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When I first started Mizzfit.com, I had no idea how to cook. Oh, how things have changed! It's one of my favorite things to do now. Today I'm sharing 2 dishes that I'll be preparing for Thanksgiving with my family. Since I'm the healthy one in my familia, they count on me to contribute an interesting veggie concoction that wows their taste buds. So, for 2015 it's going to be roasted brussels sprouts!
As a Latina (my mother is Honduran), I'm feeling the need to spice up Thanksgiving with some Latin peppers. One of my recipes is an appetizer and the other is a side dish to accompany your turkey dinner. For both recipes below, I used La Morena chipotle food products. Together they took me no more than 25 minutes to prepare with prep time.
La Morena products can be found at bodegas nation-wide. Look for them in the canned and jar food aisle where you'd find things like stewed tomatoes, pasta sauces, etc. The price tag is phenomenal. You won't pay more than $3 for a 7 oz can.
Umm, what's a chipotle pepper? I'm glad you asked because most people think it's a special kind of pepper. Nope! A chipotle is simply a smoked jalapeno pepper. La Morena stews them in a tomato based adobo sauce. They're delicious and not as spicy as you'd think. To limit the spicy level while cooking, just remove the seeds from the peppers you use. For the record, I kept them in and didn't think either recipe came out too spicy. Then again, I'm Latin! But I truly think there's more kick than spicy, if that makes any sense.
Charred Baby Brussels Sprouts with Chipotle Dipping Sauce Appetizer
Why an appetizer for Thanksgiving? Well, in my family, we cook together for hours preparing our meal. I know everyone celebrates Thanksgiving differently but we're very traditional. We cook all day, snack during the process, and then sit down to a wonderful feast around 7 or 8pm.
I came up with the idea for this appetizer as a healthy and unique replacement for cheese and crackers. It serves up to 4 nibblers and it's really easy to make more if you find that it's a popular item so don't skimp on the brussels sprouts when you hit up the grocery store.
Here's what you'll need for this appetizer:
- 1 pound of baby brussels sprouts (which are the much tinier, younger version of mature brussels sprouts. They're less than an inch across in diameter and not as bitter as "grown up" brussel sprouts.
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
- Salt & pepper
- 4 tablespoons of light mayonnaise
- 1/2 tablespoon of honey or a healthy squeeze from a honey bear :)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 - 3 tablespoons of La Morena chipotle sauce (buy the smaller 7 oz can for this...it's more than enough!)
- 1 tsp of lemon juice (or just a couple drops of lemon concentrate)
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
- Wash the baby brussels sprouts and remove any bad leaves.
- Prepare a baking sheet and toss the baby brussels sprouts in there. Evenly coat them with coconut oil, and then salt and pepper to taste.
- Roast these babies until they begin to char, which will happen pretty quickly since they're small. Once they blacken, reduce oven temperature to around 350 degrees or less while you prep the dipping sauce (which should only a few minutes).
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, honey, olive oil, La Morena chipotle sauce, lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste. If you want a thicker sauce, just add more mayo and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Give it a lick? Is it good? Add in a little more of one of the ingredients to your liking. For me, it's about the chipotle sauce! The balance should be a smokey sweet flavor.
- Once roasted and charred to your liking, remove the baby brussels sprout from the oven. I recommend letting the outer leaves get a little crispy. They taste great this way!
- Plate everything together in appetizer style and you're done!
Chipotle & Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
This recipe brings the perfect level of spice and sweetness without the heaviness of many Thanksgiving side dishes. I know you're going to love it! Serves 4.
Here's what you'll need for this side dish:
- 1 1/2 pounds of mature, beautifully rounded brussels sprouts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup of melted butter
- 2 tablespoons of maple syrup (I used sugar free kind)
- 1 tsp of brown sugar or the equivalent of 1 cube
- 2 large chipotle peppers slice up in thin pieces with or without seeds (seeds = spicier) from a 7 oz can of La Morena Chipolte Peppers in Adobo Sauce
- 1/2 cup of crushed walnuts
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Wash the brussels sprouts, slice off ends and cut in half.
- Prepare a baking sheet for the brussels sprouts and toss inside with olive oil, salt and pepper until coated.
- Turn all the halved brussels sprouts cut side down and spread out evenly.
- Roast them in the over for about 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the yummy chipotle sauce in a medium sized bowl. Combine melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and chipotle pepper pieces.
- Check on your brussels sprouts in the oven. If they are slightly browned in the center, they are ready to go! Mix them into the sauce you prepared. Add salt if needed.
- Plate your creation and sprinkle with crushed walnuts and to your liking.
ENJOY! Let me know what you think of my recipes and leave any and all comments below. Hopefully some unique recipes of your own or a link to one you swear by. Make sure to visit La Morena to get creative! Wishing you and your family a happy Thanksgiving! xoxo, Bianca Jade