So like any self-proclaimed foodie, I follow Bon Appetit religiously. I live for their stunning photos, helpful tips, and thoughtful editorial pieces, but LET’S BE HONEST, I’m there for the recipes. And recently I had bookmarked a recipe for “Warm Eggplant Salad with Walnuts.” Okay, Bon Appetit, I see you.
I knew I wanted to do my own riff because while I like warm things and walnuts, I’m not crazy about eggplant. However, I found some totally cute baby eggplants at my farmer’s market, so I grabbed a few and a huge bag of brussel sprouts and paved a new path for my own “Warm *insert whatever vegetable* Salad with *Pecans because I didn’t have Walnuts*” dish.
So behold, the roasted vegetable side dish you didn’t know your table needed.
Sweet + Spicy Roasted Veggies
Yields 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 baby eggplants
- 1 bag of Brussels sprouts
- handful of broccoli florets
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans
- 1/4 cup EVOO
- 2 T maple syrup
- 1 t cinnamon
- 1 t stone-ground mustard
- 1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- **optional: mint leaves for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
- 1. Preheat oven to 400.
- 2. Coat veggies with oil and salt and roast until fork tender (about 35 minutes).
- 3. Meanwhile, make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon, chili flakes, salt, pepper, and red onion.
- 4. Toast pecans by placing on a sauté pan, tossing until fragrant (about 5-8 minutes).
- 5. Toss the roasted veggies with sauce and top with toasted pecans and torn mint leaves.
the exhale 