Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Paprika

Here's another one of those "not exactly a recipe, but it tasted good enough to post" recipes.  To someone new to cooking, this will be a discovery.  And I gave this a "Passover" label designation to remind myself to consider it as the veggie side this year.

I'm not a sheet-pan dinner person, but I do like roasted vegetables.  Growing up, we had vegetables almost exclusively out of the freezer and steamed in a pot.  Sometimes there would be salad, but rarely something green out of the produce section.  And they all came topped with butter or cheese to make them palatable.

So you can understand it was a shock to discover other ways to prepare green food.  I still steam or boil some fresh veggies like broccoli or green beans, but roasting is a treat that doesn't take much longer than cooking on the stove.  It's often the same number of dishes to wash and allows you to season your food in a greater variety of ways.  Roasting brings out deeper flavors and a more complex texture.  And in the case of Brussels sprouts, keeps them from smelling quite so cabbage-ey.

1 lb Brussels sprouts
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 Tb olive oil

1.  Preheat oven to 375º.  Wash sprouts and cut, if necessary, into two-bite pieces.  The ones at the market that day were huge and I cut them in quarters.

2.  Place sprouts in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika.  Add oil and toss to distribute all ingredients.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.

3.  Roast 20 minutes, or until the outer leaves look almost burnt.  I tasted some of the "burned" bits, and they were fantastic.  Don't throw them away.  Serve hot, or chill to use as part of a salad the next day.

Difficulty rating  π