Brussels Sprout Salad with Roasted Hazelnuts & Pomegranate

Inspiration for this recipe came straight from the pages of Food & Wine. To be more truthful, it jumped off of the pages of the magazine, attacked me and insisted that I make it IMMEDIATELY. I've had the magazine for two weeks and we've eaten a variation of this salad three times. The second and third time, my older two specifically requested it. And the last time that I made it, they didn't leave any for my husbands late dinner. This is the downside to having kids who eat almost anything.

So pretty...

I think that the biggest seller for this salad is the delicious dressing. I modified Food & Wine's version and I love the result of mine. I also substituted the pomegranate with grapes as well as raisins and thought that it was equally delicious. Give it a go!

Roast 1 cup of raw hazelnuts on a cookie sheet

Roasted hazelnuts going into a clean kitchen towel

Loosen and remove the skin by closing the kitchen towel around the hazelnuts and rubbing vigorously.

Zesting a ripe, beautiful lemon shouldn't be this much fun... but it is!

Emulsified dressing

Pay no attention to the brined and roasted turkey wings.
The salad with red grapes in place of the pomegranate seeds 

Brussels Sprout Salad with Roasted Hazelnuts and Pomegranate Seeds

Brussels Sprout Salad with Roasted Hazelnuts & Pomegranate

Serves 6 as a side
Adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients

1 cup hazelnuts
2 tablespoons truffle oil
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Zest from 1 lemon, about 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
Juice from 1/2 lemon, about 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound brussels sprouts, finely shredded
4 ounces Trader Joe's Fresh Seeds or half of a large pomegranate (substitute with a cup of red grapes, halved or 1/2 cup of plump raisins)
1 loose cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (2 ounces)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°

1. On a small cookie sheet, toast hazelnuts for 15 minutes, until the skins blister.

2. Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet.

3. Transfer hazelnuts to a clean kitchen. Tightly close the kitchen towel around the hazelnuts (making a small ball) and then vigorously rub together to remove the skins.

4. Coarsely chop hazelnuts.

5. In a small bowl, combine the truffle oil, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (3 twists or so). Whisk to emulsify.

6. In a large bowl, add the shredded Brussels sprouts and toss to coat with dressing. Let stand 4-5 minutes.

7. Add the pomegranate seeds and chopped hazelnuts. Toss to combine.

8. Divide among plates and garnish with shaved parmesan cheese.

Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!