Oh No!  Brussel Sprouts!!!

 

 

I grew up having brussel sprouts...green, mushy, balls that were just blah (sorry Mom)!  How many people do you know who say, "I just love me some brussel sprouts"...a weird duck, for sure.  Well...this is our second night in a row having brussel sprouts.  I bought a great bag of them from Sam's Club last week, realized I'd be traveling all week this week and the sprouts needed to be gone.  So last night it was a pretty simple dish:

 

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 slices of pancetta chopped

20 fresh brussel sprouts, cut in half

salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

 

 

1.  Heat the olive oil in a good heavy skillet on medium high

2.  Add the pancetta to oil and brown

3.  Add brussel sprouts and sauté for 5 minutes

4. Cover and cook over low heat for another 5 minutes

5.  Remove cover, increase heat and stir for another 2 minutes

6.  Serve and enjoy immediately!

 

 

Tonight's brussel sprouts were just a bit different...I thought apples would go well with them and then while I was cooking them I thought... "How about some dried cranberries...and a little brown sugar...and, of course, some butter!"  So here you go...and they were yummy!

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

 

3 tbsp. olive oil

4 slices pancetta, chopped (I think bacon would be great!)

6 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and quartered

30 brussel sprouts, halved

a handful of dried cranberries

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet and saute' pancetta.  Add apples and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.  Add brussel sprouts and sauté for another five minutes.  Add dried cranberries and sprinkle brown sugar all over...place in oven and cook for 10 minutes uncovered.  Remove from oven, add butter and cover until ready to serve.