Food photo tip #27: be sure to shoot on a full stomach otherwise you’ll probably eat the dish before you get the perfect shot.
No truer words have ever been written.
When these roasted maple-balsamic brussels sprouts come out of the oven strutting their sweet and salty selves in that bewitching aroma, all I can say is may the force be with you.
(and those outer leaves that transform into crispy chips? you’ll be chasing their crunch all over the kitchen like fall leaves underfoot).
If you’re familiar with couscous, you know the cooking method doesn’t get any simpler. Add some autumn all-stars and a few key aromatics and you have a side dish you’ll want to make over and over again (especially if, say, you run out of sprouts the first time) — easy to customize and a great option for the holidays too!
Let me know if you give this one a try. I’d love to hear how you make out!
- For the Couscous
- 1 cup uncooked fine grain couscous (see Notes)
- 1 + ¼ cup water
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (70g) dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup (45g) shelled pistachio, chopped to reveal their beautiful green color
- 1 apple, sliced thin for garnish
- For the Brussels Sprouts
- About 1 pound (450g) brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and cut in half (or quartered if large)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp salt
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Prepare sprouts, saving any loose leaves after slicing.
- Spread the brussels sprouts + half the loose leaves on a parchment lined tray, giving them some space to crisp up. Roast the sprouts for approximately 20-25 minutes, until they have a nice color and some crisped edges (the longer you leave them, the darker/more seared they will become). You don't have to flip the sprouts halfway.
- Meantime, in a large bowl or pot with fitted lid, place: couscous, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cranberries and any remaining loose brussels sprout leaves (or simply add more leaves - they create a really pretty contrasting color that holds well), Note: if your onion and/or garlic powder already contains salt, you can adjust additional salt accordingly.
- Heat water in a kettle (or boil on stove if preferred) and carefully pour 1 + ¼ cup boiled water over the cranberry couscous mixture. Give a good stir and allow it to sit with covered lid for 10 minutes. (The hot water will soften and plump up the cranberries too which is ideal).
- Remove the brussels sprouts from the oven and allow them to sit for a moment while you carefully remove the lid from the couscous. Give the couscous a stir, taste and make any flavor adjustments desired. Add most of the pistachio and roasted brussels sprouts to the couscous mixture, tossing gently to combine. Transfer couscous to a bowl or serving platter and top with remaining sprinkle of pistachio and brussels sprouts. Garnish with more greens (as desired) and a few apple slices.
Gluten Free Variation: couscous is a wheat based grain. For a gluten-free version, quinoa would probably be most similar (cook according to package directions).
Other Options for Nuts & Fruit: the chopped pistachio is tasty and adds beautiful bursts of green to this dish - you can sub any nut as desired, macadamia and almond might work especially well as alternates. Other dried fruit possibilities: golden plump raisin, cherry and apricot (dried cherry is very expensive but delicious!).
Meal: you can easily convert this side dish into a meal by tossing in some beans or lentils.
Storage & Fridge Life: store any remaining couscous in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat, adjust seasonings as desired, and enjoy.
I love all the ingredients for this dish! What do you think it would be like with quinoa!
Sometimes I just want to shave a batch of Brussels sprouts and roast the leaves just to have a whole bowl of crispies. :) I bought a huge bag of sprouts just yesterday with the idea of making 2 – 3 different dishes. Yours just got moved to the top. I love everything about it. It has all of the components of a vegetarian main dish which is something we’re always looking for. Thanks for mentioning that pearl couscous could also be used because that’s what I have right now. Fabulous recipe Kelly!
Oh and yes, I agree – never do food photography on an empty stomach. :)
haha, I have certainly eaten my share of planned photo shoot food … :S
easy to convert this one into a meal by tossing in some beans (or whatever you like!). I hope you enjoy MJ – let me know what you think if you give it a go.
Absolutely love this recipe, Kelly. So beautifully seasonal and scrumptious. I’m still waiting on local BS to come in… I can hardly wait! I’m sure it will be at the market this weekend. Hope your fall is beautiful.
thank you Traci! I’m having a bit of a couscous moment:). My husband made couscous quite often in his university years apparently but it wasn’t on my radar. I just love how a few ingredients can come together to create something so tasty without much trouble. Nice to have one of those up your sleeve during the holidays. Enjoy the market!
Some of my favorite ingredients! Love the simplicity and wholesomeness of this earthy couscous, its beautiful too. Looking forward to making it this weekend. Thank you!
Oh, yay, I hope you love this recipe Brianne! Thanks for dropping in with your kind words.
My mouth is watering! Love roasted brussel sprouts and your dish looks (and sounds) amazing.
Roasted sprouts are like the undiscovered popcorn of the ages =) so glad this dish appeals! Hope you love it Robyn, thank you for your note.
What a beautiful autumn dish, I just love all of the colours and flavours going on. And you are absolutely right, those crispy bits of brussels sprouts are irresistible! This is definitely going on my Christmas dinner menu this year. BTW, just love that spoon.
Thank you Eva! I’ve made this dish a half dozen times already this fall – it’s a great accompaniment to so many meals and keeps well in the fridge. The spoon is a gift from my mother-in-law — I think of her often and especially when I’m in the kitchen ♥