I turned 36 in January, and while I know in my head that I'm fully an adult now, most days I still feel like I'm 18 years old. I like a lot of the same music that I did back then, and I fondly reminisce about Friends and Party of Five (that show was so good!). My sister and I can text for hours about things we remember from the mid-90’s, as if they happened yesterday, and even the grey hairs that stare back at me in the mirror fail to make me feel much older (hey, they can easily be concealed). There is one thing though, that has shown me I’m officially “grown-up”, and it’s not the kids, the husband, the jobs, or the dog. It’s not even the bills. It’s the food.
On a recent date night, Rob and I literally salivated over a shared plate of roasted brussels sprouts that preceded a decadent meal of grilled pizzas and local beers. Gone are the fried calamari and cheesy appetizers of our youth, for now we happily devour little roasted cabbages gently bathed in a pommery mustard sauce. Who are we?
Oh, that’s right. We’re adults now. Ones who immediately came home from that date and tried our hand at those rustic brussels sprouts ourselves. While we’re missing the shredded bits of ham hock that were tossed into our bowl at the restaurant (I know!), these are equally as tasty.
As you can imagine, they aren’t a huge hit with the kids, but that’s okay. They’ll like them when they’re older, I’m sure of it.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Grainy Mustard Sauce
There really is no exact recipe here. Roast the number of sprouts you need to feed your family.
- Brussels sprouts
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- For the sauce: equal amounts of honey and grainy Dijon mustard
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Slice the ends of the bottom of the sprouts, and cut each in half. Remove the outer leaf and toss the rest onto a baking sheet, separating some of the leaves from the core.
Add a good glug or two of olive oil, about a teaspoon or so of sea salt, and lots of fresh ground pepper. Massage the oil and seasoning into the brussels sprouts, and place the cut sides down on the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the leaves are a deep amber colour, and the cores are nicely caramelized.
While the sprouts are baking, combine equal amounts of honey and grainy Dijon mustard in small bowl; whisk to combine.
Transfer the vegetable to a bowl, and drizzle with the mustard sauce. Stir to combine. Serve hot.
I LOVE brussel sprouts and I making these today!! Thanks for the recipe!
Posted by: The Partiologist | 03/11/2012 at 11:35 AM
Your recipe is a great find. I've been cooking brussels only two ways forever, steamed or boiled and with or withour a white sauce. I am giving this recipe a try tonight. Thanks you
Posted by: Debra | 04/05/2012 at 04:42 PM
Good luck ,Great post,y love you!Thanks for the info it had cleared out too many things in my mind. Your recommendations are really good.
http://www.brusselsproutscalories.com/1/
Posted by: Account Deleted | 05/02/2012 at 03:33 AM