Mmm Mmm, Brussel Sprouts!
Tonight, I’m going to make some brussel sprouts. Yup. I bought some a while ago, and unfortunately, they haven’t gone bad. So, time to use them up before I clean out and restock the fridge, which I’ve needed to do for some time now. I made brussel sprouts about a month ago, following a recipe that was for a brussel sprout casserole. Anything that has the word casserole in it implies creamy, cheesy goodness, at least to me, so smothering the brussels with cheese meant they would taste good, right? Yup—I was right! But I don’t think the dish was as healthy as it was cheesy and creamy and, well….fattening. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but…
Moving on to a slightly healthier version, I’m going to combine two recipes I found on the food network. One is from Ina Garten and the other from Sunny Anderson. My mom and I both adore the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks, and sometimes, when I’m at the gym and her show is on, I drool a little. Don’t worry—I catch myself before it hits the equipment. But I love her cooking, so I’m trusting her brussels. With a twist.
Sunny Anderson’s recipe calls for bacon, and I kind of wanted to add pancetta or bacon to my dish because it’s delicious, and because I’m also making pork chops so it will complement their flavor, so I just read her recipe for inspiration. Bobby Flay had a recipe linked to both of these using pancetta, but his involved potatoes, and I don’t like potatoes.
My recipe essentially is:
1 lb brussel sprouts, stems and yellow leaves removed, cut in half
2 tbsps olive oil (going to estimate this one)
a good sprinkling of kosher salt
a sprinkle of white pepper (black pepper triggers the acid reflux)
2-3 garlic cloves, sauteed
4 slices of BACON!
My plan is to cook the bacon and then set it aside on a plate with paper towels to drain, chopping or crumbling it once drained. Then I’m going to line a baking sheet with tin foil, pour the prepped brussels onto the sheet and toss them in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle them with the salt and pepper and toss on the finely-chopped garlic. I’m going to cook this for about 45 minutes, tossing the whole lot occasionally, and when the brussels seem crisp, I’m going to take them out of the oven, toss in the bacon crumbles and then serve with some pork chops and rice. We’ll see how this goes!
I want to start posting photos of my cooking, so hopefully I’ll remember once all is said and done, and post a pic of this delicious and fairly healthy meal. Time to get in the kitchen!
