Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Pistachio Pesto

April 16th 2011

It would not be inaccurate to say that I must have made this almost a year ago. I think I was going through a phase where I was so driven to try out so many new recipes that on average I must have tried at least 2 new ones per weekend. Obviously work was less intense then I guess or I was younger :P

Anyway, when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it because more than anything I had never eaten Brussels sprouts and the sauce was too tempting to not try. I was enticed by how the flavors would blend together and taste.

Time: 20 min

Difficulty Level : Easy

Ingredients:

For the Brussels Sprouts

• 1 1/2 pound brussels sprouts
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup Cranberry Pistachio Pesto (see below)

For the Pesto

• 1/2 cup toasted pistachios
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3 cloves roasted garlic
• a bunch of parsley
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method of Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
2. Cut off ends of brussels sprouts, pull any loose outer leaves and cut them in half lengthwise, tossing with olive oil.
3. On a baking sheet or tray, spread the sprouts evenly and roast for about 25 minutes, until you being to see a bit of browning. The interior should be tender when tested with a fork. [If you put any loose leaves they will brown earlier leading to a burnt smell, so be careful to keep checking.]
4. Place ingredients for Pesto bar the olive oil in a blender and blend till ground semi-smooth. Drizzle in some olive oil in between to help grind and when done, stir in the remaining olive oil, seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste. The pesto will be slightly sweet and salty and more or less divine!
5. Season the sprouts with salt and pepper and spoon the Cranberry Pistachio Pesto on top and dig right in.

Source: I came across this recipe originally at Steamy Kitchen here.

Confessions:

 OK, I'll go ahead and say it here because I know the Mr does not read this blog very much..I am not a big fan of brussels sprouts, at least the first time I tasted it. However I argue with him that one should eat everything and never say no and don't want to be caught not following my own rule :D. I truly truly loved the Cranberry Pistachio Pesto and it had a lovely sweet and salty flavor that would go well with any salad or even with an Alfredo or plain pasta. So there - few more ideas :)