I am the antithesis of the stereotypical American child. My favorite vegetables are (in order of dedicated love):

Brussel Sprouts

Asparagus

Mushrooms

Onions

I think my mother will even cringe when she reads this list. When I would ask her if I could try Brussel sprouts growing up, she would wrinkle her nose and say, “Why on earth would you want to do that?”

I will say I probably wouldn’t have liked them then, but now…

…it’s a whole new story.

I cannot get enough of these little mini cabbages.

If I walk into a store that has them, then I must buy them.

This means we have been eating them a lot.

Manatee is starting to turn a little green when he sees them.

And I just keep falling in love.

This is my favorite recipe so far.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Mushrooms, Onions, and Asparagus

1 pound Brussel sprouts
1 pound of mushrooms, cleaned
1 red onion, cut into large chunks
1 bunch of asparagus, cleaned and cut into 2 inch spears
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
2-3 tablespoons olive oil

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Remove outer leaves and rough ends of Brussel sprouts. Cut larger Brussel sprouts in half. For the smaller sprouts, cut a cross in the bottom. 
  3. Place Brussel sprouts in roasting pan.
  4. Add mushrooms.
  5. Add red onions.
  6. Isn’t it just pretty? Is it obvious I got a new roasting pan? Okay, now it’s time to zest.
  7. Zest the lemon. Add olive oil (just enough to coat) and lemon juice. Toss to coat.
  8. Roast for 20-25 minutes, sprouts should be tender but not mushy.
  9. Add asparagus and roast an additional 5 minutes.
  10.  Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe Review:

I love how simple and light this recipe is. It’s just enough oil to coat and flavor the vegetables and then you have the brightness of the lemon.

Yum.

What are your favorite vegetables? Have your tastes changed since you were a kid? How?