The Brussels sprout. Why do I always forget about the Brussels spout? It could be because their technically cabbage, and I really dislike cabbage (unless my Mom is making it for St. Patrick's Day).

But when I do manage to get some in my shopping cart, I'm instantly reminded how quick and easy they are to prepare.

Not to mention they are loaded with Vitamin-K. (Don't worry I Wiki'd it for us):

Vitamin K is a group of structurally similar, fat-soluble vitamins the human body requires for  complete synthesis of certain proteins that are prerequisites for blood coagulation

 (K from Koagulation, Danish for "coagulation") and which the body also needs for controlling binding of calcium in bones and other tissues.

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Brussels spouts are also loaded with Vitamin C as well as a ton of other nutrients like dietary fiber, folate, manganese, Vitamin B, potassium... you get the point. They're little, green nuggets of health.

Beyond all that though, Brussels sprouts are available at Trader Joe's. And if there's one thing you should know about John + I,  it's that we only shop at Trader Joe's (like exclusively). No running to Whole Foods or Acme once in awhile. Nope. We're T.J. true, through and through.

Trader Joe's sells the perfect 16 oz bag of sprouts, and it even comes in a microwavable bag. I don't personally get down with cooking plastic in a microwave, but to each their own.

Here's the thing, roasting delicious Brussels sprouts isn't much more difficult than putting them in a microwave. Trust me! Check out this quick + seriously easy recipe to see for yourself.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

1 pound of Brussels sprouts (16 oz bag at Trader Joe's)

2 tablespoons of olive oil (the good kind)

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut brown end off Brussels spout, removing any yellowed or browned leaves as well. Mix sprouts, oil, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl; coating all sprouts. Pour mixture onto a sheet pan and roast for 30-40 minutes or until outsides are crispy and inside is tender. Shake the roasting pan occasionally (ever 8-10 min) so sprouts do not stick and for even roasting. Salt to taste before serving.

There are a ton of additions that you can add to spice this recipe up. Garlic, bacon, balsamic, carrots. Once you have this basic recipe down, experiment!

Enjoy!