Happy New Year everyone! Hello 2021 and goodbye 2020! I think it’s safe to safe 2020 is a year that won’t be forgotten and one which we’ll look back with mixed emotions on. It’s certainly had its challenges, but it’s also given us a lot of time to reflect and also appreciate a lot of the little things.
This year I’ve missed spending time with friends and loved ones face to face but I’ve also been so grateful for the ones I have been able to see and have felt fortunate that I live close by to them. I’ve missed going to gigs and country music nights out but I’ve enjoyed having more time to focus on my hobbies, bake, ride my bike and go on long walks.
I’ve really enjoyed relaxing this Christmas break but definitely need to cut down on the chocolate ad baileys!
For any new year I often set myself some goals starting off with wanting to eat healthier, do more exercise, practice my hobbies more and so forth. This year I still want to focus on all of those things and definitely want to get more active and cut down on the Cadburys buttons but I think it’s good to just go with the flow.
Focusing more on what you want to do by setting small steps to achieve them is a good way to start and not beating yourself up if you miss a step.
One goal of mine today was using up what I had left in the fridge which resulted in making this brussels sprout salad. I had a look for some recipes online and ended up compiling a few together to create the recipe below.
First step towards healthy eating as this salad is rich in greens, nutritious and filling. It’s also very easy to make and you can adapt it to make it sweeter by adding cranberries or throw some nuts such as pecans or walnuts into the mix too. I chose to make it quite simple but feel free to experiment. A perfect side dish to any meal, you can keep the spirit of Christmas going with this festive hearty salad.
Wishing you all the best for 2021 and here’s hoping for a good one!
Brussels Sprout and Green Bean Salad
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 30 – 35 mins
Total time: 35 – 40 mins
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 bag (80g) green beans, cut in half
2 large or 4 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 bag (200g) brussels sprouts, chopped in half and thirds
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon salt
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 160 degrees C.
2. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking tray and then place the green beans and shallots on. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the salt over and toss to combine.
3. Place another piece of parchment paper on a separate baking tray and repeat the same process with the brussels sprouts.
4. Roast for 15 minutes, remove the pans from the oven, stir the vegetables on each pan, then place the pans back in the oven on alternate racks (green beans and shallots on the bottom rack, brussels sprouts on the top).
5. Roast for an additional 15 minutes, then remove from the oven. Check to see if the brussels sprouts are brown and crispy. If so, they are ready, if not return to the oven for a further five minutes.
6. Remove the brussels sprouts from the oven. Add the green beans, shallots and brussels sprouts to a medium sized bowl.
7. Drizzle with a tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice and mix altogether.
*You can also add nuts to this recipe. Walnuts and pecans work really well.
