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Bacon Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Sitting around with friends not too long ago, the conversation turned to brussels sprouts. As a common black sheep of the vegetable world, I was surprised to learn that people (people I know and like) are totally into these baby cabbages! Not to mention they’ve been popping up in restaurants everywhere these days. Who knew that brussels sprouts were trendy like street tacos and quinoa?
Until recently, I hated brussels sprouts; remaining loyal to a childhood disdain for the little demon cabbages. There may have been an incident in the early 90′s (in Pittsburgh) involving brussels sprouts and an upset stomach that rendered brussels sprouts untouchable. I’ll admit it, I held a grudge. But now, with all of the peer pressure from friends and “brussels sprout pushing” by restaurants, I decided to face my fears, go outside my comfort zone, and face these little sprouts head on. I’m so glad I did. I’m addicted. Thanks Nicki and Britta. Damn you.
As my friend Nicki informed me, roasting the sprouts to crispiness is the way to go. Then, you can add anything or toss them in anything. The possibilities are endless. I actually pulled together this recipe on my own – it’s a combo of Nicki’s roasting instructions and ingredients from a side dish I saw at a local restaurant.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb of brussels sprouts (clean, ends chopped off, brown leaves removed, and quartered or halved)
1 tsp of sea salt (or salt to taste)
4 strips of bacon (cooked and crumbled)
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1/4 c of shaved parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Toss quartered brussels sprouts in coconut oil and sea salt
3. Spread the sprouts in a single layer on a non-stick cookie sheet
4. Roast for 35 min, removing about every ten minutes to agitate pan. I like these super crispy with a little char (just a little) if you don’t like that, keep your eye on them, and roast for less time.
5. When done, remove from oven.
6. Toss with balsamic and crumbled bacon.
7. Sprinkle shaved parmesan on top and serve!
What is your favorite brussels sprouts recipe?
The Bacon Book
Not so long ago, CurateHub approached me about my Bacon Wrapped Figs recipe. They wanted to include it in a cookbook! Better yet a Bacon cookbook! It would be a free eBook for CurateHub subscribers. First, who doesn’t want to be a part of a bacon cookbook so yea! Second, um, what’s CurateHub?
The idea behind CurateHub is to allow people to curate email newsletters and send them easily. Curate? Such a fancy word. I looked it up in the Wiktionary. The verb to curate means “to apply selectivity and taste to, as a collection of fashion items or web pages”.
CurateHub recognizes that curation is a growing trend…”there is so much on the internet that its hard to sort through it all and find interesting tidbits”. CurateHub gives you a little bookmarklet that you can click anywhere on the web, and it “curates” the article to your account. Once a week (or day, or month) you can sort through these articles and arrange into a newsletter and send to your subscribers.
And, there you have it.
In an effort to provide “extras” to subscribers, CurateHub is considering the addition of eBooks. So, The Bacon Book is their first eBook. And that’s where you will find my figs and other glorious bacon-filled recipes to try. So, get your copy of The Bacon Book by click here. Bon Appetite!
