COOKING WITH BACON -- BACON WRAPPED BRUSSELS SPROUTS -- SIDE DISH

A while back I mentioned that I'd be working on side dishes. Easy recipes that would make the typically boring side dishes more interesting. But they had to be simple, and made without bizarre ingredients -- Just stuff you already have around the house. We often focus so much on the main dish that when it comes to the side dish, it's usually defaulted to something boring.  I'm just trying to mix it up. 

Well .... How do these look? Yummy, right? They were. 

It's not that I'm a huge fan of brussels sprouts. I don't hate them, but I don't love them either. Maybe this is why I'm on a quest for ways to make them great? Because they really are good for you. And I want to love them, I really do. 

The last bs dish I made was the brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar caramelized onions. It was a big hit. A note on that dish though -- it's only good when it's fresh, so serve immediately, when they're hot. 

So now, my new recipe is a dead-simple one, because I just got back from vacation and I have a bad cold and I'm dog tired. Today I made BACON WRAPPED BRUSSELS SPROUTS.  I was at the grocery yesterday and I saw some pretty large brussels sprouts. I usually try and pick out the smallest ones, but I thought what the heck, let's try the jumbo ones and just see how they compare. 

They were really good!

Start by trimming the tough ends off. 

Then, simply wrap in bacon! I used 1/2 slice for each brussels sprout.  I also recommend using a toothpick at the seam to keep the bacon from shrinking and coming off the vegetable. 

Into a 450 oven for about 25-30 minutes (or until bacon is done and the BS is tender)

Tender inside... crisp, smoky bacon outside. Guys, these were delicious! 

SIDE DISH~ BRUSSELS SPROUTS with BALSAMIC VINEGAR CARAMELIZED ONIONS

This dish is rich, and slightly sweet from the onions, a tiny bite from the cayenne, and lots of delicious caramelizing! It's A-Mazing. 

OK, so I'll admit, my first choice for this dish was not Brussels sprouts. This developed out of necessity, because my original ingredient was sweet peas. But my sweet peas were rotten. Shoot! It was a last minute thing - I looked in the fridge, my choices were broccoli, collard greens, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts and green chard. The best fit I saw, was Brussels sprouts. 

Ingredients:

serves 4

2 large yellow or white onions

2 oz pancetta or bacon

Brussels sprouts for 4 - about 1 lb

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

To begin, saute the pancetta (or chopped bacon) in the butter and olive oil for 3 minutes.

Add the onion. Reduce to low, and stir frequently. You do not want to brown the onions. You are caramelizing them. Slow cooking. 

Keep stirring ....

Almost there ...

OK, now add the vinegars, salt, pepper, sugar, cayenne and water. Bring to a boil. Cook on medium-high until all liquid is reduced. 

After the liquid was reduced, I moved the onions aside, and I added the bs and sauteed them on med-low until golden.

Serve immediately.  

SIDE DISH - KEN'S CHINESE FIVE SPICE ASPARAGUS

About a year (or two?) ago I was on the phone with my best friend and she mentioned that her husband made this great asparagus on the grill ... 

He seasoned it with Chinese Five Spice. Interesting, I thought. That was pretty much the end of it.

A long time later -- I remembered it out of the blue. Maybe because it was interesting, or maybe just for no reason at all, but I thought it would make a great "Side Dish" post. 

You'll need:

1 bunch young asparagus

1 tsp olive oil

1 TBSP Butter

1 TBSP Chinese Five Spice

Salt & Pepper to taste

(optional - and only if you like sweet stuff) 1 tsp Brown Sugar

I was too lazy to uncover the grill. So, I steamed my asparagus. 

Then I flash-browned it in the olive oil & butter.

The five spice, as  you can see, is mostly warm spices, so if you liked things sweet, a generous pinch of sugar (or brown sugar!) would go excellent with the flavors. My husband does not like sweet foods though, so I just used the five spice and s&p.

After the quick saute, dust with the five spice powder (and sugar, if desired) and toss. It's different, intensely flavorful, exotic, easy and GOOD.

SIDE DISH - POTATOES AND KALE

One thing that frustrates me is that there are just not very many interesting side dishes out there. Steamed vegetables. Baked potato. Grilled asparagus. Yawn.

Finding interesting side dishes to go with the 1000 ways I can make chicken has become a priority for me lately. I don't need another way to make chicken. I need stuff to eat along with the chicken! Lately I have been looking at food thinking mainly of ways I can make a side dish with it ...  ways to pair it with vegetables, make it healthy, but still good because I have some picky eaters in this house.  

So, first up  -- KALE & POTATOES

serves 4

1 bunch kale

1 large baking potato (or a couple smaller potatoes)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

salt & pepper to taste

(optional) 1 clove chopped garlic

I like to microwave my potatoes in their skin, this way it cooks them without water making them mushy. Important especially if you want to brown the potatoes. And, it's fast! But cook your potatoes however you like, then set aside to cool while the kale cooks.

Clean and chop the kale (remove stems) and boil in water for about 15 minutes, or per your own preference if you like it soft or extra firm. Kale is pretty rugged, and it can really be cooked to death and still be great. Undercook it and it might be a bit too firm textured for some first-time kale eaters.  If you've never had it before, just taste a piece after 15 minutes or so to determine if you prefer it cooked more. When done, drain well and set aside. 

Dice the potato. Heat the olive oil and butter until the butter is lightly brown and fragrant. Saute the potatoes until brown and crispy at the edges. Add the garlic only in the last 2 minutes of crisping the potatoes so the garlic doesn't burn. 

Mix potatoes and kale, salt & pepper to taste.