Revamped: Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts Tossed in a Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette with Bacon Lardons, Dried Cranberries, Candied Pecans, + Crispy Shallots

My recipe for Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts Tossed in a Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette with Bacon Lardons, Dried Cranberries, Candied Pecans, & Crispy Shallots is far and away my most requested + most loved recipe during the holiday season. So, when I started getting organized for our upcoming Thanksgiving meal, I noticed that this recipe is four years old and in need of a desperate "revamping". The recipe is only changed slightly, but I added more detailed instructions to help my follow readers! Like before, it requires the same maple-mustard vinaigrette because I think it pairs with the dish like no one's business... I guess if you're not a mustard fan, you could use a balsamic reduction because that would work quite easily. But really though, listen to me and all the fans of this dish and go with the homemade dressing! Mmk? Good... moving on. Concerning the candied pecans, I will leave that up to you and what you want to do. I personally make the candied pecans, but I have used store-bought candied pecans, and no one even noticed the difference. So, by all means, if you want to save time and cut a corner, then go for it! Now, in a small pan, over medium-low heat, you're going to caramelize + crisp up those thinly sliced yummy shallots; they really bring the dish to another level. Next up on the list is cooking a shit ton of bacon... because bacon makes everything better, duhhhh. Once your bacon lardons are crispy, strain them out of their fat onto a paper towel to dry, leaving the just-rendered bacon fat in the pan. That's when you get the trimmed + halved brussel sprouts and begin to pan fry ... in BACON FAT (dun dun dunnnnnn)! Like I've said, bacon makes everything better. Crisp up the sprout halves until they have begun to brown on their flat side, and then toss all of them around to cook the other side of the brussel sprout. I know some people like their brussel sprouts to have some al dente texture, while others prefer a softer finished product. Either way, just cook them until they have reached your desired doneness. If you don't have a large saute pan that can fit all of your brussel sprouts, you might have to do 2-3 batches of them. But, thats no biggie at all! Now it's time to assemble this yummy side dish. In a large mixing bowl, add in the bacon-fat fried brussel sprouts, bacon lardons, dried cranberries, crisped shallots, and chopped candied pecans... all that is left to do is to toss all of the components together while drizzling the maple-mustard vinaigrette evenly over the dish. I suggest that you start off with just a little, and add as you go until you have the perfect amount of dressing that coats everything beautifully. And wham, bam, thank ya ma'am... YOU'RE DONE!! If you want to get a head start on this dish you could easily do any of the following: trim and halve the brussel sprouts and place them into a ziploc bag, make the candied pecans, and whip up the maple-mustard vinaigrette in a mason jar and refrigerate it. That way, you'll have most of the components done + all ready to start cooking! I hope you enjoy this holiday side dish as much as everyone else does!! Enjoy :)

Mmm, bacon lardons

golden brown + crispy shallots 

My Famous Brussel Sprouts in 2015 

So yeah, you have to make these... You'll thank me later!

For the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette:

2T EVOO

2T Apple Cider Vinegar

4T Maple Syrup

2t Dijon Mustard

2T Grainy Mustard

2t Garlic, Minced

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

For Candied Pecans:

1 ½C Pecans, Toasted

½C Sugar

Pinch of Salt, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cayenne, & Chili Powder (I did a large pinch)

For the Crispy Shallots:

4-6 Large Shallots, Thinly Sliced

3T Canola Oil

Kosher Salt

For the Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts:

1T EVOO

1.5lbs Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into Lardons

2T Canola Oil

5lbs Brussel Sprouts, Trimmed and Halved

Prepared Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette

1 ½C Dried Cranberries (save a handful for garnishing the dish)

Prepared Candied Pecans, Roughly Chopped (save a handful for garnishing the dish)

Prepared Crispy Shallots

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Directions:

1. For the Maple Mustard Vinaigrette: In a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until combined. Season it with salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate the dressing aside until ready to add to the brussel sprouts.

2. For the Candied Pecans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until just toasted. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Meanwhile, pour the sugar into a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon while the sugar melts. Keep stirring until the color turns a medium amber color. Once that color is reached, add in the pecans to the pan and quickly stir to coat. As soon as they are coated, spread them onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Let them cool completely before adding them to the dish (after they have hardened, you can chose whether or not you want to chop them up or leave them whole).

