Healthy Meals

Brussels Sprouts look like mini-cabbages, and because of their small, compact size, they make a perfect partner with a small lunch or to round out the days servings of vegetables as a side with dinner.

They may be small, but they're nutritional powerhouses when it comes to Vitamin C and K. A 1 cup serving of Brussels Sprouts provides 161.2% of the daily value for vitamin C, and 273% of the DV for vitamin K plus only 65 calories (read more about the beneficial effects of Brussels Sprouts at World's Healthiest Foods).

This recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples was adapted from the Nov '09 issue of Cooking Light magazine.

INGREDIENTS
• Brussels Sprouts (1 heaping cup)
• Apples (1 cup diced - any variety will do)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (2 tsp)
• Salt (1/4 tsp)
• Black Pepper (1/8 tsp)
• Apple Cider Vinegar (1 tsp)
PREPARATION
• Preheat oven to 375.
• Wash the Brussels Sprouts, cut the stems and trim any bruised outer leaves. Cut them lengthwise in quarters.
• Add the Brussels Sprouts and diced apples to a baking dish so that they're spread out in 1 layer (I used an 8x8 glass baking dish).
• Add the apple cider and drizzle with olive oil.
• Sprinkle the salt and black pepper and toss everything together.
• Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

TIPS
* Don't dice the apples too small.
* Don't skimp on the salt and don't add too much black pepper (like I did in one batch that I made).
* Eat a piece of brussels sprout and apple together is the best way to get the most delicious taste.

This is my entry to
Weekend Herb Blogging hosted this week by PaulChen's Foodblog. Here are some more brussels sprouts recipes from some of my favorite blogs:
Kalyn's Kitchen: Recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans (with or without Gorgonzola Cheese).
Simply Recipes: Brussels Sprouts
101 Cookbooks: Golden Crusted Brussels Sprouts.