Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad

My favorite little grocery store has the most amazing grocery-made food offerings, I swear. The coffee/juices/smoothies are amazing, the main dishes rock (usually a salmon, a meatless option, and ground beef or turkey), the green salads and deli sandwiches are soooo good... Don't even get me started on their hummus, which is always in the fridge at home. My favorite of their offerings, though, are the side dishes.

They have a fantastic tabbouleh mix. A quinoa grain with black beans and mango. Lentil salads, Chinese noodle salads, side salads galore. They have roasted sweet potatoes with orange and caramelized onions, and the side dish I grab almost every time I'm there: roasted Brussels sprouts with lemon and garlic, and a dusting of fresh Parm. Oh, so so good.

Finally I decided to get off my lazy butt and try to make this at home. And embarrassingly enough: it was pretty easy to replicate. The outcome here is a little different, a stronger garlic flavor than The Merc's version, otherwise almost identical though. I love the crunchy, crispy (sweetly caramelized) Brussels sprouts with the tangy lemon and nutty cheese. Ooooh, you gotta try this yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad

(another Nemmie original)

Ingredients:

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, washed and dried

4 garlic cloves, sliced

4 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut sprouts in half and toss on a sheet pan with garlic slices. Pour olive oil over the mixture, and season with salt and pepper (and half of the lemon zest). Toss to coat, then top with small bits of the butter.

Pop in the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, then stir and lower heat to 400 F. Bake for another 15-20 minutes. The sprouts will be tender and caramelized. Remove from oven, and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl: toss cooled sprouts with remaining lemon zest, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Chill or serve room temperature.