3. For the Crispy Shallots: Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add in the canola oil. Next, toss in the thinly sliced shallots, along with a heavy pinch of salt and sauté them, stirring occasionally, until the shallots caramelize to a golden brown color and start to get a little crispy.  It is very important to not rush this process, so keep a constant eye on the shallots because they can burn quite quickly.  Remove the perfectly crisped shallots from the pan and put them into a bowl, and set them aside until you are ready to assemble the dish.

4. Crisping up the Bacon Lardons: In a large, deep sauté pan, bring the olive oil to medium-high heat and in the bacon cubes. Cook the bacon until they are very crispy and the bacon has rendered all of its fat. Remove the crispy bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate (leaving the fat in the pan).

5. For the Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts: Add in the vegetable oil into the rendered bacon fat and bring it to high heat. Gently place the halved brussel sprouts face side down (or the flat side), and season with salt & pepper. Cook them until they have browned and caramelized, and they have become slightly crispy in texture, about 10-15 minutes (if you have a big enough sauté pan to fit all of your brussel sprouts, then extend the time of cooking to 20-25 minutes; however, if you do not, then you will have to do several batches in order for all of the brussel sprouts to reach your required crispiness and doneness). After they have browned, using tongs, toss the brussel spouts to continue sautéing to cook the brussel sprouts all the way through, about 3-5 minutes (I prefer my brussel sprouts on the crisper side, but some people like to cook them longer until they are soft).

6. Assembling the Dish: Once they have all been cooked and have reached your desired doneness, remove the cooked brussel sprouts to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the prepared maple-mustard vinaigrette over the cooked brussel sprouts, tossing to cover all of them. Add in the bacon lardons, dried cranberries and chopped candied pecans, and toss once again. Season with salt & pepper if needed. Place the glazed brussel sprouts onto a serving platter and garnish with the remaining handfuls of dried cranberries, candied pecans and the crispy shallots. Serve immediately and enjoy while they are still warm!!

Fried Goat Cheese Crusted-Pickled Green Tomato Napoleon with Candied Bacon, Brussel Sprouts Salad, & Boursin Cheese, Drizzled with Homemade Pepper Jelly + Balsamic Reduction

Fried Goat Cheese Crusted-Pickled Green Tomato Napoleon with Candied Bacon, Brussel Sprouts Salad,

& Boursin Cheese, Drizzled with Homemade Pepper Jelly + Balsamic Reduction

Yeah, I know what you're thinking... why does this girl continually post recipes that have titles as long as paragraphs. I'm sorry, I apologize, but I guess it's my thing. I want all of y'all to know, up front, what the dish is. Yes it can be overly descriptive and unnecessary, but whatever, it's necessary (minus the -un). This "salad" is so completely decadent that it is not even allowed to be called a salad. So, in my book, it's now a stack or a napoleon. I got some pickled green tomato slices and coated them with some goat cheese, and then crusted them in panko breadcrumbs... then they went straight into the skillet to get extra crispy. During that time I made some candied bacon and my favorite brussels sprouts slaw to put in between the fried green tomatoes. Because one creamy cheese isn't enough, I sprinkled some boursin cheese on the napoleon layers... we gotta do it up big here, y'all. I had also made some homemade pepper jelly a while back, and I love fried green tomatoes with the spicy, sweet jelly so I drizzled that around the plate, along with a balsamic reduction for acidity. There are so many components, yet they all fit together in such harmony. And I know there are a couple of you na'sayer's out there, not believing that I would have all of these ingredients just laying around... BUT, I did. This was literally a last minute dinner, roughly made at 8:30PM, for my Mountain Man who was starving. I don't know if that means I just have a well-stocked fridge or if I am just good with what I got... well, maybe a little bit of both (deal?). Who knew that you could make a dish that's so gourmet and delicious with stuff just lying around in the kitchen? I think I'm onto something here... maybe I need to do this once a week, just to challenge myself. I definitely think so!! Enjoy :)

Ain't nothin' wrong about that, y'all. 

