Brussels Sprouts Salad

Brussels Sprout Salad
Often, I wish Savannah was just a little closer to home. It would be nice to meet for lunch on a whim or have her over for dinner more often. However, visiting her is so much fun. I grew up in a rural part of north Georgia. After Greg and I married, I had never lived more than a short drive from a Target until moving to the farm, though.

The move was an adjustment, to say the least. Despite that, there is no other place I would want to be now! Still, visiting Savannah can be pretty fun. We can shop for days and never hit all the stores we want to. And the food, oh my! My tastebuds are in heaven the entire time!

On a recent trip, I tried a Brussels sprouts salad that was wonderful! It bugs Sav when I sit at the table trying to analyze the ingredients, but that’s precisely what I did that particular day.

Oh, the joy when I whipped up this salad and the flavors were right on! This salad is super easy. If you like to add protein, top your salad with a few grilled shrimp or some grilled chicken or steak.

This is not your mama’s boiled Brussel sprouts! Give this fantastic salad a try today. You will be so happy to eat your vegetables!

Brussels Sprouts Salad

Course Salad
Servings 6
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh Brussel sprouts
  • 1 large granny Smith apple julienned
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup dried cherries
  • 2 ounces goat cheese crumbled
  • Dressing:
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Add all dressing ingredients to a small jar and shake well, set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 425℉.
  • Wash and dry Brussels sprouts. Discard any discolored leaves. Cut off the end of the stem and remove some outer leave to roast.
  • Drizzle the single outer leaves with olive oil and toss. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in preheated oven until crispy. Watch closely, this will not take very long.
  • Shred the Brussels sprouts using a food processor. {If you want to do these ahead of time, they will keep in a ziptop bag, stored in the refrigerator, for up to a week.}
  • Toss the julienned apple in 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
  • In a large salad bowl, add the shredded and roasted Brussels sprouts, apple, and cherries. Toss with enough dressing to coat the mixture. Crumble goat cheese over the top and serve with extra dressing.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

chewy-oatmeal-cookies

 

When life gets hectic, I turn to baking. Baking calms my mind and soothes my soul.

Big changes for the Melton household are underway! My head is spinning with all of the adjustments that we are experiencing. After 33 years with different jobs in the same department, Greg has taken a new job. Same company but new department and new responsibilities.  He’s excited about the challenges and looks forward to doing something new. I suppose I always fear the unknown.

 Our oldest child, Wes, has a job that he starts this week! A real, full-time, paying job! He worked a lot during college. Sometimes for no pay, but always with a goal in mind. A paying job is wonderful news, especially for our bank account.

Then there’s Savannah, our baby; she will begin her junior year of college in a few weeks. She is moving out again in just two weeks. She has been busy painting furniture, making Pinterest projects, and shopping for things she’ll need out on her own.

So, with all of that being said, I recently baked. I have been cooking low-carb for several weeks now, so baking these ooey, gooey, chewy oatmeal cookies was a treat! I love a good oatmeal cookie, and these are the best. Baked in a convection oven they bake in about 5 to 7 minutes. These cookies will spread while cooking to a thin, flat cookie.  Lightly brown the edges of the cookies, leaving the middle soft. They should look slightly undercooked in the center when you remove them from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet and they will firm up as they cool.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
 
Author:
Serves: about 36 cookies
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ½ c. granulated sugar
  • 1 lg. egg
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 3 c. old-fashioned oats
  • 1 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp. whole milk
  • ½ c. dried cherries
  • ½ c. chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. With an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until well combined. Stir in oats, flour, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Stir in milk, dried cherries, and chocolate chips.
  3. Place 1 tablespoon (slightly rounded, not flat, not heaping) mounds of dough 2-inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheets. These cookies do spread while baking, so do not place too close together on your baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes (or 5 to 7 in convection oven), or until cooked have browned lighted on the edges but are still soft in the middle.
  5. Let the cookies cool completely at room temperature on the pan.