Simply put, I am not a chef. The cooking abilities of my parents seemingly went to my older brother and to him only, leaving me with the ability to boil water, make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, and press buttons on the microwave. Upon moving out of campus housing and thus, off the meal plan, I knew I had to start figuring out ways to feed myself. While you’ll frequently find me in line for a food truck, eating out all the time is not exactly budget-friendly and often isn’t the healthiest option either.
So, I’ve been searching the interwebs for recipes that 1) are simple/ absent of any fancy cooking techniques and 2) don’t require a page-long list of ingredients since I don’t have the time to go to the grocery market everyday. Recently, I found a recipe on Buzzfeed with a title that included the words “Go-To” and “Easiest Ever” (get the actual recipe here). I was in. The recipe is for “Roasted Brussels Sprouts” which may not sound like the most thrilling meal but upon completion and consumption, I was fairly impressed with the dish and the sheer simplicity of the cooking process. Here’s what the recipe entails:
First, we need Brussels sprouts. The recipe calls for 10-15 sprouts to serve two but the Brussels sprouts sold at Hyde Park Produce are fairly humongous so I only purchased three for myself which was sufficient.
Then, cut the Brussels sprouts in half, length-wise. If you have one, use a very sharp knife for this step. The Brussels sprouts were surprisingly hard to cut through (or maybe I’m just incredibly weak) and attempting to cut them using a not-so-great knife was both physically straining and terrifying. As I said previously, the Brussels Sprouts I purchased were huge so I decided to cut them into fourths to make for more bite-size pieces.
Once the sprouts are cut into however many pieces you desire, drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt & pepper as well. We’re basically done! Stick them into the oven at 375 F for around 30 minutes, tossing them around 15 minutes in so that the other sides also get nice and toasty.
Admittedly, roasted Brussels sprouts do not make for the best-looking dish and if you’re feeling really hungry, it probably won’t satiate you. But if you need a tasty way to get your dose of veggies that doesn’t demand any cooking talent, turn to this recipe.
Happy eating!