Cranberry Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts

As you all know by now, we are big fans of playing with our food over here.  It's one of the joys of life that I somehow never outgrew.  I'm one of those people that gets a lot of enjoyment out of putting together new flavors and textures and seeing what will happen... sort of like that rat in the movie Ratatouille.  Ha!  I also like having multiple flavors and textures in the same dish.  Like this one one here.  My daughter and I just adore roasted Brussels sprouts.  I usually roast them with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and top them with Parmesan cheese; but I thought that this close to the holidays, I would try something a bit more festive.  

Full disclosure - we enjoyed these so much that she and I grabbed two forks and ate the entire batch for dinner.  Bam!  That's it.  To heck with anything else.  First of all, roasting the sprouts brings out that little crunchy caramelization on the edges.  Yummm.  So you have the savory sprouts, sweet  chewy cranberries, smoky bacon, tangy creamy goat cheese, sweet caramelized roasted onions... how delicious can one bite get?!  Did I mention they were so easy?

#glutenfree #sidedish #easy #lowcarb #healthy 

option for #dairyfree #paleo #whole30 
#brusselssprouts #thanksgiving #holidaymeals

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Ingredients: (4-6 servings as a side)

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• 6 strips maple bacon
• You may not need all the bacon, but will need the bacon grease
• 1 small onion (baseball sized)
• Kosher salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• 1oz box dried cranberries or small handful 
• 1 handful of crumbled goat cheese (chevre) 
• omit for #dairyfree #paleo #whole30

Step-by-Step:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut bacon into half inch lardons (thin pieces).  Fry the bacon in a skillet until desired amount of crispiness then remove with a slotted spoon to paper towel to drain.  Reserve the bacon drippings as you will need this to put over the Brussels sprouts.  

6 slices maple bacon cut into 1/2" pices

remember to reserve bacon grease!

don't worry.  The extra won't go to waste.  I have bacon thieves at my house.

Cut Brussels sprouts in half through the stem.  In a medium bowl, pour the warm bacon drippings over the sprouts and mix to coat.  Pour the coated spouts out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet with cut sides up.  (This makes cleanup so much easier.  Trust me.)  While bacon grease is still "wet,"  season generously with salt and pepper.

1 pound of Brussels sprouts cut through the stem.

Cut the onion into thick rings.  If you cut them too thin, they will burn.  Separate the rings and place them over the sprouts.  Roast the sprouts in preheated 400F oven for about 40 minutes.  You may want to shake them around and turn them over midway through cooking.  

1 small onion cut into thick rings, then in half.

roast 400F x 40 minutes

Remove from oven.  Add roasted vegetables to serving dish.  Add handful of dried cranberries and crumbled goat cheese.  *I find that the pre-crumbled goat cheese stays together better, and looks prettier for serving, than the one you crumble yourself (which melts faster and just becomes a puddle).  Serve immediately.

Dried cranberries

Here's where you get to add a nice handful of that crispy bacon.  Sorry, I forgot the picture.  You probably won't need it all... but hey, that's more to munch on!

crumbled goat cheese (omit for #dairyfree #paleo #whole30)

Bonus Recipes:
Carrot Souffle

Toffee Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Upside Down Cake

Maple Bacon Green Beans

Butter Pecan Sweet Potatoes

Written Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut bacon into half inch lardons (thin pieces).  Fry the bacon in a skillet until desired amount of crispiness then remove with a slotted spoon to paper towel to drain.  Reserve the bacon drippings as you will need this to put over the Brussels sprouts.  

Cut Brussels sprouts in half through the stem.  In a medium bowl, pour the warm bacon drippings over the sprouts and mix to coat.  Pour the coated spouts out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet with cut sides up.  (This makes cleanup so much easier.  Trust me.)  While bacon grease is still "wet,"  season generously with salt and pepper.  

Cut the onion into thick rings.  If you cut them too thin, they will burn.  Separate the rings and place them over the sprouts.  Roast the sprouts in preheated 400F oven for about 40 minutes.  You may want to shake them around and turn them over midway through cooking.  

Remove from oven.  Add roasted vegetables to serving dish.  Add handful of dried cranberries, crispy bacon and crumbled goat cheese.  *I find that the pre-crumbled goat cheese stays together better, and looks prettier for serving, than the one you crumble yourself (which melts faster and just becomes a puddle).  Serve immediately.  

Spicy Roasted Okra

Probably like most of you, I am on this never ending quest/game/journey of trying to discover new ways of expanding the palates of my family.  On one hand it can be a little frustrating, fighting that uphill "mom" battle.  "Here, try this.  Here, try that."  You don't want to get stuck in the same old rut of cooking only the same familiar things over and over.  On the other hand, if you think about it in a little different light, it can be fun.  "What can we do with this?  How can we cook this that would be cool and exciting, that everybody (okay, most everyone) would like it?" 

