rosemary roasted brussels sprouts & cauliflower (and Liebster awards!)

I'm going to let these roasted veggies speak for themselves. Mostly. The only thing I will say is this: They are crispy and fragrant with delicious burny bits. Rosemary and garlic hits you full in the face the second you open the oven door. They are salty and everything else good.

I could actually spend a lot more time talking about the miracle that is rosemary roasted brussels sprouts and cauliflower, but instead of tooting my own horn, for once I'm going to talk about some other bloggers who deserve recognition for their creativity and commitment to real ingredients. Unhip Squirrel was recently honoured with a Leibster award by Tobias at the lovely T & Tea Cake. This is an award given by bloggers to bloggers - it serves to recognise smaller blogs of under 200 followers that you think deserve to be noticed. I was ecstatic to be given this distinction, and now am absolutely delighted to be able to pass it on to 5 other bloggers who I think are doing something pretty special.

These are the rules to follow if you've been awarded with a Leibster award.

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
3. Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
4. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed.
5. Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment on their blog.

Thank you so much Tobias!

In alphabetical order...

1. Elemental Custard: Healthy Recipes and Desserts by Mara - I love this blog. Mara loves to cook and bake and it shows. Not only are her recipes healthy (in the real food sense of the word - girl loves her butter) but they can be cheeky, too. Like my pun? Mara has Armenian heritage and shares the recipes that she grew up with. As someone who loves cooking from many different cultures, I love this aspect of Elemental Custard!

2. The Fourth Broomstick - I haven't been following this blog for very long, but the two sisters who write it snagged me in with their Sweet Potato Banana Mexican 'Cake'. One of my favourite things about cooking is how creative it can be, and these girls are SO creative! Their most recent post blew me away. Rosemary Grapefruit Quickbread. Really. They did that. With one fell swoop they earned themselves a Leibster Award. Keep it up guys - I can't wait for you to share more from your crazy creative minds!

3. Ryan Bakes - People, I'd like to introduce you to Ryan Bakes. Have you ever desired a strawberry shortcake slider? Me neither, but only because this awesome concept had escaped my brain until I visited her blog. Ryan is very creative and her finished products - baked in her home kitchen - always look professional. She contributes heavily to my "to bake" list.

4. sixteenbeans. - I first "met" Kyleeen from sixteenbeans. when we were matched to each other for The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2011. Kyleen, a high school student, is another creative soul. She sent me some wicked black sesame shortbread, and it was love at first bite! Kyleen is also the definition of passion for cooking and baking. After school, she goes to school AGAIN... to cooking school. Amazing!

5. Wok With Me, Baby - Maryanne Oxendale is the brain behind this blog, which I read more for its humour than as a source for recipes. If you go there, you'll see why. She is absolutely hilarious. I burst out laughing every time I visit. The tagline for her blog is "Watch me try to cook non-Chinese food in China" and that's exactly what she does. She's shared with us such posts as Woks and Bagels!, The Lazy Laowai's Guide to Toaster Oven Focaccia and Soft Cheese; Hard Wok: Experimenting with Fromage.

Now that I've directed you to five wonderful blogs, I beg you to stick around just long enough to learn how to make the crispy roasty rosemary garlic veggies. Trust me. You'll love them.

rosemary roasted brussels sprouts & cauliflower
Adapted from Vegetarian Times.

2 cups brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed
1/2 a cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
needles from 1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
larger bunches of needles from 1 sprig of rosemary, as seen in picture above
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours (can be done overnight).
• Preheat oven to 425. Spread veggies on a foil lined baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for approximately 20 minutes or until browned and crispy in parts, turning once.
• When serving, sprinkle additional bits of rosemary for garnish if desired.