Lemon Infused Brussel Sprouts with Sweet Potatoes

Its been while since I last blogged. I have been very busy in the past couple of weeks preparing for finals, going to visit my family in Europe and coming back to a tough semester. I also have been sick with a head cold for a few weeks now which has made me not very inspired to come up with any new recipes or cook anything elaborate.

Last night I finally felt a little better to make myself something I have never tried before. As you know by now, my staple diet consists of a lot of fruits and vegetables and grains. When I was in Europe, I ate a lot of fish, potatoes and rice. I wasn't eating as many vegetables and I wasn't getting as much sleep as I normally do. Also, the only kind of exercise that I was doing was skiing. I think with all of the traveling and not taking proper care of myself that I got sick (which is the first time in years) and it has really worn on me.

I am finally back home and getting back to my old routine again so that is why last night I decided to make a very healthy and simple side dish that you can pair with fish, chicken or even grains. I made myself roasted brussel sprouts with sweet potatoes. I didn't just roast them in olive oil and salt and pepper, I decided to add a bit of lemon juice and lemon pepper seasoning to it as well. The hint of lemon tones down the harsh flavor that brussel sprouts tend to have and makes the dish seem very light and clean.

Here is how I did it:

Lemon Infused Brussel Sprouts with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients: 
- 1 pound shaved brussel sprouts
- 2 pound sweet potatoes
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 tbs olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbs lemon juice
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon pepper
- 1/2 tsp rosemary

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel and cut your sweet potatoes into 1 inch round pieces. Thinly slice your onions into half inch round pieces. You can do this by cutting the onion in half and then thinly slicing them. If you cannot find shaved brussel sprouts, use regular brussel sprouts and cut then in quarters. Place all of the vegetables in a bowl and add your last four ingredients. Mix until all of the vegetables are coated evenly.

Place the vegetable mixture on two baking sheets and roast for 35-45 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender and the brussel sprouts are crispy.

I ate this as my main dish but you can pair this with a great piece of white fish and a crisp Chardonnay.   It is a great recipe for when you are trying to watch your weight or take better care of yourself. I personally believe that what you eat really affects your health and mood. I know that when I eat garbage, I feel like garbage and when I eat clean and fresh, I feel great!

Anne