My mom taught me that farmer's markets are a great place to visit when you want to find awesome, local produce that is locally sourced, supportive of your local farmers, and the freshest and tastiest way to go.  Recently my husband and got up early one Saturday and found the cutest little purple and green okra at our local farmer's market.  I've NEVER seen purple okra!  But they were SO CUTE!!! The only problem is that I sort of only like fried okra.  LOL.   Okayyyyy.... that's a dilemma.  

My husband suggested that I bring them home and "figure it out."  Ha!   This is when you start looking in the mirror.  We all love roasted vegetables, and I read of someone else roasting okra (which removes the sliminess), so I decided to give it a shot.  To give them a fighting chance with the kiddos, I knew they'd better have lots of flavor, so I mixed up a seasoning blend.  And you know what?  EVERYone ate them!  YAY!  Success!!!  

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound or so young okra 
• between the length of your thumb and index finger
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp restaurant style black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander 
• 1/2 tsp Spanish paprika 
• Optional 1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne (if you want them spicy)

Step-by-Step:
Begin my mixing up your seasoning mix:

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp spanish paprika (or whatever paprika you have)

Mix the seasonings together.

** Add in additional 1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne if you'd like your okra to be spicy

Here are my super cute little okra.

Cut each in half lengthwise.

Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.  Toss to coat.

EVOO

Spread them out onto a sheet pan.

Sprinkle the oiled okra with the seasoning blend.  The olive oil will give the seasoning something to stick to and help them crisp up (read as... not be slimy).

I roasted these babies at 400 x 20 min, then turned up to 450 x 5 min just to get a little extra crunchy edge.  That's up to you.  

I did shake them around every 10 min or so.  Just watch them.  Every oven is a bit different.  

The cooking time will also depend on the size of your okra.  I wanted them to be sort of like crispy seasoned okra "fries."

Here they are as a nice accompaniment to our goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin, Romano rice pilaf, and stuffed artichoke leaves.

Here are some other recipes I hope you'll enjoy:
Curried Chicken Salad

Skinny Buffalo Chicken Salad

Mediterranean Chicken Pasta

Mongolian Beef

Crab Rangoons

If you'd like to order or check out the interactive MenuMusings Cookbook, Click the link!  These make amazing gifts!  Especially for your kiddos who have just moved out to a new dorm or apartment on their own, or the new happy couple!  Each recipe has "how to" photos and its own QRS code linking it back to the blog for complete step-by-step photos!

Written Method:

Begin my mixing up your seasoning mix.

Cut each in half lengthwise.

Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.  Toss to coat.

Spread them out onto a sheet pan.

Sprinkle the oiled okra with the seasoning blend.  The olive oil will give the seasoning something to stick to and help them crisp up (read as... not be slimy).

I roasted these babies at 400 x 20 min, then turned up to 450 x 5 min just to get a little extra crunchy edge.  That's up to you.  

I did shake them around every 10 min or so.  Just watch them.  Every oven is a bit different.  

The cooking time will also depend on the size of your okra.  I wanted them to be sort of like crispy seasoned okra "fries."

Southwestern Quinoa Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette

The first couple of times I tried quinoa, I thought it tasted like (felt like?) wet birdseed in my mouth! Seriously... I kid you not!  Okay, that was several years ago and I suppose I just wasn't in the right "place" for it, if you know what I mean.  Just like we tell our kids all the time, your tastes definitely change over time, and sometimes we actually start to seek out the things we used to avoid.  I desperately wanted to like it because it's crazy healthy for you, so over those years, I'd give it a try here and there when someone had a cool looking recipe that didn't look bland.

Recently, my daughter and I were at an early morning farmer's market where a local company was sampling out one of their quinoa recipes.  Another chance for me to have a free sample, no risk. They had a delicious southwest quinoa, but to my dismay, I heard myself (like from above) telling the salesperson "Maybe you could have added x or y or z?"  Oh my LORD!!!  😳  That's my Mama in me, y'all!  I mean, it was delicious, but I knew it could be better.  On another note, I  have some family members with some health concerns, so I'm trying to get some great tasting, healthy recipes together.  I'm hoping they will try this fantastic and healthy side dish!  *See Food Nerd Notes at bottom of post for information about quinoa.

