Start here because the dressing is the easiest part and it gives you confidence immediately. Find a small bowl or a mason jar—whichever feels comfortable in your hands. Pour in ⅓ cup of olive oil. The oil should look greenish or golden, not clear. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice (if you're squeezing a fresh lemon, cut it in half and twist it hard over a small bowl, catching any seeds). Next, add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar—you'll smell it immediately, a little sharp and apple-like. Now add 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup. This is what makes the dressing special. Maple syrup adds a subtle sweetness that balances the vinegar's tang. Add 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard—it will look like a small dollop of brownish paste. If you minced your garlic, add 1 small clove now (about the size of a pea, minced as small as you can). If you don't have fresh garlic, skip it or add a pinch of garlic powder. Now whisk or shake everything together until it's smooth and combined. If you're using a jar, screw the lid on tight and shake for about 30 seconds. If you're using a bowl, whisk for about 1 minute. The dressing should look slightly creamy and golden, not separated. Taste a tiny bit on your finger—it should taste tangy, slightly sweet, with a little mustard kick. If it tastes too vinegary, add a touch more maple syrup. If it's too sweet, add a squeeze more lemon. Salt and pepper it lightly. Set it aside.

This is where the magic happens. Take your pound of Brussels sprouts and look them over. You'll see a stem at the bottom and leaves starting to peel back. Trim the stem end off each one—just slice about ¼ inch off the bottom where the stem gets woody. Rinse them quickly under cool water and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. Wet Brussels sprouts won't shave nicely, so take a minute to dry them well. Now, if you have a food processor, this is where it earns its keep. Fit the food processor with the slicing blade (not the chopping blade—that's important). Add your Brussels sprouts and pulse until they're shaved into paper-thin ribbons. You should see mostly light green and white, which is the inside of the sprout. This takes about 30 seconds. If you don't have a food processor, use a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife. Hold the Brussels sprout firmly by the stem end (careful of your fingers), and slice downward as thinly as you can. You want each piece to be about the thickness of a playing card. It sounds fussy, but after the first Brussels sprout, your hands know what to do. The whole process takes maybe 5 minutes for a pound. Once all your Brussels sprouts are shaved, place them in your large mixing bowl. They should look like a pile of pale green and white shreds. If they feel at all damp, pat them with a towel again.

While your Brussels sprouts are in the bowl, let's prep the rest. Take your Honeycrisp or other crisp apple. Do not peel it—the skin has fiber and color, and it's perfectly fine to eat raw. Slice the apple in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Now chop the apple into roughly ½-inch pieces—they don't need to be perfect. You'll have maybe ½ to ¾ cup of chopped apple. Measure out ½ cup of dried cranberries. If they seem hard or sticky, that's normal. Add them to the bowl with the Brussels sprouts. Measure ½ cup of sunflower seeds and add those too. Finally, measure ⅓ cup of shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese and add it. If you're using the block kind and shaving it yourself with a vegetable peeler, that works too—it'll be in bigger flakes, which is lovely. Everything should be sitting in the bowl now, still dry, just waiting for the apple and dressing. Add your chopped apple to the bowl.

This is the moment where a pile of separate ingredients becomes an actual salad. Pour your maple mustard dressing over everything in the bowl. Don't be shy—use all of it. Now, take two large spoons or salad servers and toss everything together using a scooping, turning motion. Lift from the bottom, flip it over the top, and repeat. Do this for about 1 to 2 minutes until every shred of Brussels sprout is coated in the glossy golden dressing. As you toss, you'll notice the Brussels sprouts start to soften slightly and release a tiny bit of moisture—this is exactly what you want. The dressing will cling to everything. Stop when you see no more white shreds peeking through without dressing. Taste a small bite. It should taste bright, slightly sweet, and balanced. Add a pinch of kosher salt and a grind or two of fresh black pepper, toss once more, and taste again. Adjust if needed.