Dinner for Two: Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Parmesan Risotto

It's another Wedding Planning Wednesday!  We haven't made much progress lately because we have tons of time.  The latest development in our wedding plans was that we found a photographer!  There are so many to choose from, but the portfolio's we saw online looked great and when we met with the guy he seemed awesome.  We get an engagement shoot included in our deal and I am excited to test out the photography experience through this!  I will obviously be sharing details later on so stay tuned! 

The weather has been so wonderful lately! Chicago is an awesome place to be when it is nice out.  Bri and I have already taken advantage of walking to dinner and going to a baseball game.  We went to a cubs game last weekend and it was so much fun.  Tonight, my little bro is in town and we are going to another baseball game! I am very excited about this.  Now that my grad classes are done and school is winding down, it feels great to enjoy the nice weather and relax.  

I also have more time to cook!  This week I am planning on making some veggie enchiladas and cream cheese brownies.  I have been craving both foods and I have all the supplies I need!  But first, I am going to tell you about a dish that I made a while back: Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Parmesan Risotto.  This was a great dinner for me and Bri.  It made enough food for two people and it was quick.  Therefore, this is the perfect date-night dinner.  First, I roasted some brussel sprouts in the oven, and then I mixed it into some homemade parmesan risotto.  Everything was really tasty.  I am obsessed with brussel sprouts so this dish made me super happy.  

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Parmesan Risotto

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Ingredients:

1 lb brussel sprouts, peeled and halved

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

salt and pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups Arborio rice

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Pour 1 tbsp of olive oil on a baking sheet and spread out halved brussel sprouts over the sheet.   Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder over the sprouts.  Use a spoon to toss the sprouts and make sure they become coated with olive oil and seasonings.  Place in oven and cook for 20-30 minutes.  Check every 10 minutes and flip the sprouts about half way through cooking.  Remove from oven.

3. While the sprouts are cooking, pour vegetable broth in a medium sized saucepan and heat over medium heat.  

4. In a separate large saucepan, heat the rest of the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the chopped onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add in the arborio rice and toss with the onion and garlic.  Let cook for another 2 minutes.  Then, add in the wine and cook until the rice has absorbed all the wine.

5.  Add in 1/4 cup of vegetable broth and stir until it is absorbed by the rice.  Continue doing this for about 20 minutes or until the rice is done.  Stir in the parmesan cheese and brussel sprouts.  

Enjoy :)