Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Brussel Sprouts, meet Dill

One of my favorite herbs is Dill. With its delicate leaves, distinct taste and aroma, dill can give any roasted, blanched, or stir fried veggie some excitement. One vegetable in particular could really use this boost in confidence ... that veg is the infamous Brussel Sprout. I've come across several roasted brussel sprout recipes but I've decided to add a few of my own twists.

This recipe is very easy. Simply toss ingredients in a bowl, throw onto a parchment lined baking sheet and roast! With so few steps and ingredients, you should really focus on finding the highest quality produce. I recently returned to San Francisco with organic brussel sprouts from the Ventura Farmer's Market, a couple of lemons from the Engel's backyard, and not to mention, a giant stuffed suitcase. Today I picked up some dill along with some motivation to cook in my messy apartment. What better way to procrastinate from unpacking than cooking! I hope this dish will sway the brussel sprout avoider in your life...

Some quick tips... When selecting brussel sprouts, look for the young, small, vibrant green sprouts. Brussel Sprouts already have a peculiar cabbage stink because they contain a lot of sulfur. This stink gets stronger when they're too old or overcooked. Also, if you picked yours from the farmers market, a great way to get rid of any bugs is by soaking the sprouts in salted water and a small amount of vinegar.

Dill Roasted Brussel Sprouts
About 2 1/2 Cups Brussel Sprouts, ends trimmed and sliced in half
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Water
1/4 tsp Lemon Zest
1/2 tsp Juice of a Lemon
1/2 tsp Coarse Sea Salt
Crack of Black Pepper
2 Tbsp chopped Dill

Preheat oven to 400F
In a bowl combine all ingredients.  Spread onto a lined baking sheet and bake on the lower/middle oven rack for about 25 minutes.  Depending on your brussel sprout size and amount, the cooking time will vary.  

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

They look delicious! We should have our pre-Christmas dinner party soon!

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking of contributing a brussel sprout dish to the Thanksgiving dinner I'm attending in Denver, these sound really yummy.

When I cook the sprouts, I par-boil them (boil for a few minutes and then in they go to a cold water bath) before I sautee them. It helps them taste less "cabbage-y". It's a boyfriend approved method-as is the addition of bacon.....

Lisa Engel said...

That's a great approach, especially for the un-fans of BP's! Lately I've been dying to try a sortof succatash of BP's and hazelnuts. Shredding the BP's, stirfrying in olive oil, then topping off with chopped roasted hazelnuts. We'll see if I get to it!