This is a recipe raw and real, like back in the days where my best camera was my iPhone.
I posted a guerrilla photo of this Brussels Sprouts recipe I made for Thanksgiving on my Instagram and several people commented and wanted the recipe. I was a bit worried that a sudden downgrade in my photo quality would be a bad move, but if people want the recipe, I’m not going to let photos stop me! Thankfully, they reassured me that despite a janky photo, they thought there would be nothing wrong with posting that pic on my blog.
The perfectionist in me may have me come back and post better photos in the future, but there are so many recipes to try that the chance may pass me by.
And I have to tell you something nerdy that I did. As I was writing this recipe, I suddenly had a panic that all the times I used the “s” on brussels sprouts, I was wrong. Should it be brussel sprouts?? After all the pretty recipes I made spelling it “brussels” too! I had to look it up, and was so relieved to find it should be written with an “s” because they are named after the city of Brussels! Perfectionism can be both a blessing and make you seem like a weirdo (but I love myself).
But back to the recipe. Is there any holiday-time fruit more appropriate than pomegranates? I mean, duh, they are in season so they are a holiday fruit. But they look like jewels! This recipe is like a bowl of peridot, garnets, and rubies and the flavor has just as much impact as visual appeal.
Here’s a botany lesson: those little pomegranate jewels are called arils which include the seeds and their delicious fleshy covering. All of it is edible.
As if a bowl full of jewels isn’t enough, there’s Bacon.
When I told my boyfriend’s mom I was bringing brussels sprouts for Thanksgiving, I felt the need to quickly follow up with the fact that there is bacon in the recipe.
For brussels sprout lovers, I don’t need the extol the virtues of brussels sprouts + bacon.
But for the haters, I feel like they must think “well, there’s bacon in it so I guess I’ll try it.”
For all the people who say bacon is bad for you, I bet they would be shocked at how a little bacon can get non-veggie eaters to get some green stuff in their diet.
If veggies keep you healthy, and bacon + veggies gets you to eat vegetables, then bacon is basically a lifesaver.
The next time I go to the hospital, I’m going to ask for some bacon and all will be well.
I’m not sure how I got from talking about Thanksgiving to being a perfectionist to finishing with deep philosophies on bacon, but at least we can be closer friends now *hugs* (who am I kidding, I’m not super into hugging but I will give you a surprisingly good handshake considering how tiny my hands are).
So tell me about yourself below! What are you cooking this season?
- 1 lb bacon, including the rendered bacon fat
- 4 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 8 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 lb brussel sprouts, ends trimmed and sliced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 green apples, diced
- 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 pomegranate, arils removed
- 8 oz crumbled blue cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1. Brown bacon over medium-low heat to slowly render out the fat and prevent any blackened bits forming, which would ruin the flavor of the dressing. I cut each piece of bacon in half for even cooking, and then once the bacon was done, removed it from the pan to cool slightly. Move pan with hot fat away from the burner to cool for 10 minutes. You will be making the dressing in the skillet.
- 2. After cooling the bacon fat slightly; add mustard and honey. The mixture won't blend well at first but just keep stirring it in vigorously for a couple minutes before adding the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove to a shaker jar with a lid to shake before serving.
- 3. Chop bacon.
- 4. Add sprouts, onion, apples, pecans, cranberries, and bacon to a large bowl. Toss with dressing. If the dressing became a little too solid at room temperature, microwave 1 min before adding to the salad. Garnish with pomegranates and blue cheese.
- Works as a side dish or a main course
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