Sunday, December 12, 2010

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

When I watched Ree and Bobby go at it, I couldn't take my eyes off those brussels sprouts.  And I'm not even a huge sprouts lover!   Within a week, I tried them.


...  but I didn't love them.  I mean, the roasted brussels sprouts were good, and I especially liked the crunchy burst of the pomegranate arils.  Unfortunately the lime zest completely overwhelmed things (maybe I had a large lime?) and where was the vanilla butter??? 

I couldn't just drop the idea, so I tried again, with my own twists.  It was definitely good; however, next time I'd try to up the vanilla flavor even more as it was still a little lost.   Speaking of lost, I accidentally deleted my pictures of the finished dish, so use your imagination!



Roasted Brussles & Squash w/Pomegranate Seeds
adapted from Bobby Flay
serves 2-4, depending on how much you like your veggies :)

4c trimmed, halved brussels sprouts
4c cubed squash (~1/2"), I used a mix of buttercup and butternut
2T coconut oil, melted
coarse salt
freshly ground pepper
zest of 1 orange
1/2c pomegranate seeds (or more)
1T vanilla butter*
1/4c chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375deg.  Toss brussels sprouts and squash with coconut oil, salt and pepper, then spread out on cookie sheet.  Roast for ~45min, until soft and beginning to brown/caramelize.

Meanwhile, zest orange into a large bowl.  Add pomegranate seeds and butter.  When squash and sprouts are cooked, add to bowl and toss to combine and melt butter.  Serve, topped with chopped pecans.

*I made using the seeds of 1 vanilla bean and 4T good quality butter



Has there been a recipe you thought was a winner that fell a little flat?  Or do you have a favorite, no-fail brussels sprouts recipe?

17 comments:

Joanne said...

I've been hearing about these on lots of other blogs and have been so intrigued by them! I'm sorry you didn't like the original but I love your spruced up version!

Delicious Dishings said...

Honestly, I love just sauteeing brussels sprouts in olive oil and seasoning them with salt and pepper. (If you go to Wilson Farm, they have baby brussels!)

Fun and Fearless in Beantown said...

My favorite method is to sautee them with chopped bacon, shallots and garlic.

Unknown said...

oh bummer. Sorry about the sprouts. I actually made those for thanksgiving. I used strawberry vinegarette instead of lime and added in some melted tahini instead of butter. Weird I know, but it was good!

Lisa (bakebikeblog) said...

That dish looks positively delightful!

momgateway said...

I watched that episode too but I never tried it. My Dutch friend prepared brussels sprouts with just butter, salt and pepper and it was pretty good.

Reeni said...

These sound incredible! Sorry they didn't live up to your expectations! Maybe that's why Bobby didn't win...

Kerstin said...

Awww, that's disappointing they weren't as good as they sounded on TV! I like the squash you added to your version :)

Lauren said...

Oooo the vanilla butter sounds awesome! I don't really go by a recipe for Brussels sprouts... I more so just coat them in olive oil and season with salt and pepper before roasting for 20-30 minutes. I've become such a big sprouts fan, but I don't like that our apartment smells like them for hours afterwards ;).

Anonymous said...

Delicious brussels sprouts dish, love the pomegranate seeds here!

Kelly said...

I hate when that happens. I think that's what turns a lot of people off to cooking, they have a recipe or two fail but don't always have the know how to fix it, luckily you do. I do love brussels sprouts. I have a recipe I've been making forever that has quartered brussel sprouts sauteed in bacon grease that you finish off with a little cream. I've been meaning to make them.

Esi said...

I'm so in love with roasted brussels sprouts. It's the best way to eat them~

Rosiecat24 said...

Oh my goodness, YES! It seems every other recipe I try these days is a failure. It's like my recipe radar is on the fritz or something...I'm actually kind of afraid of recipes right now because I've had so many bummers.

We Are Not Martha said...

This is such an amazing combination! Next time I make brussels sprouts, I'm totally adding pomegranates :)

Sues

Beth said...

I don't have a go-to brussels sprouts recipe, but I agree that this one looks great. Sounds like a nice Christmas side dish!

Mary Ellen said...

I absolutely love brussel sprouts, I'm going to put your version of the recipe on my to-do list. I often make them sauteed with shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes, then braised in a little chicken stock and balsamic vinegar. Funny how bobby's recipe didn't turn out. I went to Mesa Grill in NYC and ordered the brussel sprouts side (where they are braised in pomegranate juice) and they were *terrible* - completely overcooked, and way too sweet. He needed something savory to balance the sweet. Needless to say, your recipe sounds much, much better!

Cara said...

I love brussels! and I have to say that some of the best ones I ever had were at Bobby Flay's Mesa grill. They were roasted and then tossed with candied pecans and pom seeds. Maybe the throwdown recipe was a slight variation? Anyway. Ironically, your brussels with squash looks really similar to something I saw in a new cookbook my mom gave me for Hanukkah and can't wait to try. Great mind!

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