Cookbook Mondays: Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Red Onion Jam

I don't know why people don't like Brussel Sprouts. Is it because they have only eaten them boiled to a yellowy mush and forced to eat them as a child? I fear many such vegetables have been shunned and mocked, the last to be picked as part of a team, or left on the bench while the other more cool and hip fruit and veg get to be in the spotlight. Kale which is so in right now ( I mean Donna Hay jumped on that band wagon after all) was once left to wilt on the bench, and it now has more glamour than the Kardashians. Sprouts and kale are cousins after all, so why not give the Brussels a shot ?

Simon Bryant is one of my favourite chefs, and although he is not a vegetarian does some pretty fantastic work in making them appealing to the carnivorous lot. I loved watching him with Maggie Beer on The Cook and the Chef, he always seemed to balance out Maggie's meat and dairy rich meals with a large helping of vegetables. Add to that a good sense of humour about "cheffy showing off" and a love of really good produce from paddock to plate. I snapped up his book Vegies  as soon as it came out, and we have tried a few recipes - its probably one of my favourite food porn books. He also happens to be a fan of the poor sprout, so we tried his roasted Brussels Sprouts with Red Onion Jam. I omitted the egg yolk and cheese,  and subbed dairy free margarine and soy to make the white sauce. I already had a jar of homemade red onion jam in the fridge, so making it was a snap. It was absolutely DELICIOUS! the jam really makes this dish in my opinion, the sauce is the subtle carrier. Honestly, if you don't like sprouts, give this recipe a try. You may just be converted.

Bon appetit!