#glutenfree #diabeticfriendly #cleaneating Options for #vegetarian #vegan #dairyfree #highprotein #healthy #sidedish #salad #southwestern #highfiber

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Ingredients: (6 servings)

• 3/4 cup quinoa
• I used an organic rainbow heirloom quinoa
  
• 1 1/2 c chicken stock
• sub vegetable stock if desired 
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 c kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 c black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 c purple onions, diced
• 1 c roasted corn kernels
• about 2 ears of fresh corn
• 1/2 c cherry tomatoes, halved 
• 1/4 c green onion tops, chopped
• 1/4 c cilantro, rough chopped

Dressing

• 1/4 c fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Topping

• queso fresco, crumbled
• omit for vegan, dairyfree 

Step-by-Step:

The first thing I'd like to say, other than "gather up your ingredients," is that anything that starts off with ingredients this bright, vibrant and beautiful is sure to be a winner!  This automatically fits in to the "eat the rainbow" category, so we can feel confident that we are doing something good for ourselves and our families.  Also, you can make this vegan or vegetarian friendly by leaving off the cheese and swapping out the chicken broth for vegetable broth or water.  This recipe is also gluten free, for those of you who need that for your dietary needs.  

Begin by rinsing your quinoa in cool water until the water is clear.  Check your package.  Use a good quality quinoa to get a great tasting recipe!  This organic rainbow heirloom quinoa came from Bolivia.  Strain in a fine mesh sieve or strainer.

3/4 c quinoa being rinsed in water

 Combine the rinsed/drained quinoa with chicken stock and start bringing stock to a boil.

1 1/2 c chicken stock (or vegetable stock or water)
You may need additional salt if you substitute water.

 Add kosher salt to quinoa.  (you should probably wait until it's almost at a boil)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Once the quinoa comes to a boil, turn it down to a simmer for about 20 minutes according to package directions.  You will see it start to "spiral out" and it will become soft.

While waiting for quinoa to come to a boil, roast corn.  I just used my long handled tongs and put them right on the stove.  You can do them on the grill if you'd like (it was raining outside when I did this).  

If you need to use canned corn kernels, you can drain them well, let them dry a bit on a couple sheets of paper towels, and lay them out on a single layer on a sheet pan with a bit of EVOO and put them under the broiler for a few minutes.  You have to watch them, but this will do the trick. 

roasting the corn

 Set the roasted corn cobs aside to cool for a while.

When the quinoa is cooked, drain and fluff.  Now we are ready to just dump everything in there.  I know, it looks like there's not a lot of product there, but as this is a salad, we are going to add a bunch to it!  As always, make this your recipe!  Feel free to add, delete, change quantities etc as you see fit to make it perfect for your palate!  

The cooked, drained quinoa

 Here we go!  Dump in all your stuff!

1/2 cup drained, rinsed kidney beans

1/2 cup drained, rinsed black beans

1/2 cup chopped purple onions

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup roasted corn kernels that we cut off of the two cobs

1/4 chopped green onions
If you aren't a fan of cilantro, perhaps add more green onions

1/4 c coarsely chopped cilantro
To me, it's not Mexican without cilantro!

1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes

 Let's give our "naked salad" a stir and see what we've got!

our salad so far

Now let's make the dressing:
It's just a matter of whisking together the ingredients and adjusting the seasoning to your liking.

1/4 c fresh squeezed lime juice

1/4 c EVOO

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp ground cumin

*The chipotle chili powder does pack a bit of heat, so keep that in mind.  It also has a little smokiness to it.  You can substitute regular chili powder if you prefer.

1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Just pour the dressing over the salad.
(*I actually made a second batch of dressing to marinate my chicken breasts in.)

It may seem pretty "wet," but the quinoa needs to sit for a few hours (even better if you let it sit until the next day), and you don't want it to be dry after it soaks up the dressing.

When ready to serve, garnish the top by crumbling up some queso fresco cheese on top.  I added a bit of cilantro and extra lime just to brighten it up.  This would be fantastic to take on a picnic as well, since there are no dairy products like mayo to spoil.

This recipe has tons of healthful nutrition in it - fiber, vitamins, protein, a variety of textures.. you name it!  And last but not least... it's delicious! 

This southwestern flavored quinoa made a fantastic side dish for my chili lime marinated/grilled chicken and fresh green beans.  There is nothing processed on this whole plate.  

I hope you enjoyed this recipe!

Here are some more recipes I think you'll love!

Classic Cobb Salad with Creamy Peppercorn Ranch  

A salad that's been around since the '30's must have something going for it, right?  And this easy and delicious peppercorn ranch is sure to become your family's favorite!  Just throw everything in the food processor and that's it!

Center Cut Pork Chops with Cherry Cabernet Glaze

Pork and fruit are a classic combination, and this topping is one I bet you're going to love!   Isn't it fun to try new things?

