Happy new year, everyone! How is 2013 treating you so far? Good, I hope. Well, 2013 started out pretty great for me and my family! With the new year starts resolutions and all that fun stuff. How many of you have made new year’s resolutions? Okay, for all of those hands raised, how many of you will actually keep them? Isn’t it funny how everyone, myself included, has all these great plans to get in shape, eat right, get organized and all these other fun things but we never get that far before that resolution is out the window?
Well, this year I’m going to try to keep the resolutions simple so maybe I can actually keep a few of them! This year I want to stay consistent with my blogging; I want to update on a regular basis and not go in spurts of being consistent then falling off the planet. I think I resolved to do this last year, as well. While I think I did better last year than in years past, I still had a few months where I kind of took a hiatus. So this year, I will TRY to do better! I also want to try to incorporate more “quick”, yet health (ier) meals into our routine. While I think I’ve done well with the weaknight meals, there were still times where I found myself in the kitchen a lot longer that I wanted to be on weaknights. I want to be able to provide my family with a delicious, well balanced meal, as well as spend time with them before it’s bedtime for my little man. I would also like to get out and do a little more around with our family and really take advantage of what our town has to offer. My last thing is I have a list of recipes I want to try before the end of the year, I’ll post that list soon and keep you up to date on how things are progressing! I think that list is pretty simple and manageable!
So did all of you have your black eyed peas, greens of some sort and corn bread on New Years? You know you’re supposed to have all of those things for luck and money for the new year! Well, we had a delicious meal for new years packed full of all that stuff and then some. One of the sides we enjoyed was a brussel sprout gratin (recipe to come). Brussel sprouts are one of those veggies that have a bad name. Unfortunately, I think that they are one of those things that people eat only because they have to. I really think a lot more people would actually like brussel sprouts if they just tried them! We are among the minority when it comes to brussel sprouts, because we simply love them. Lately I’ve been trying to cook more and more variations of brussel sprouts, and try out different techniques and recipes using them.
This recipe was actually one that was recommended to me by my sister-in-law. It’s one of their favorites, and actually their “go to” recipe when it comes to a quick and delicious recipe. I must say, they did not lead me in the wrong direction when they gave me this recipe. It’s delicious. It’s simple, easy and quick to throw together and tastes so good. But how can anything involving bacon and balsamic be bad?
This recipe comes together very quickly. The bacon is cooked until crisp then removed to drain. The thinly sliced brussel sprouts are then cooked in the bacon drippings, along with water for a very short time. After they are tender the bacon is crumbled over the sprouts, along with a drizzle of balsamic and lemon juice. A quick stir then season with salt and pepper and it’s ready to be enjoyed. I love this recipe because it’s simple, comes together quickly and it’s delicous!
Sauteed Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
Ingredients:
8 slices bacon
1 Pound brussel sprouts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 Tsp fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Wash brussel sprouts and trim off the ends. Using a sharp knife, or mandolin, thinly slice the brussel sprouts and set aside.
Place a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once the skillet is heated, place the bacon in the skillet and cook until crisp. Reserve the bacon drippings. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. When bacon is cool enough to touch, crumble and return to plate.
Turn heat to medium. Place 1/4 cup of water in the pan with the bacon drippings. Add the sliced brussels sprouts along with salt and pepper and cover. Allow the brussel sprouts to cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and add bacon, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings, if needed and serve immediately.
Recipe source: adatped from “How to Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman
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