Roasted Brussels Sprouts – an Ageless Diet™ Recipe

Who doesn’t love Brussels sprouts? Wait, you don’t? Then you’ve probably never had them like this; you probably remember them as a grey, brownish green overcooked sulphuric smelling cafeteria dish. Well, no more! Banish that dish from your brain, and replace it with this one. Roasted Brussels sprouts, with slightly charred outer leaves, are so good, so easy to make, and so healthy, that you’ll wonder where they’ve been all your life, and you’ll be making them every night. Just to snack on. Replace roasted Brussels sprouts with your favorite chips and enjoy them as a savory snack. I’m not crazy… they’re that good. A quick side note, Brussels sprouts are also delicious raw, like a tiny cabbage (petit chou?), shredded in a slaw. But that’s another dish. Let’s focus on the roasted sprouts.

And bonus, these Brussels sprouts are totally Ageless Diet approved. They help with DNA protection. In fact, how most of your DNA is expressed is totally within your control, like keeping the telomeres long. What are telomeres? Telomeres are tiny units of DNA at the end of each chromosome that shorten each time the cell divides. We want long telomeres for that ageless look and feel. They typically get shorter as you get older, but you can change that with an Ageless Diet Lifestyle. One that includes eating awesomely tasty plants like Brussels sprouts. “A recent study has shown improved stability of DNA inside of our white blood cells after daily consumption of Brussels sprouts in the amount of 1.25 cups.” (from WHFoods.com)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of organic Brussels sprouts, cored and cut in half
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preparation:

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450-500°F. Put the roasting pan or baking sheet in the oven. Core and halve the sprouts. Throw sprouts, olive oil, and salt and red pepper in a large bowl and toss to combine. When oven is hot, working quickly, remove the baking sheets with an oven mitt or towel. Put the Brussels sprouts on the pan, making sure it’s evenly distributed. Roast until brussels sprouts are deeply charred and fully tender, about 20 minutes total, tossing sprouts and rotating half way through cooking. Let the sprouts cool a little and adjust seasoning to taste, adding more sea salt if you want.

You can easily use these brussels sprouts in the best salad ever…

Middle Eastern inspired Brussels Sprout Salad

Tahini Dressing Preparation:

Purée garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt, paprika, and 3/4 cup water in a blender until smooth, adding water if needed to thin dressing.

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 lb. roasted Brussels sprouts
• 1/2 cup tahini dressing
• 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

Salad Preparation:

On a big platter, assemble your salad. Pour the dressing over the roasted brussels sprouts, top with the toasted hazelnuts. Serve warm or at room temperature. This salad is wonderful as a side dish. Or to make it a main course, I like to serve the Brussels sprouts over a plate of cooked quinoa, with the sweet potato on the side. I drizzle more of the smoky lemon tahini dressing over the whole dish and season with salt and pepper. It’s an ageless supper full of good fiber, protein, and deliciousness.

Note (another suggestion): I could eat these up by themselves like I would a big bag of chips, but I sometimes also use them in a big green salad, the way I would steamed broccoli. If you want to do that, in a big bowl, pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil, juice from half a lemon, salt, pepper, and a splash of high quality balsamic vinegar, if you have it, and whisk together until emulsified. Add the sprouts, half an avocado, half a head of red leaf lettuce, and a few roasted tomatoes (if you have them). Toss together until everything is lightly coated with the dressing. Adjust seasoning to taste, and serve with a big baked sweet potato. You  have the perfect, healthy, and hearty dinner!