Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries with Barley

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 1x
Category: Side

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4.9 from 10 reviews

Crisp roasted Brussels sprouts meet sweet cranberries, pecans, and Gorgonzola cheese on a bed of barley. This delicious winter meal is ready in twenty minutes!

Scale

Ingredients

1 pound Brussels sprouts, tips cut off, discolored leaves removed and sliced in half (smaller sprouts are better than large sprouts)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
2/3 cup fresh cranberries (or 1/3 cup dried cranberries)
1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or goat cheese
1/3 cup freshly toasted pecans
1 1/2 cups cooked barley, reheated (see instructions above)
1 tablespoon maple syrup, or more to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or more to taste

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Instructions

Preheat your broiler.
Set a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stove. Let it heat up for two to three minutes. It should be so hot that a few drops of water sizzle and quickly disappear after contact.
In a medium sized bowl, toss the prepared Brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt. Toss well, so that the sprouts are evenly coated in a thin layer of oil.
Once the pan is hot, dump the sprouts into the pan and quickly rearrange them so the flat sides are face down. Let them cook for two minutes.
Toss the fresh cranberries into the pan and transfer the pan to your broiler. The pan will be heavy and hot so use oven mitts and be careful! Let the Brussels broil for about three minutes. Check the sprouts for doneness—their tops should be a little browned and the bottoms caramelized. How long you should leave them in there depends on your preferences and your oven. The cranberries should have started popping by now; set the hot pan on your stovetop for a couple of minutes while you reheat the barley.
Toss the warm barley, sprouts, cranberries, cheese and pecans in a bowl and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. Season with salt, divide into smaller bowls, and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe adapted from Love and Lemons’ maple and balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts recipe and one of Mark Bittman’s recipes in The Food Matters Cookbook. The quick-roasted sprouts method is adapted from The Kitchn.
Serves two.
Make it vegan: Omit the cheese.
Make it nut free: Omit the pecans, or if you feel like experimenting, try adding pumpkin seeds instead!
Recommended equipment: I highly recommend using a 12-inch cast iron skillet rather than a large oven-safe, non-stick skillet because typical non-stick skillets release toxins at high temperatures.
Preparation tips: Brussels sprouts are best cooked flat side down because the heat gets trapped inside the sprout and, in effect, steams it. It’s the best way to get crispy flat sides and cooked insides.
A note on the pecans: If you’re adding pecans, I recommend toasting the pecans over medium heat in a separate pan. They will burn over high heat.

▸ Nutrition Information

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Recipe from Cookie and Kate: https://cookieandkate.com/roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-cranberries-and-barley/