Return of the Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts have quite an affect on people.  After seeing me mess up some perfectly fine sprouts , the people spoke and they resoundingly told me to roast.  The comment section offered no less than 5 different versions of this affair, and not knowing exactly where to start I went for the simplest recipe.  Meg's recipe called for nothing but a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and after the extravaganza of flavor I tried to pull off earlier with wine and bacon, it sounded like a nice relief.  I added a little balsamic vinegar for a little sweetness, but I was really just testing the method.  The l batch I had last time, which were sauteed, were far from a disaster, but hardly worth making again.  The sprout was flavorless and chewy and I hoped the high roasting heat would add a little character to these still daunting veggies.

So I roasted.  After thirty minutes they came out and tasted a little better, but still essentially chewy.  The many layers still clung together, and it was more of a chore than a pleasure to bite down on one of the things.  So I decided to roast a little more.  I added a little vinegar, and set them back in for another 10 minutes, and that made all the difference in the world.  They came out nice and caramelized, and sweet with the vinegar.  This, I could get into.

I definitely need to try the many other recipes laid out in the commments, but this one saved the reputation of a vegetable I was ready to never see again.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

• 1/2 pound of Brussels sprouts
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350.

Slice the sprouts in half.  Throw in a bowl and coat with a thin layer of olive oil and vinegar.  Then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Mix it all together until they are nicely covered.

Wrap a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the Brussels sprouts out.  Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

Remove, toss with a little more vinegar and serve.

Balsamic Vinegar, Brussels Sprouts, Vegetables