Roasted Brussel Sprouts

It's been a little while since I've been in a real kitchen. Reading and writing has been my focus for the last few months, and the only "cooking" I've done has been reheating a pork chop. 

Now that Christmas break has arrived, I'll hopefully have the time to immerse myself in experimenting with some new recipes. 

One of the first meals I ate when I got home was this simple brussel sprout recipe. 

Never in my life did I think I'd be promoting brussel sprouts. Clearly they're extremely healthy, and I've always wanted to like them, but until this year, I've never been able to stand their taste. Every time I had them I thought they were so bitter and horrible, and I'd given up on ever being able to enjoy them. 

That is, until my mom urged me to try them at Thanksgiving dinner this year. I hesitated of course, but once I tried them I was amazed. They were not remotely bitter. 

I've found that roasting vegetables of any kind always results in a wonderful depth of flavor, and I think the roasting process is exactly what removes the bitterness from the brussel sprouts in this recipe. 

Making this recipe was so simple it's almost silly. Enjoy this healthy dish as an easy side to virtually any meal. 

Ingredients:

2 lbs brussel sprouts

3 T extra virgin olive oil (I used lard, but you could use coconut oil as well)

3/4 tsp celtic sea salt

1/2 to 1 tsp freshly ground pepper (to taste)

1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for a bit of heat)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit, with oven rack on highest setting. 

Cut of brown ends and pull off any yellow outer leaves from the sprouts. If using lard, place on a cookie sheet in the oven while it's preheating. When the oven is ready and the lard has melted, pour the lard into the bowl with the sprouts. Combine the sprouts, lard or olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Spread onto a cookie sheet and roast in oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan a few times while in the oven so that the sprouts brown evenly. 

Serve warm. Add salt and pepper to taste. These are also delicious sprinkled with some goat cheese.