Our Favorite Winter Veggie Side Dish

SparkPeople.com


By Chef Meg Galvin, Healthy Cooking Expert at SparkPeople.com

By roasting these hearty winter vegetables, we soften their strong tastes and bring out their natural sweetness.You can use any combination of these three vegetables in this recipe.

Fennel has a mild licorice flavor, and it becomes very sweet when roasted. You can save the fronds for use as garnish or in salads, but discard the tough green stems.

To prep the fennel, slice off the root end, then remove the stems. Slice in half from root to tip, remove the tough inner core, and slice into half-moons.

To prep fresh Brussels sprouts, rinse them well, then slice off the ends, remove the outer layers, and cut into quarters. Rinse again to remove any residual dirt.

Minutes to Prepare: 15

Minutes to Cook: 30

Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 small fennel bulbs, sliced (white parts only)
2 cups Brussels sprouts, about 10 ounces, ends trimmed, outer leaves removed, and cut into quarters
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large oven-safe saute pan. Saute the cauliflower over high heat, stirring constantly, for five minutes.
Add the fennel and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, thyme, pepper, and garlic; sauté for 2 minutes.
Transfer the pan to the oven to roast for 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon zest and juice.

Serve warm. Makes eight 1 cup portions (=2 servings of vegetables).

  • Calories: 74.7

  • Total Fat: 3.7 g

  • Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

  • Sodium: 48.5 mg

  • Total Carbs: 9.6 g

  • Dietary Fiber: 4.3 g

  • Protein: 3.2 g

SparkPeople Healthy Cooking Expert Meg Galvin is a World Master Chef, culinary instructor, and the author of "The SparkPeople Cookbook: Love Your Food, Lose the Weight." A farmer's daughter and marathon runner, she lives in northern Kentucky with her husband and three teenage sons.