I know, I know, first lima beans, now brussel sprouts. what is the world coming to? But I promise, if you try this recipe using fresh brussels, you just might change your mind. When picking out brussel sprouts, you want sprouts that are heavy in your hand and with leaves that are tightly closed (similar to picking out artichokes). The heaviness is a sign that they aren’t dried out and old. If you can’t find good ones, don’t buy them, it’s as simple as that. And for those lucky few who can find brussels still on the stalk, bless you. I personally have never had the opportunity to cook with those but someday it’ll happen and when it does, it’ll be a happy one!

You might notice some really dark leaves in the above photo, they look burnt but in reality they are deeply, deeply carmelized and crispy like a potato chip. Mmm. And here is how to make that magic happen in your own kitchen!

Ingredients:
1 container of brussel sprouts (estimate about 5 sprouts per person)
1 Tbsp olive oil
seasonings: kosher salt, cayenne, ground coriander (most savory seasonings will taste delish!)

Preheat your oven to 400′. Wash your brussels and cut the fibrous ends off, then cut in half. If they are large sprouts, you can cut them in thirds. Basically the smaller the chunks the faster they will cook, plus it opens up more surface area to absorb oil and carmelize. Again, yum. Toss them in the olive oil, season (just a few shakes of each over your cookie sheet, then shake the sprouts around to distribute seasoning). Put the cookie sheet in the oven and depending on the sizes of your sprout slices, it’ll take between 10-15 min. If your oven runs cool, it might take a bit longer. Essentially you’re looking for a nice golden color on the sprouts (toss them around as the edges that are against the cookie sheet are going to brown faster) and they should be soft but not mushy.

I’ve converted several sprout haters with this recipe; hopefully you have the same results! Oh and ::psst:: just a secret between you and me, sprouts are really good for you…keep that one to yourself. Enjoy!