Maple-Dijon Brussels Sprouts And Noodles

I've gotten into the habit of buying brussels sprouts every time we go to Whole Foods. I know they won't be around for too much longer, but they're the one and only aspect of winter I am trying to carry with me into the spring. By the way... Happy Spring!!

Usually, I'll get them home; quarter them; saute them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper; and then go to town. They're absolutely perfect like this, and why mess with a good thing, right?

Well, after weeks of this, I decided it was time to do something a little different with them. I had a whole bunch of mustard in the fridge after making that pan-roasted lamb with mustard pan sauce and thought some sort of mustard-roasted brussels sprout dish would hit the spot. I searched for recipes and found maple-dijon roasted brussels sprouts on Closet Cooking. This recipe served as my inspiration.

I only had a 1/2 pound of brussels sprouts, but I also had some leftover buttered egg noodles in the fridge, so I still made the same amount of maple-dijon vinaigrette but turned a brussels sprout side dish into a main course noodle dish -- perfect for two lunch-size portions. I also switched out the cider vinegar for sherry vinegar and stuck with my method of sauteeing the brussels sprouts instead of roasting them, which would have taken a lot longer.

The end result was a sweet and tangy noodle dish studded with caramelized brussels sprouts and crunchy almond slices. This is a dish I know I'll be making again -- even if I have to wait until next winter for more brussels sprouts.

Maple-Dijon Brussels Sprouts And Noodles (adapted from Closet Cooking)
(Printable version)

Ingredients

1/2 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups cooked egg noodles, tossed with butter or olive oil
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Preparation

In medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add brussels sprouts, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frquently, until well-browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Drizzle in more olive oil as needed (the brussels sprouts tend to soak it in).

Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette: In a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustards, garlic, and salt and pepper.

Toss the brussels sprouts, noodles, and almond slices in the vinaigrette.

Serve hot.

What's one aspect of winter you're going to miss now that it's spring?