Brussels Sprouts – Expanding my palate

Food is my love language. And roasted veggies are my dialect…

To paraphrase Gary Chapman in the “5 Love Languages”. Have you read the book? I finished it two weeks ago and found it very good.

I, myself, find it surprising that I crave vegetables so much considering that I didn’t care for them my entire life growing up. I did eat them but was kind of indifferent about them.

If you too have trouble eating your 5-a-day why not try roasting some of your vegetables?

You might be surprised at how much the taste and texture of a food can change if roasted. The high heat caramelizes most vegetables making them very sweet. It also gives a smoked flavor if you roast them long enough, although you will end up with very soft food.

As I already mentioned I never really cared for vegetables growing up. Then one day when I was in my mid twenties as I was having a conversation about food, I realized that my palate was quite limited. I though I liked food but the reality was that I was always eating the same foods over and over again. It also came to my attention that my diet was far from balanced.

So I decided to start a “food journey”. From that point onward I would give a try to all the foods I did not like. Twice. Then I would try to eat them in different ways. Raw, steamed, boiled, roasted.

One of the foods that I have never tasted were Brussels Sprouts.

So one day as I was walking through the produce aisle during a weekly grocery shop I spotted some and decided to give them a try. It was a good decision. Ever since then I always buy some when I find them…

The most versatile way I found to incorporate them into my diet was to roast them with olive oil and salt and pepper. This way I can have them as a side, a salad or incorporate them into meals.

Do you like vegetables? How do you like to eat them?

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Perfectly charred and slightly warm these Brussels Sprouts are simply irresistible.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time1 d 35 mins

Course: Side

Cuisine: International

Servings: 2 servings

Author: Joanna

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INGREDIENTS:

• 500 gr Brussels Sprouts
• 1 drizzle olive oil
• 1 pinch salt & white pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Remove the outer leaves of the Brussels Sprouts and wash them in cold water. I use my salad spinner to wash and dry most of my produce.
• Dry your Brussels and cut them in half.
• In a lined rimmed baking dish and add the Brussels, olive oil and S&P. Use your hands to toss them and spread evenly.
• Roast for 20 min. Roasting time depends on how cooked you want your vegetables to be. I always suggest to taste test and err on the under-cooked side since food continues to cook for a while after you take it out of the oven.

NOTES:

You can use any spices you like to give your vegetables a flavor twist.

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