The inspiration for this recipe is twofold and Twittered. First, my Twitter friend Sarah tweeted that her husband made roasted leeks and I was like OMG I'm doing that (I love leeks). Then I got some big brussels sprouts at the Farmer's Market and thought of my friend Juliet, who is a brussels sprout FANATIC and helped me get over my fear of them (via a roasted brussels sprouts recipe on Twitter, of course) last spring. So I decided to roast them together (leeks and brussels sprouts, not Sarah and Juliet. HAHAHA most obvious joke ever!) to see what would happen.
So good, you guys. Brussels sprouts are in season now, but leeks are kind of a spring/winter vegetable, so I bet this is even better when they are at their peak. This might work better with smaller brussels sprouts, because the different vegetables will cook at closer to the same rate, but I still really liked this how it was. The differing textures of the two vegetables complemented each other really nicely. The leeks become amazingly sweet and the brussels sprouts get done on the outside, but stay kinda juicy on the inside.
Roasted Leeks and Brussels Sprouts
serves 2 as a side
total time: 30 minutes
total hands-on time: 5 minutes
What you'll need:
4 small leeks (or 2 large, I only had small)
about 15 large individual brussels sprouts
olive oil
honey
balsamic vinegar
garlic powder or fresh chopped or crushed garlic
salt
pepper
What you'll do:
1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Wash your leeks REALLY well, then chop off the white bulby end and the dark green leafy end, too. Slice the rest lengthwise and then slice horizontally into imprecise chunks (not the nice even circles leeks naturally lend themselves to).
3. Wash the brussels sprouts and chop off their ends, then remove any sketchy-looking discolored or spotted leaves.
4. Toss all of these veggies in a roasting pan. Add a few generous glugs of olive oil, about 1 tbsp and half of balsamic vinegar, and then drizzle it all with some big sqiggles of honey. Mix this all up with your hands and then wash your hands because they will be dirty. I'm being imprecise on measurements here, but this is really about your taste. Make sure you have a higher ratio of oil to vinegar and you're set.
5. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste, then mix it all up with a wooden spoon or other tool.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes, but periodically take the pan out and shake it so the vegetables get evenly roasted. The leeks will be darker than the brussels sprouts.
Some of the leeks will be a little bit crispy; I like this, but if you don't, check more frequently and maybe cook for 18-20 minutes rather than 25.
And now, come to think of it, this recipe might be better if you did chop the leeks into rounds. So try that! And, as always, if you do try this, I'd love to know what you think.
I'm Carrie. I make quick, easy, healthy food. I don't have any culinary training; I'm just a regular person who wants to eat well. You'll like this blog if you're a busy person who wants to eat flavorful, healthy food without going broke or spending hours in the kitchen.
