CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE GANG!!! December has LANDED boys and girls, and it’s no secret that this holiday season is my absolute FAVOURITE time of year. It always has been – ever since I was a little kid, I’ve loved the magic of Christmas, and no matter what age I am and will be, I know it will stay the most wonderful time of the year for me. I love everything about it – family and friends coming together, wintry weather and warm clothes, comforting classic recipes, and of course the magic of giving time and gifts to those we cherish!
Christmas dinner, and the recipe possibilities around it are a big love of mine too. In particular, I love Brussel Sprouts. Which is hilarious, because as a kid, I definitely did NOT, but they always ended up on my plate – and now I thank my persistent parents for their efforts, because I love them now! And in the last few years, since my foodie-ness has grown and grown, I’ve become a big fan of trying slightly different takes on Christmas classics. Hence, here we are with this Roasted Almond & Cranberry Sprouts recipe! I’ve added a nutty crunch and sweetness using flaked almonds and dried cranberries, and I hope you love it as much as me. Get your oven ready, time to cook!
Recipe
Ingredients
- A pinch of sea salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 500g Brussel Sprouts or 2 Packs
- 50g flaked almonds
- 50g dried cranberries
Method
- Pre-heat the oven (fan) to 180C, and line a baking tray with tinfoil greased with a little olive oil.
- Wash the sprouts, chop the ends off, peel the outer leaves off and chop each sprout in half.
- Drizzle the olive oil on top of the sprouts, and stir well using a large spoon until coated.
- Squeeze the lemon juice on top, add the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup, and finally the sea salt and black pepper.
- Toss the sprouts in this mix, and then tip them onto the baking tray.
- When the oven is ready, roast the sprouts for 20 minutes, turning them halfway through.
- At 15 minutes, add the flaked almonds and cranberries, toss again, and roast for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven – the sprouts should be lightly browned, and the almonds the same!
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving! Merry Christmas guys!
Enjoy gang! I really hope you guys love sprouts as much as I do. Finding a way to cook them that YOU enjoy means you’ll easily get a tasty serving of greens into your Christmas dinner – delicious and nutritious, what a win! Tag me if you try these out – @theirishbalance on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook!
Ciara 🙂 x
The Irish Balance 
Just made the roasted sprouts – loved them (had for breakfast). I found the cranberries a bit tart in it and next time might leave out the maple syrup and coat the cranberries in the maple syrup and add them with the almonds then. what do you think?
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Oh wow fantastic ! I’m so glad you liked them! Sounds great! Feel.free to leave it oht altogether if you want I prefer them less sweet myself! thank you for trying them !
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