For the Fried Goat Cheese Crusted-Pickled Green Tomatoes:

4 Slices of Pickled Green Tomatoes, Dried of Excess Moisture (we used a paper towel)

4oz Goat Cheese, Cut into 1oz Slices

1C AP Flour

1 Egg + ½C Buttermilk

1C Panko Breadcrumbs

Vegetable Oil, For Frying

Salt & Pepper, For Sprinkling

For the Napoleon Stacks:

Prepared Fried Goat Cheese Crusted-Pickled Green Tomatoes, Hot & Crispy

Slices of Candied Bacon

Homemade Shaved Brussel Sprout Slaw

Crumbled Boursin Cheese

Homemade Pepper Jelly, For Drizzling

Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Directions:

1. To Make the Fried Goat Cheese Crusted-Pickled Green Tomatoes: Remove the pickled green tomato slices from their jar and place the slices on a paper towel. Let the tomatoes drain for 15-30 minutes. After they have drained, dry the tomatoes a little more with some paper towels, removing any excess moisture. Pinch off or cut off about 1oz of softened goat cheese, and then using your hands, pat the cheese to form a disc roughly the same size as the tomatoes (just work with the cheese until it is pliable enough to make the compact shape). Then, press the cheese into one side of the green tomato... you want to make sure that it is completely adhered to the tomato, so the two will remain together throughout the breading process (there is no right or wrong way to do this, just kind of play around with it in your hands until the cheese has filled in the gaps in the green tomato).  Next, you have to set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I used plain flour. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. For the third station, I used Panko breadcrumbs. Now, place the slices of dried green tomato pickles into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Put the breaded slices onto a plate and then put it into the refrigerator and let the slices rest & chill for about 15-30 minutes (this helps the cheese to get firm again, ensuring that the cheese won't leak out of the breading during frying).
2. Frying the Tomatoes:Heat your deep sauté pan to medium heat with vegetable oil. Once the oil has heated, pull the chilled slices out of the refrigerator. Fry the slices for 2-3 minutes each (depending on the size of your fryer, mine is pretty small, so I do 2 at a time). The green tomatoes should be golden brown on the outside, but cooked, yet still firm on the inside (with no goat cheese seeping out of the crust, so don’t overcook them). Once they are done frying, place them onto a paper towel to drain, and sprinkle them with salt & pepper immediately. Once all of the tomatoes are fried, you can begin stacking your napoleon.

3. Assembling the Napoleon: Place a slice of a fried green tomato pickle onto the plate, and then begin stacking with the candied bacon, brussel sprout slaw, and crumbled Boursin cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients until the napoleon stack has been finished. Garnish the stack with a drizzle of homemade pepper jelly and balsamic drizzle.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts Pizza with Ricotta, Pancetta, Caramelized Shallots, Brussels Sprouts Leaves, Parmesan, & Fresh Herbs with Balsamic Reduction Drizzle

Crispy Brussels Sprouts Pizza with Ricotta, Pancetta, Caramelized Shallots, Brussels Sprouts Leaves, 

Parmesan, & Fresh Herbs with Balsamic Reduction Drizzle

I've discussed my obsession with brussels sprouts. They are amazing. Simple as that. And if you put them on a pizza, well... it's pure foodie bliss. I've been thinking about making a brussels sprouts pizza for a while now, but I hadn't had the opportunity to do so. But over Christmas, my Mountain Man & I went to one of our favorite pizza places in Atlanta, and I noticed that they had added a new appetizer of crispy brussels sprouts to their menu. I sat there debating on what to get... the sprouts or one of their signature pizzas. Well, why don't I just combine the two?! Yes, brilliant. I asked our waitress if we could do this and sure enough, we had a crispy brussels sprouts pizza at our table!! We took one bite into that pizza and I could've just died on the spot. And ever since then, I knew I had to recreate it the second I got back to Savannah. There are a lot of components to the pizza, but all of them are completely necessary because they all add so much flavor to it. Of course, I made homemade pizza dough, but you can easily grab some at the store. I prefer this extra-crusty dough though, it's top-knotch. Then, you have to spread the pizza with some garlic infused olive oil, creamy ricotta cheese, mozzarella, pancetta, caramelized shallots, and brussels sprouts leaves. Once the pizza has baked up and the sprouts are a bright green color and crisped up around their edges, you finish it by grating on a whole bunch of fresh Parmesan (I mean, the more the better here, people), sprinkling on the herbs and seasonings, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. This pizza will go down as one of my favorite pizza's I have ever made, and that's saying a lot. It literally is a little slice of Heaven... and I can honestly say that we'll be making this pizza a lot this year!! Enjoy :)

Look at how green those brussels sprouts are...

I love the contrast of color :)

Oh, and the balsamic reduction drizzle is crucial!!

