Can you believe that I've never cooked brussel sprouts before?! Honestly, I'd never even eaten a brussel sprout until about a year ago when I was downtown at this fun little restaurant called The Lucky Robot. They have these crispy pan seared (or fried) brussel sprouts that are served with some sort of kicked up soy dipping sauce. A-ma-zing!

I've been looking for an excuse (as if I needed one) to make brussel sprouts ever since.

With another major foodie-holiday rolling up on us all quickly, I thought that a side of some brussel sprouts with cranberries, walnuts, and blue cheese would make a great tasty side dish for any holiday meal!

One of the great things about brussel sprouts, is that they are very versatile. There's really not much that you can put them with that wouldn't pair well.

I like to think of them as cute little mini cabbages. Adorable!

Being as they are similar to cabbage, they tend to take on the flavors of whatever you put them with. Which is a good thing since, on their own, they don't have much of a substantial flavor that really stands out. The sweetness of the cranberries, the nuttiness of the walnuts, and the sharpness of the blue cheese all work really well together with these little green gems.

An added bonus? Natural holiday colors that make any dish even more fun and festive!

I'm pretty sure that I'll be making these again in the near future once my mom sees this. We've been going back and forth on our New Year's meal plans for a while now. Settled? Settled.

Cranberry & Walnut Brussel Sprouts
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 2 • Size: About 2/3 Cup • Calories: 70.6 • Fat: 0.4 g • Carb: 18.3 g • Fiber: 2.2 g • Protein: 0.6 g • Sugar: 15.6 g • Sodium: 4.5 mg

Ingredients:
8 Oz. Brussel Sprouts
1/2 Tbsp. Honey (I use a raw local honey.)
1/2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Walnuts, Chopped
2 Tbsp. Dried Cranberries
2 Tbsp. (1 Oz.) Blue Cheese Crumbles
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Rinse the brussel sprouts, cut the rough white end off and quarter them.

Yeah, some of the leaves fall off. No big deal! Use them all anyway.

Toss the quartered pieces into a sealable container (or ziplock), along with the oil, honey, and seasoning to taste.

Once all the pieces are coated evenly, toss them into a medium non-stick pan and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the edges just begin to brown and crisp.

Add in the walnuts and cranberries and reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook for another few minutes until the walnuts begin to become fragrant.