Recipe: Brussel Sprouts!

Brussel Sprouts w/ Fake Bacon and Warm Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing

This recipe is for a single large serving of brussel sprouts, but many servings of the dressing.

8-10 Brussel sprouts, cut in half
1 piece Morningstar Farms fake bacon (or sub real or turkey bacon, I just happened to have a piece of the fake stuff)
1 pat butter
1 tablespoon macadamia oil or olive oil
salt and cracked pepper to taste

Dressing:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1/4 (plus a little extra) good garlic powder (or 1 large fresh clove minced very fine, or use minced shallot)
Mix all the dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake vigorously until emulsified. The result should resemble this:



This should be enough dressing for many salads and/or side dishes. It goes well on everything from chicken to fish to collard greens. Adjust the salt, pepper, and garlic levels to your taste, and experiment with adding herbs. It's wonderful with 1/4 tsp. Herbs de Provence, or with rosemary, or thyme, or tarragon.

Now, to the sprouts...

Cut the brussel sprouts in half. Heat the butter and olive oil together over medium high heat. Toss in the sprouts when the pan is sizzling hot. Add kosher salt and cracked pepper. Cook them "face down" for a while so that they begin to caramelize, (about 3 minutes) and turn the heat to medium. Add the piece of fake bacon to the pan, and begin to move the brussel sprouts around with the "bacon".



Cook until desired tenderness (I like them very brown and cooked pretty well through--about 4 more minutes, and you may need to drizzle a tiny bit more oil on the veggies to make sure they do not burn.) Turn off the heat and remove the fake bacon piece. Chop the "bacon" into tiny pieces. Add a tablespoon or so of the dressing to the pan, and lightly coat the brussel sprouts in the dressing. Plate and put the "bacon" on top of the serving. The finished product should resemble this.



Enjoy!