Avocado Oil Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Orange and Pomegranate

I love experiencing the flavors of every season: fresh asparagus in the spring, juicy peaches in the summer, and gorgeous dark greens in the winter.

And then of course, there’s fall, the time when “pumpkin spice” flavors take over EVERYTHING.

And while pumpkin is amazing, there is so much more to experience in fall than just cinnamon, nutmeg, and everyone’s favorite orange squash.

Today, I want to share one of my favorite fall recipes that is an explosion of forgotten autumn flavors: Brussels sprouts, orange, and pomegranate.

Not only does this recipe taste amazing and unexpectedly like fall, but it is packed full of nutrient-dense foods that help promote a healthy gut.  

Just a few of the benefits of the ingredients in this recipe:

• Brussels sprouts: rich in Vitamins C and K, as well as magnesium, potassium, choline and B vitamins
• Orange zest and juice: rich in Vitamins C and A
• Honey: SCD-legal sweetener, rich in micronutrients like phosphorus, potassium, and zinc
• Natural sea salt: provides trace elements like zinc, iron and manganese
• Pomegranate arils: rich in the antioxidant punicalagins and the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) punicic acid, which may help prevent cancer
• Avocado oil
  • Rich in micronutrients like potassium, choline and glutathione
  • Contains multiple antioxidants like carotenoids, polyphenols, and proanthocyanidins
  • Contains polyhydroxylated fatty acids, which help protect the skin from sun damage

This recipe is SCD-legal and perfect for a leaky gut diet. I’ll be enjoying this recipe not just on Thanksgiving, but all autumn long – I hope you do, too.

Avocado Oil Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Orange and Pomegranate

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup Extra-Virgin Avocado Oil
• Juice and Zest of 1 Orange
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt (ground)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
• 2 Pounds Fresh Brussels Sprouts (cored)
• 1/2 Cup Pomegranate Arils  
• Coarse Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Whisk the oil, orange juice, zest, honey, and salt and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. Add the Brussels sprouts to the mix (leave them whole or halve them for quicker cooking time) and toss to coat.
3. Lay on a baking sheet in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd. Roast until the sprouts start to tenderize and turn brown, about 40-50 minutes. Remove from oven and toss with the pomegranate seeds and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt.  

Leave a comment and let me know how these turned out for you!

-Steve

P.S. I love avocado oil, not JUST for it’s health benefits but also for its delicate flavor and versatility (it has a smoke point of 480 degrees!). I resisted trying avocado oil for far too long because I thought I had all my bases covered with olive and coconut oil and grass-fed butter. As soon as I tried it, I fell in love.

If you haven’t tried avocado oil yet, my friends and the distributor of my FAVORITE avocado oil, Ava Jane’s, are giving away 1 free bottle of avocado oil for a limited time. All you have to do is cover the cost of shipping (even for our community members in Canada!) and there is no club membership or commitment of any type required.

You can get your free bottle here.