The holidays are great but also a lot of work for those of us who are tasked with (most of) the cooking.

Which is why when January rolls around, it’s always good to dial it back with a fuss-free, seasonal salad that can be prepared in just a few minutes but is still hugely satisfying.

This simple Brussels sprouts salad is inspired by a terrific harvest salad my husband and I enjoyed on a pit stop just before Christmas in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on our way to visit our kids and grandkids in New Jersey.

We’d hoped to combine a quick lunch with a little last-minute shopping at the town’s famed Christkindlmarkt, a month-long open-air market thought to be as one of the top holiday markets in the world. As luck would have it, the market had just come to a close for the season the day before.

To drown our sorrows, we found our way to the cozy tasting room at Social Still, a micro distillery and kitchen just around the corner from the town’s SteelStacks. While my bowl of mussels with n’duja sausage and house-made absinthe was outstanding, my husband’s cruciferous shaved Brussels sprouts was even better. So I decided to make one for myself once we got home.

Social Still’s harvest salad comes topped with candied pecans and dried cranberries, but I used what I had on hand — raisins and salted sunflower seeds.

For the dressing

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic minced

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

For the salad

1 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed

1 large tart apple chopped (or 2 small apples)

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup salted sunflower kernels

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese or Gorgonzola

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

First, make the maple mustard dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, mustard, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Next, shave the Brussels sprouts. Use a food processor with the slicing attachment and pulse until the brussels sprouts are thinly sliced. You can also use a mandoline or sharp knife if you don’t have a food processor.

Place the shredded sprouts in a large bowl. Add the chopped apple, raisins, sunflower kernels and blue cheese. Drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
— adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com

Tribune News Service