More Than Our Story

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toum, Tapenade and Balsamic

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toum, Tapenade and Balsamic.

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 6

Plant-Based

Table of Contents

Inspiration

It’s hard to hate on this healthy cruciferous recipe! The charred Brussels sprouts have a natural sweetness and each of the ingredients hit their own unique notes to compose a symphony of flavors! The tapenade lends a salty brine, the toum brings the umami, the balsamic glaze lends sweet and sours notes and the lemon zest does its part, playing the bright acidic notes.

CRUCIFEROUS TO THE RESCUE:
Brussels sprouts are cruciferous vegetables - along with broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and collard greens. Like their relatives they also pack a nutritious punch. Their high level of fiber support digestive health and may reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. They also contain kaempferol and omega-3 fatty acids which may inhibit cancer growth, prevent inflammation, and benefit heart health. They also contain high amounts of vitamin C, to the immune system, iron absorption, collagen production and the growth and repair of tissues.

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, halved-lengthwise, stemmed, with any yellow or brown outer leaves removed.
  • ½ cup of tapenade (evenly divided)
  • ½ cup of toum (for serving)
  • ¼ cup of finely diced tomatoes
  • ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, or avocado oil
  • 1 tsp sea salt, or finishing salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Balsamic glaze for garnish
  • Lemon zest (optional)

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TIME SAVERS:

  • You can trim and halve the Brussels sprouts up to 1 day in advance. Just place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them until you’re ready to finish the recipe.
  • Store bought hummus, bruschetta or pickled banana peppers all make wonderful substitutions in a pinch for this recipe.

Preparations

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
  3. Toss the Brussels sprouts with the oil, the salt, and the pepper. 
  4. Place cut-side down on the baking sheet to maximize caramelization.
  5. Cover with diced tomatoes and half of the tapenade.
  6. Roast, tossing halfway through until tender and golden brown (~ 20 minutes).
  7. Serve, topped with remaining tapenade and toum.
  8. Garnish with lemon zest and balsamic glaze.

Tips

  • The sprouts should all be the same size to ensure even cooking.
  • I recommend reaching for the good stuff with the balsamic vinegar – you’ll thank me.
  • These make great leftovers and can be used in any number of preparation: tossed in pasta, added to sandwiches, pizza or even soup.
  • Once cooked these sprouts will last 3-4 days refrigerated in an airtight container.

DON'T CROWD THE BAKING SHEET:
If you crowd the pan, the Brussels sprouts will steam instead of roast. Keep them in a single layer so the air can circulate.

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Daniel

Daniel is an extremely curious person, a wealth of random knowledge and facts. Extremely passionate about a vast array of interests ranging from health to history, science to athletics, everything culinary and the list goes on. Trust us, you would want to be on his team for Trivial Pursuit. Daniel is also years into his battle with brain cancer. He experienced a seizure while on a Zoom call at work in late 2020 and quite literally, his life changed within minutes. After his operation he started to talk about his story but had always known it was more than just him. From then, More Than Our Story became a PROJECT that has evolved into the starting point it is today.

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