Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries & Toasted Pine Nuts
The winter season is the perfect time for cooking brussels sprouts when you can find them at your local supermarket. This recipe includes cranberries plumped in balsamic vinegar, toasted pine nuts, roasted garlic, and grated parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 16oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- ¼ cup cooking olive oil
- ¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt & freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425F.
- Coat the Brussels sprouts in the cooking olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.
- Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and spread the Brussels sprouts out on the sheet.
- Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are almost completely tender.
- While the Brussels sprouts are roasting, lightly toast the pine nuts.
- Finely slice the two cloves of garlic.
- Warm the balsamic vinegar in a small pot on the stove, and add the dried cranberries.
- Allow the cranberries to sit in the warm vinegar for 15 minutes.
- When the Brussels sprouts are almost completely cooked, add the sliced garlic and allow to cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Remove the Brussels sprouts from the oven and toss in a bowl with the toasted pine nuts, plumped cranberries, and balsamic vinegar.
- Taste, and season with kosher salt & freshly-ground black pepper.
- Pour the mixture onto a large serving platter, and top with the freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.
- Serve hot.
Notes
There is some science behind why leftover brassicas like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts have a somewhat less-than-desirable odor that develops when they sit in the fridge for a couple days after they have been cooked, which I am not fully versed in. But from a purely anecdotal perspective, I used to cut up 10-12 heads of cauliflower into teeny tiny florets every few days for this roasted cauliflower salad that was on the menu at this restaurant I worked at in Tennessee. The cauliflower would always be roasted on the same day that it was served, but sometimes I would try to get ahead and cut my cauliflower florets the day before I roasted them off. I was advised that if I was going to do this, I had to store the cut cauliflower in the walk-in fridge uncovered, because, as one of the more experienced cooks explained, if you leave them covered overnight after they have been cut, they smell like someone who has really bad gas. In any event, leftover brussels sprouts can be delicious, but they are really best when eaten right after they are roasted, as they can develop some strong odors when left in the fridge for a few days after they have been cooked.