Rice Pilaf With Roasted Brussels Sprouts

By Shannon Keirnan, Contributing Foodie Bitch

Thanksgiving approaches!

Like most of you, I’m looking forward to a day of overeating, football, and then overeating again (desserts, y’all!).

While turkey is awesome and pie will definitely be consumed, I’m also planning to bring a few healthier options to the table this year. Indulging is great once in a while, but there’s no need to regret it for days afterwards!

I took to the kitchen to play around with what was available in my house that could be worked into a side dish option.

Enter rice pilaf with roasted brussels sprouts, an experiment in balancing taste with health benefits. I threw in whatever vegetables I had handy, and used my frozen bone broth cubes in the rice to add extra nutritional punch. Feel free to change up whatever vegetables you add, to suit this dish to your tastes and needs.

I was a little nervous to work with the strong flavors of brussels sprouts and cabbage, but found that, when combined with the rice and other ingredients, everything had a nice, earthy taste, with the lemon juice providing a memorable extra zing. Give it a try – and feel free to suggest your favorite healthy Thanksgiving side dish in the comments!

Ingredients:

10-15 brussels sprouts

4-6 servings brown rice

1 lemon

1 onion

1/2 cup chopped cabbage

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

Chicken bone broth (or regular broth, or stock), portioned according to the rice instructions

Olive oil

2 Tbsp. Butter

Garlic powder

Salt

Pepper

1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs (gluten-free option if desired)

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop the brussels sprouts lengthwise, and toss with a coating of olive oil. Layer into a roasting pan and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and pepper. Squeeze a wedge of lemon on top, and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring once, until tender and brown. Leave the oven on.

In the meanwhile, cook the rice according to the package, substituting the bone broth for water in the recipe.

In a separate pan, sauté the chopped onion, cabbage, mushrooms, and shredded carrot in a tablespoon or so of butter (or coconut oil). Add the cooked rice, and simmer for about ten minutes, stirring often. Add a little bit more oil or butter if too dry to stir easily. Salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the brussels sprouts and cook for an additional five minutes. Add a hearty squeeze of lemon, and layer into a baking dish.

Melt the remaining butter and stir in the Panko crumbs until coated, and sprinkle over the dish.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the crumbs are just slightly browned.