I know its been a while since I posted last! Between getting a new computer and cooking like a demon for the holidays, its been hard to blog.  I have been debating what to make for Christmas – while I wanted to stay a bit more traditional for Thanksgiving, I want our Christmas dinner to be special and fantastical.  The other day I tried Brussel sprouts for the first time using this recipe* by Ina Garten.  They are AMAZING.  While this is a very simple dish to make, I thought it would add a nice healthy element to our Christmas meal.

Get some brussel sprouts and rinse them in cold water.  Remove any brown leaves, and then cut off the stems.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut Brussel sprouts into halves, creating bite sized pieces.

In a bowl, mix with salt, pepper, and olive oil, taking care to coat all of the brussel sprouts.

Spread brussel sprouts evenly over a baking sheet.  Roast for 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In order to make sure they are browning evenly, shake the pan to redistribute the sprouts from time to time.

You can really make these sprouts as brown as you want.  The browner they are, the more crispy they are.  Or, you can roast them for a shorter period of time (while they still continue to be green) and they will be more tender.  Either way?  Delicious!