Steamed Asian Dumplings

Who doesn't love pot stickers?  These are so much fun to make with your family!  Just don't turn your back when they are done... they disappear fast!

Apple and Cherry Danish Tarts

So easy to make for even the newest baker.  Pretend you know what you are doing!  Great for that party you forget you needed to take something to.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

Speaking of party food, who doesn't love poppers!  Delish!!!!  And always a hit!

Food Nerd Notes:

Quinoa is considered one of the world's "superfoods."  Quinoa has been cultivated for around 5,000 years by the Incas when they realized that it was good for human consumption. They considered it "Incan Gold" for their warriors as they believed it to improve their stamina.   The health benefits of this gluten free pseudo-cereal has long been known, and include the following:

1 - It is a one of the most protein rich foods you can eat.  It is complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids.

2 - Quinoa is iron rich.  Iron is the basis of hemoglobin formation and assists in oxygen delivery to the muscles and the brain.  Iron is also involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters, regulation of body temperature, enzyme activity and energy metabolism.  

3 - Quinoa contains lysine.  Lysine is important in tissue growth and repair.

4 -  Quinoa is rich in magnesium.  Magnesium plays a role in relaxation of blood vessels which can reduce migraines.  Magnesium also helps maintain blood sugar control which can help reduce Type 2 diabetes.

5 - Quinoa is high in Riboflavin (B2) - B2 improves energy metabolism in the brain and muscle cells and thus improves energy production in the cells.

6 - Quinoa has high levels of manganese - Manganese is an antioxidant that helps prevent mitochondrial damage during energy production, as well as protecting your red blood cells and other cells against free radical damage. 

7 - Quinoa contains almost twice as much fiber as other grains.  Fiber is widely known to relieve constipation.  However, fiber also assists in lowering cholesterol, glucose levels and thus diabetes and heart disease. 

One-fourth cup of dry quinoa contains 160 calories, 2.5 grams of fat (0 grams saturated and trans fat), 0 grams of cholesterol and sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrate (3 grams of fiber and 0 grams of sugar), and 6 grams of protein.

Written Method:

The first thing I'd like to say, other than "gather up your ingredients," is that anything that starts off with ingredients this bright, vibrant and beautiful is sure to be a winner!  This automatically fits in to the "eat the rainbow" category, so we can feel confident that we are doing something good for ourselves and our families.  Also, you can make this vegan or vegetarian friendly by leaving off the cheese and swapping out the chicken broth for vegetable broth or water.  This recipe is also gluten free, for those of you who need that for your dietary needs.  

Begin by rinsing your quinoa in cool water until the water is clear.  Check your package.  Use a good quality quinoa to get a great tasting recipe!  This organic rainbow heirloom quinoa came from Bolivia.  Strain in a fine mesh sieve or strainer.

Combine the rinsed/drained quinoa with chicken stock and start bringing stock to a boil.

Add kosher salt to quinoa.  (you should probably wait until it's almost at a boil)

Once the quinoa comes to a boil, turn it down to a simmer for about 20 minutes according to package directions.  You will see it start to "spiral out" and it will become soft.

While waiting for quinoa to come to a boil, roast corn.  I just used my long handled tongs and put them right on the stove.  You can do them on the grill if you'd like (it was raining outside when I did this).  Set the roasted corn cobs aside to cool for a while.
If you need to use canned corn kernels, you can drain them well, let them dry a bit on a couple sheets of paper towels, and lay them out on a single layer on a sheet pan with a bit of EVOO and put them under the broiler for a few minutes.  You have to watch them, but this will do the trick. 

When the quinoa is cooked, drain and fluff.

Now we are ready to just dump everything in there.

As always, make this your recipe!  Feel free to add, delete, change quantities etc as you see fit to make it perfect for your palate!

Here we go!  Just dump in all your stuff!

Now let's make the dressing:

It's just a matter of whisking together the ingredients and adjusting the seasoning to your liking.

*The chipotle chili powder does pack a bit of heat, so keep that in mind.  It also has a little smokiness to it.  You can substitute regular chili powder if you prefer.

Just pour the dressing over the salad.  It may seem pretty "wet," but the quinoa needs to sit for a few hours (even better if you let it sit until the next day), and you don't want it to be dry after it soaks up the dressing.

When ready to serve, garnish the top by crumbling up some queso fresco cheese on top.  I added a bit of cilantro and extra lime just to brighten it up.  This would be fantastic to take on a picnic as well, since there are no dairy products like mayo to spoil.

This recipe has tons of healthful nutrition in it - fiber, vitamins, protein, a variety of textures.. you name it!  And last but not least... it's delicious!