Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fennel and Mushrooms

This is from my friend Celeste's blog.  Oh, it was good!  It's such a simple recipe, but it's the best thing I've had in ages.  Roasting creates amazing flavors and textures in this recipe: buttery brussels sprouts with crispy outsides, chewy tangy mushrooms, slightly crisp fennel, creamy sweet garlic.  I ate half the pan, and it makes a lot.

I didn't measure the mushrooms or Brussels sprouts, but I think I was somewhere in the ballpark of the amounts specified.  In any case, what I made was enough to fill a 9x13-inch baking dish pretty high. 

(before) 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fennel and Mushrooms

(from celeste's vegan goodness)

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts

4 shallots (I sliced these into thin discs and then separated them into rings)

10 garlic cloves, peeled (I left them as whole cloves)

1/2 lb shiitake mushroom caps (in thin slices--I actually used portobellos)

1 large fennel bulb, greens removed

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used more like 1/4-3/8 c)

3 TB balsamic vinegar

2 TB fresh tarragon or rosemary

sea salt/pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Prepare brussels sprouts by cutting away tough root ends and removing blemished outer leaves. Slice in half lengthwise and place in a large bowl. Add shallots, garlic, and mushroom caps.  Prepare fennel by trimming off dried root end and slicing bulb thinly widthwise. Add to vegetables and toss with olive oil, vinegar, tarragon/rosemary, salt, and pepper.
3. Place in a 9x12 glass or ceramic baking dish and roast uncovered for 25 minutes. Stir and roast for 25 minutes more. Remove and serve.  (I actually did 2 intervals of 20 min and it turned out just right).  Serves about 4.