty much at the same time, decided that this would be a great recipe for the blog. I mean, it was definitely time and it is an easy, and delicious, way to eat Brussels sprouts. If your only experience of Brussels sprouts is a mushy heap of faintly sour-smelling vegetables, that you had to get down in order to have dessert, I would encourage you to try them again for the first time.
Freshly rinsed Brussels sproutsBrussels sprouts and onions ready for the oven
In Defense of Ugly Vegetables
Sometimes vegetables are not picture-perfect. This is especially true of organic produce. It is a tragedy to me that countless pounds of perfectly good food is discarded because it is not pretty enough in a world where there are people who go hungry. The organic sprouts that I prepare in the video certainly weren’t all perfect. I decided that it was better to use them. A little bit of trimming and paring is all it takes and the end result is the same. Pictures of perfect fruits and vegetables always inspire me, but I know that the true value of produce is not what it looks like, but how it nourishes us.
Not Your Mom’s Brussels Sprouts
If you have never given Brussels sprouts a try, I hope this recipe will inspire you to do so. On to the recipe!
Roasted Brussels sprouts so tasty there will be fights over the leftovers!
Ingredients
UnitsScale
2pounds of Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 large onion, halved and sliced into crescents
1/3cup real maple syrup
1/4cup prepared mustard (stone ground, spicy brown or dijon – I use what is on hand)
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
several grinds of black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Prepare vegetables and place in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients thoroughly.
Toss the vegetables with the maple and mustard mixture until evenly distributed and coated.
Lightly spray or oil a large roasting pan (mine is 11×15), large enough to be pretty close to having a single layer of the vegetables.
Spread the vegetables evenly in the pan.
Grind a little more pepper on the vegetables. (optional)
Place in the center of the oven and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, turning them over a bit with a large spoon approximately half way through the cooking time.
Georgia is an unpretentious foodie who, at 50, transitioned from a vegetarian diet to a whole foods plant based diet and is loving it. She works as a nurse, plays as a quilter, loves to run, hates to race.
She thinks dogs are actually angels (in dog suits).
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