Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Let me start by saying that I have always been a fan of brussels sprouts, but because I've never had them prepared WELL, I became less of a fan of them. The few times I have tried them in restaurants have been just plain nasty, and my moms cooking of them, while tolerable enough to convince me that I like them, was plain and boring (boiled in a pot of water, drain, serve. blah.) and didn't make me eager to try them on my own as an adult. But they're supposed to be really good for you. And I've been hearing about roasting them a lot lately. So we decided to give it a try. oh. my. god. We had a late dinner the other night, because Amanda had a doctors appointment and I didn't get dinner done in time. So after I got everything cooked, I had the task of keeping it all warm and fresh till they got home. Still uncertain, I decided to try a sprout. It was seriously one of the best things I have ever tasted. I couldn't stay out of them after that - I was popping them like potato chips. Very simple recipe too! We will definitely be having them again.

Ingredients

*1 lb brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed if fresh, poured out of the bag if frozen ;)
*oil
*minced garlic
*salt
*pepper
(Seriously, that's it!)

Preheat oven to 350* or 375* if you are cooking other things and need a temperature compromise. Toss the sprouts with a healthy drizzle of oil - I used safflower, because it is the end of the shopping period and it's all I've got, I think any kind would be fine. Go ahead and use plenty, you want them well coated. Add in a couple tablespoons of minced garlic (we buy our garlic already minced usually cause I'm lazy) while tossing. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the sprouts out of the bowl - leaving as much oil as possible behind - and lay them on your cookie sheet/baking pan. Sprinkle a generous amount of course ground sea salt and course ground pepper all across their tops. Bake for about 30 minutes, till they are looking brown and carmely. Enjoy! Yum, yum, yum!!