Extra-Crispy Crust

For the Extra-Crusty Pizza Dough:

3 ¾C AP Flour (plus extra for shaping the dough)

2t Sea Salt + 1t Sugar

¼t Active Dry Yeast

1 ½C Water  

For the Crispy Brussels Sprouts Pizza:

Homemade Extra-Crusty Pizza Dough

2T Olive Oil + 2 Cloves of Fresh Minced Garlic (mixed together to form infused oil)

Fresh Ricotta Cheese

Crispy Pancetta Lardons (or thick cut cubes)

Caramelized Shallots

Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

1-2C Brussels Sprouts Leaves (tossed in 1T olive oil & lemon juice with salt and pepper)

Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated

Fresh Thyme, Fresh Basil, Lemon Zest, & Red Pepper Flakes, For Sprinkling

Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Directions:

1. For the Extra-Crusting Pizza Dough: Whisk flour, salt, and yeast in a medium bowl. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add 1.5 cups water; stir until well incorporated. Mix dough gently with your hands to bring it together and form into a rough ball. Transfer to a large clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature in a draft-free area until surface is covered with tiny bubbles and dough has more than doubled in size, preferably 18 hours (but anywhere between 12-18 hours would work as well). Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Gently shape into a rough rectangle. Divide into 2 equal portions (depending on thin or thick you want your pizza dough). Working with 1 portion at a time, gather 4 corners to center to create 4 folds. Turn seam side down and mold gently into a ball. Dust dough with flour; set aside on work surface or a floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining portions. Let the dough balls rest, covered with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, until soft and pliable, about 1 hour.

2. Prepping the Dough: During the last hour of the dough’s resting, preheat the oven to its hottest setting, around 500-550 degrees, and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Working with the dough, dust it generously with flour and place onto a floured work surface. Gently shape the dough balls into a two 10-inch disks. Press or spread the dough dish on top of a baking sheet or pizza stone. Now it’s time to add on the toppings.

3. Assembling the Pizza: Spread the dough with some of the garlic infused olive oil, and then the fresh ricotta cheese in an even layer, and then top it with ¾ of the shredded mozzarella, crispy pancetta, and caramelized shallots (as well as a sprinkling of salt & pepper). Place the pizza into the hot oven and bake for roughly 10-12 minutes or until the cheese and crust are both beginning to brown. Bump the oven heat up to broil. Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the remaining ¼C shredded mozzarella cheese and the dressed brussel sprouts leaves, making sure the leaves are evenly distributed across the pizza (this extra addition of shredded mozzarella will help the Brussels sprouts leaves to adhere or stick to the pizza). Return the pizza to the hot oven and continue cooking it until the brussel sprouts are beginning to brown and crisp up around the edges, yet still remain bright green in color and al dente in texture, about 2-3 minutes (but keep an eye on it so it won’t burn).

4. Serving the Pizza: Once it has baked and the crust is crispy, garnish with a bunch of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (the more the better) and a drizzle of the balsamic reduction all over the pizza (a drizzle of more garlic infused olive oil would be good too). Finish it by sprinkling on the fresh thyme, fresh basil, some lemon zest, and a little red pepper flakes. Cut into squares of slices, and enjoy immediately! There is still more pizza dough remaining, so you can either make two personal pizzas or save the other pizza dough for another night.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Tartine with French Toasted Dressing Cake, Roasted Turkey Soaked in Gravy, Brussel Sprouts Hash, Boozy Cranberry Sauce, & Crumbled Goat Cheese

Thanksgiving Leftovers Tartine with French Toasted Dressing Cake, Roasted Turkey
Soaked in Gravy, Brussel Sprouts Hash, Boozy Cranberry Sauce, & Crumbled Goat Cheese

