Roasted Squash and Brussel Sprouts

It seems the more complicated things become outside of the kitchen the more I find myself craving simplicity within its walls. Cooking has always been calming to me, but now my floors are constantly sticky and my counter tops seem to be forever piled with madness. My little hideaway just doesn’t promise the same meditative quality that is once had. In those rare moments when I do actually clear the counters, empty the sink, and pull out my chef’s knife I am often way too exhausted to consider making anything more complex than a a bowl of cold cereal.

Such is the state of things that roasted vegetables on a sheet pan is now a grandiose task. A few minutes slicing up brussel sprouts (though I would have gladly purchased these pre-shredded had the stars aligned to make it so), a quick toss in a bowl with some diced butternut squash, oil, salt, and pepper, and into the oven it goes. My weekday masterpiece!

I hope you’ll enjoy this too. For all of you out there with toddlers I encourage you to go ahead and buy your squash pre-diced and your sprouts pre-sliced. Those of you without kids had better damn well get your knives out though. I need to know that someone out there is chopping – even if I can’t. Do me a favor and tag me in some action shots as you get busy with your cutlery. It will give me a thrill to slice vicariously.

Roasted Squash and Brussel Sprouts
Makes about six 1-cup servings

This simple recipe can be used to prepare almost any combination of hearty greens (think: kale, collards, or chard) and hard squash (pumpkins, acorn squash, delicata). I like to add a little lemon and parmesan on everything once it comes out of the oven but I encourage you to experiment with other flavors, like a splash of soy sauce or balsamic vinegar and a shake of toasted sesame or crumbled goat cheese. It’s really quite versatile!

Ingredients

• 12 ounces (about 2 cups) brussel sprouts
• 2 pounds (about 4 cups) peeled and diced butternut squash
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil (try olive oil, ghee, coconut oil, or melted bacon fat)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 lemon (optional)
• 2-4 tablespoons grated or shredded parmesan (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Slice brussel sprouts as thinly as you can manage. (Watch out! They are quite wiggly.)
3. Toss brussel sprouts and squash with oil, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
4. Spread veggies over a sheet pan lined with parchment or silpat. Use two pans if necessary. Do not crowd them.
5. Roast for 60 minutes, turning halfway. If the sprouts are not yet tender after an hour, roast for an extra 15 minutes. The exact time may vary depending on the thickness of the slices.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with lemon juice and parmesan.