Roast Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze

      Brussels Sprouts have gotten a bad rap, and I think a lot of that is due to do with boring boiled sprouts. This recipe has a great kick and has been known to convert even determined Brussels sprouts haters. Bonus: it has very few ingredients and is incidentally vegan.

      One of the lawyers I work with had the audacity to scoff when I told him I was bringing Brussels sprouts to our work potluck. “No on eats Brussels sprouts,” he claimed.  Ha!  This dish was one of the few that was completely emptied before the end of the event. They were a huge hit.  I’m thinking I’ll bring the same thing to our huge Thanksgiving gathering on Thursday.

      It’s the roasting that gives these sprouts such an amazing, full, earthy  flavor, and the balsamic that cuts any bitterness.  I am a roasted veggie addict.  Seriously, so easy, and brings out so many perfect flavors.

      This recipe is pretty simple any way you do it, but can be simplified even further depending on the level of preparation you want to put into trimming the sprouts.

      For maximum crisp texture and roasty flavor, I trimmed my sprouts then cut them in half.  I misted a cookie sheet with grapeseed oil, and placed the sprouts on the cookie sheet, cut side down.  I then scattered the onions on/around them, misted the whole lot with a touch more grapeseed oil, sprinkled with garlic powder, and roasted according to the directions below.  I mixed them all up once, about 5 minutes before they finished roasting and were already nice and brown on the cut sides.

       For a little quicker prep, one can easily skip the anal-retentive placing the cut side of every single sprout down on the pan, and stir the whole lot half way through roasting. 

      Even quicker yet, it is not necessary to halve the sprouts at all, you just won’t get quite as much crispy parts on your roasted sprouts.

Ingredients:
I recommend doubling the whole recipe for a potluck size portion.
–  2lbs Brussels sprouts
–  1 large onion, cut into chunks similar in size to your sprouts.
–  ~2 tbsp high heat oil such a grapeseed oil
–  ~2 tbsp garlic powder
–  1 cup dried cranberries (unsweetened and preservative free is preferred)
Glaze:
–  1/2 C Balsamic vinegar (beware that balsamic vinegar aged in certain kinds of barrels can contain heavy metals and purchase wisely)
– 1/4 C fair trade sugar

Directions:
1  Chop up the onion and let it rest at room temp while you trim the Brussels sprouts.
2.  Trim the Brussels sprouts according to your preference (see the 3 paragraphs directly preceding the recipe).
3.  Lightly coat the sprouts and onion with the oil.  If you have a mister, that works wonderfully.  If not, throw the onion and sprouts in a big bowl, drizzle with a bit of oil, cover, and shake to evenly cover everything.
4.  Scatter the sprouts and onion cookie sheets in a single layer, and sprinkle with garlic powder.
5.  Roast at 400 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.  Time will vary based on the size of your sprouts and whether you halved them.  They are done when they are starting to get brown and crispy.  For whole sprouts, mix everything around about 1/2 way through cooking with a spatula, scraping the pans.  If they are cut in half once the cut sides down on the pan are brown, mix everything around with a spatula and roast for another 5 minutes.
6.  While the sprouts are roasting, combine the balsamic and the fair trade sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until glaze reaches your desired thickness, probably around 15 minutes.
7.  After the sprouts come out of the oven, top with the cranberries, drizzle with the glaze, toss it all together, and serve immediately.