When God called me to work at Compassion International, I went kicking and screaming. It was not at all, initially, where I saw myself.

I did end up at Compassion through a series of miraculous events and as a result I have met some of the most incredible people and made some lifelong friends.

God’s plans truly are for good and never for harm. Amen.

Two of the amazing people I met at Compassion were the Giovagnonis. Does that sound Italian? Because it is.

But, let me back-up. When I started working as an assistant on the Web Team I met Chris and Becky during a Web Team outing. Becky was on her way out of the Web Team and onto a different department. I am so grateful we met that day.

I didn’t just notice how sweet and incredibly kind Becky is on that day, I noticed the looks she was getting. Looks from Chris.

And I noticed how she would smile back at him 🙂

I decided that they should start dating. And they should probably get married.

God was thinking the same thing because that’s just what they did.

These are two of my favorite people to hang out with. They always invite me over when I am in town and I always look forward to an amazing dinner at their house and some great fellowship.

When Beau and I started Our Savory Life, I knew I wanted to have them on the blog. And that’s what today is all about. Some good ol’ cooking from some serious Italians (one by birth and the other by marriage!).

They made me such delicious food that I am going to break it up into parts. This is part 1. Oven roasted Brussels sprouts. I’ll start by saying I was devouring these Brussels sprouts as soon as they came out of the oven.

They’re simple, delicious, and paleo. You can make these as a side for dinner or even serve them as finger food when guests arrive. They are that good.

But first…

What are Brussels Sprouts?

These little guys remind me of a mini cabbage which is convenient because they actually are of the cabbage family 🙂

Brussels sprouts contain good amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fiber. Better yet, they are believed to protect against colon cancer. And what is better than a happy colon? Exactly. So, you should make these!

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This recipe comes from Ina Garten. As it should 🙂 Have we talked about how much I love her? Moving on.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and put your sheet pan into the oven to warm it up (this process ensures the veggies get a jump-start on roasting when they hit the hot pan).

Take 1 1/2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts and trim them. That means to cut off the brown end of the sprout.

Remove any yellow outer leaves and cut the Brussels sprout in half. Add  to a bowl as you go.

Some of the outer green leaves will fall off during this process, but Becky makes sure these do not go to waste! Add them to the bowl too. They will crisp up like little chips. YUM!

Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Toss it all together to coat the Brussels sprouts.

Remove your sheet pan from the preheated oven and add your Brussels sprouts.

Roast them for 35 to 40 minutes or until they get nice and dark on top.

When they come out of the oven, sprinkle a bit more kosher salt on top.

They will be salty and crunchy like a french fry but they will be PALEO and healthy. And if your guest does not rudely eat them all before dinner (like I tried to) then you can serve them in a pretty bowl:

So, the next time you are tempted to eat french fries, make these instead and REMEMBER that they contain good amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fiber and can help promote a healthy, happy colon 🙂

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