Recipe : Brussels Sprouts with Cider Glaze + Goat Cheese

There's a cute little after-work spot near my office in Santa Monica that serves a Brussels Sprouts dish that makes you go ga-ga.  **(EDIT: Freddy Smalls has done a facelift on their menu and no longer serves their Brussels the below way.  RIP, best Brussels ever.)**  I love Brussels as it is, so it's not hard to convince me to order them when we're out, but these - these are delectable.

We had a family dinner the weekend before Thanksgiving, and having charged myself with bringing some veggies, I was determined to recreate my fave version of the sprouts.  I pulled from one recipe and another and added a little bit of my own twist, and voila!

Here you have it:  Brussels Sprouts with Cider Glaze + Goat Cheese.

Ingredients:
For the base:
2 lbs Brussels Sprouts (I buy them pre-shaved at Trader Joe's, or you can slice them yourself)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
olive oil - amount to your discretion
1/2 c apple cider vinegar, plus 2 tbsp, divided use
1/2 c sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 log of goat cheese

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, and spread brussels as evenly as possible on cookie sheet. Sprinkle brussels with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, stirring throughout, until some parts of the leaves are crisp.

In a separate sauce pan, add 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, sugar and brown sugar.  Whisk together.  Place the sauce over medium heat, and once it begins to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.  Turn the heat off and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.

Pour the Cider Glaze over the Brussels sprouts.  Serve goat cheese in a side bowl, but meant to be served alongside the sprouts.

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