This time of year we tend to move indoors with our cooking.  In the Fall, roasting root vegetables with a little olive oil and seasoning makes the kitchen warm and inviting.

There are a million combinations from potatoes, carrots, turnips, and beets, to broccoli, cauliflower, onions and mushrooms.  One of my favorites is roasted brussel sprouts.

Roasting a vegetable changes the complexity of the flavors and brings out the natural sugars that create a lovely caramelization and adds sweetness to the dish.

Eat is easy to maintain a smart calorie count and stay paleo or gluten free when cooking vegetables this way.

I always use a good quality olive oil like this and roast my vegetables in a cast iron skillet like this or a stoneware pan like this. Par boiling some of the tougher veggies like brussel sprouts or beets before roasting will give you the best results.

With the Holidays quickly approaching I am always looking for great side dishes - any of these would be perfect!

So, check out the recipes below and tell me what you think.  These aren't your Momma's brussel sprouts!  Enjoy.



These are full of nice garlicky flavor with a nice spice from the cayenne pepper.  Be sure to cook these until they are fork tender when boiling them. Then drain well before roasting.

courtesy of www.paleogrubs.com

ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS AND BACON

The nuttiness of the brussel sprouts pair nicely with the saltiness of the bacon.  Feel free to substitute chunks of pancetta for a richer flavor.

courtesy of www.paleogrubs.com

ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS AND GRAPES

This is a fantastic take on the sweet and savory.  The grapes will surprise you.
The colors are beautiful too for a holiday table.

courtesy of www.realsimple.com

Brussel sprouts get a bad rap.  But, trust me when I say - roasting makes everything better. You will be pleasantly surprised.  I promise.

eat. love. live well.