It’s quite cold here in Portland, a serious deep freeze fell upon the city and I’m in baking mode, keeping the oven going really warms up the place. But I can’t keep baking pies, well maybe I could, but I had a hankering for something a bit healthier, like roasted vegetables. Brussels sprouts came to mind, little cabbages, I love these and it was not always the case. I’m not sure when I started eating brussels sprouts but to be sure it was not in my childhood. At some point over the years they’ve become a fun thing to cook and eat. One thing for sure is that they taste amazing when they’re roasted and even better when you add a little bacon and top it off with fresh pomegranate seeds. I wasn’t sure about getting the seeds out of the pomegranate, I don’t recall ever having an easy time with this so I did a little googling and found a great tip on lifehacker on how to get the seeds out fast and easy, with a wooden spoon! The only problem I encountered was that I had already halved the pomegranate through the core for the photos, if you check out the video it demonstrates cutting it around the center and twisting it open. Still, I was able to bang those seeds out it in no time. This is huge because anytime I would see pomegranates at the market all I could think of was how crazy it is to pick all those seeds, but no more worries, this technique of banging them out works fantastics!

A note on roasting, I used 2 different baking dishes for the brussels sprouts, an ordinary baking dish and a cast iron pan. I recommend using the cast iron as it worked much better, the sprouts cooked up quicker and crisper.

It’s a nice colorful, hearty and healthy vegetable dish for the winter months. Hope you are keeping warm!

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon + Pomegranate

(Adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

1 pound Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half through core
2 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2” pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

Preheat oven to 375°. In large bowl combine the brussel sprouts, olive oil, salt and pepper until well coated. Spread evenly in cast iron fry pan and sprinkle with bacon pieces. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender and browned. Toss once during roasting. Remove from oven and top with pomegranate seeds on serving dish.