Holiday Brussels Sprouts

I made these for friends recently and we all decided they would be perfect as a holiday side dish given the vibrant red and green colors.  They also happen to be delicious!

I will be recreating them on Christmas Eve for my family and am already looking forward to eating them again.  As you may remember from my top five vegetables post, I love brussels sprouts.  I’m always experimenting with new ways of preparing them and new ingredients to mix in.

For this dish I mixed roasted brussels with fresh pomegranate seeds and crumbled blue cheese for a perfect salty/sweet combination.  I started by roasting the brussels (cleaned, cut in half, and tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper) in the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.  I like to roast my brussels until they start to get crispy on the edges, but you can cook yours to your own liking.  Remember that brussels sprouts are members of the cruciferous vegetable family (along with kale, cabbage etc.) and boast many anti-cancer properties, as well as high levels of vitamins and minerals.

While my brussels were roasting I peeled and seeded a pomegranate.  It’s actually kind of a fun project to do while chatting with friends in the kitchen.  Many people are daunted by pomegranates, but they are really flavorful and totally worth the hassle of peeling them.  I recommend trimming off the top and bottom and scoring the pomegranate skin in about 6 places.   Pomegranates have become popular over the past few years because of their high antioxidant content.  Antioxidants help the body identify and eliminate free-radicals.  Thus, high antioxidant levels help with disease prevention and have anti-aging properties.  In addition, pomegranates are high in vitamin C and fiber.

I combined the hot brussels with the fresh pomegranate seeds and crumbled blue cheese in a bowl.  The heat melted the cheese slightly and I added a splash of olive oil to create a nice sauce.  I served this dish warm, but we enjoyed the cool leftovers the next day and they were equally tasty.

I hope these find a spot on your holiday table this year!