I'm back with a bang y'all, I promise... I swear... Cross my heart and hope to die, yada yada yada. I decided to take a mini-break since I haven't been feeling well (and I'm still not unfortunately). And because I don't feel well, I barely eat... literally. So, I haven't been cooking, which means I have nothing to post, it's absolutely depressing. But Thanksgiving has come & gone, and I finally will be able to share some of my goodies with you :) I actually pulled off a full Thanksgiving on my own this year, with the help of Peej of course, but I practically had a hand in each and every dish. Some of the recipes I plan on posting are my "Bread Pudding" Dressing with Cornbread, Sausage, & Apples, Silky Pumpkin Pie with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue, Crack Pie, and maybe a Crème Bruleed Buttermilk Pie (if I can find a slice, it might be all gobbled up by now). I will tell y'all that I am obsessed with my recipe for my Bread Pudding-Dressing. Like a in love with it-wanna marry it-kinda way. It has chunks of cornbread, French bread, and Italian bread, which is studded with spicy sausage, sauteed vegetables, and apples, then it is soaked in a batter of eggs, heavy cream, milk, and chicken stock. The dressing gets perfectly crispy and toasted on top, but still remains amazingly moist down below. We had little leftover, so I just knew it would be amazing in a french toast adaption, and that's exactly how my "Thanksgiving Leftover Tartine" was born. A tartine is a french, open-faced sandwich, so I knew it would the perfect dish. The next day, I cut the cold bread pudding-dressing into squares, and then dipped them in a grated parmesan-chive batter and fried them up until they were golden brown & crispy. I topped 'em with some warm gravy-soaked turkey, a brussel sprouts hash, crumbled goat cheese, and a drizzle of boozy cranberry sauce. I know, your mouths should be watering by now, and so is mine. I'm hopin' I still have enough leftovers that I can make another one of these bad boys tomorrow. Oh, I realize that y'all won't have access to my dressing recipe, but I promise it'll be the first thing I put up this week!! Enjoy :)

All the yummy layers...

Y'all see that crispy dressing cake, don't ya?? 

Beautiful Brussel Sprouts Hash

For the French Toasted Dressing Cake:

3 Eggs

¾C Heavy Cream

½t Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

¼C Fresh Chives, Minced

¼C Parmesan, Freshly Grated

4 Squares of Thanksgiving “Bread Pudding” Dressing

For the Brussel Sprout Hash:

15 Brussel Sprouts, Shaved Thinly

4 Slices of Thick Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into Small Cubes

¼C Sweet Onion, Finely Diced

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

¼C Apple Cider Vinegar

2-3T Maple Syrup

1T Grainy Mustard

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Thanksgiving Leftovers Tartine:

Prepared French Toast Batter

4 Squares of Thanksgiving “Bread Pudding” Dressing

Unsalted Butter or Vegetable Oil, For Frying

4 Servings of Pulled Turkey Meat Tossed in Gravy

Warmed Brussel Sprouts Hash

Leftover Cranberry Sauce, Warmed & Thinned Out with a Splash of Bourbon

Crumbled Goat Cheese, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the French Toasted Dressing Cake: Make the batter for the French toast by whisking together the eggs, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and chives. Dip the squares of Thanksgiving “Bread Pudding” Dressing into the batter, making sure they are completely coated. Soak the slices for 1-2 minutes (the dressing should still be quite moist, so it won’t take long), making sure to flip the squares over so that all sides have been thoroughly coated. Melt some butter or oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter sizzles, add the soaked bread slices and cook until golden brown & crispy, about 3-5 minutes on each side, flipping once. Transfer the cooked pieces of bread to a baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven until ready to serve.
2. For the Brussel Sprouts Hash: In a medium sauté pan, over medium-high heat, fry the small cubes of bacon, along with a bunch of fresh cracked pepper, until crispy. Strain the bacon into a small bowl. Reduce the heat to medium-low heat and add the minced onions and garlic, cook for 5 minutes or until they have softened and begun to caramelize slightly. Once they have cooked through, add in the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and grainy mustard. Whisk to combine. Let this reduce for just a minute or so and then add in the crispy bacon. Bring the heat back up to medium-high and toss in the shredded brussel sprouts. Sauté the sprouts, tossing to coat them in the reduction, bacon, and sautéed vegetables. Only cook them a couple minutes, you want them to soften slightly, but still retain an al dente texture. Immediately spoon the hash on top of your assembled tartine stacks.
3. Assembling the Tartines: Place a crispy dressing cake onto a serving plate. Top the cake with warmed gravy-soaked turkey, a large spoonful of brussel sprouts hash, and a generous drizzling of your boozy cranberry sauce. Garnish the top with some crumbled goat cheese. Enjoy immediately!

Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts Tossed in a Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette with Bacon, Dried Cranberries, Candied Pecans, & Crispy Shallots

Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts Tossed in a Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette with Bacon, Dried
Cranberries, Candied Pecans, & Crispy Shallots

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, y'all. And it's time to start planning all of the dishes that you're going to make for the big meal. Possibly my favorite part of the dinner are the brussel sprouts. I mean, I'll eat them any which way, honestly. I'm just addicted to the stuff. We cook them a couple different ways, but this recipe is my baby. Now, it might not be my number one because that belongs to a big bowl of deep-fried brussel sprouts, but that can get quite messy, and it's not easy to pull off when trying to feed a huge group. So, to get a similar texture, I pan fry my sprouts in rendered bacon fat until they are golden brown and caramelized, and then I toss them in a homemade maple-mustard vinaigrette, along with lots of bacon, dried cranberries, candied pecans, and crispy shallots. What doesn't sound good about that? Absolutely nothing. I know some people cringe at the thought of brussel sprouts, and to be honest, I used to be one of those people. But then I discovered that I just was not eatin' the right kind. I despise those over-cooked, super-soft, yucky green sprouts. I wanted them al dente with a crispy, browned side. These are perfectly sweet and crisp and fully loaded like a chopped salad. So, yes right now you're thinking to yourself that you don't want to try these, but trust me, you do. You really, really do!! Enjoy :)

For the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette:

2T Olive Oil

2T Apple Cider Vinegar

4T Maple Syrup

2t Dijon Mustard

2T Grainy Mustard

2t Garlic, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Candied Pecans:

1 ½C Pecans, Toasted

½C Sugar

Pinch of Salt, Cinnamon, & Cayenne (or to your taste, I did a large pinch)

For the Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts:

4lbs Brussel Sprouts, Trimmed & Halved

1T Olive Oil + 2T Vegetable Oil

10-12 Slices of Applewood Smoked, Thick Cut Bacon, Cut into Cubes & Fried until Crispy

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Prepared Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette

½-1C Dried Cranberries

Candied Pecans, Roughly Chopped (save some for garnishing the dish)

Crispy Shallots, For Garnishing (I thinly sliced & pan fried about 4 large shallots)

Directions:

1. To Make the Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette: In a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until combined. Season it with salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate the dressing aside until ready to add to the brussel sprouts.

2. To Candy the Pecans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until just toasted. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Meanwhile, pour the sugar into a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon while the sugar melts. Keep stirring until the color turns a medium amber color. Once that color is reached, add in the pecans to the pan and quickly stir to coat. As soon as they are coated, spread them onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Let them cool completely before adding them to the dish (after they have hardened, you can chose whether or not you want to chop them up or leave them whole).

3. For the Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts: In a large, deep sauté pan, bring the olive oil to medium-high heat and in the bacon cubes. Cook the bacon until they are very crispy and the bacon has rendered all of its fat. Remove the crispy bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Add in the vegetable oil (to the rendered bacon fat) and bring it to high heat. Gently place the trimmed brussel sprouts face side down (or the flat side), season with salt & pepper, and cook until they have browned and caramelized, and the side has become slightly crispy in texture, about 10 minutes (depending on your heat). After they have browned, using tongs, toss the brussel spouts to continue sautéing to cook the brussel sprouts all the way through, about 3-5 minutes (I prefer my brussel sprouts on the crisper side, but some people like to cook them longer until they are soft). Once they have reached your desired doneness, drizzle the prepared vinaigrette over the cooked brussel sprouts, tossing to cover all of them. Add in the dried cranberries and about ¾ of the candied pecans, and toss once again. Season with salt & pepper if needed.

4. Place the glazed brussel sprouts onto a serving platter and garnish with the remaining candied pecans and the crispy shallots. Serve immediately while still warm.

Fried Brussel Sprouts Caesar Salad with Radicchio, Baby Arugula, and Crispy Capers Tossed in Homemade Caesar Vinaigrette in a Parmesan Frico Bowl

Fried Brussel Sprouts Caesar Salad 

I promise that I am almost out of recipes from our anniversary celebration. And I can finally get to posting some tailgatin' recipes and autumn-inspired dishes. Soup will definitely be on the menu... and some hearty comfort food as well. Until then, here's my unique take on a Caesar Salad. I don't especially love Caesar Salads, but every now & then, I kinda get the craving for them. So why not change up that plain ole' salad and give it a fancy restaurant kick? Well besides brown butter... I'd say that fried brussel sprouts have to be one of my favorite dishes ever. I mean it, they're the best. So nutty, crispy, and delicious. I urge you to give them a try, even if it's just for a small snack. Add in some peppery arugula and bitter radicchio... it's a winning combination. For serving, I made large Parmesan Frico's that I inverted over a bowl, so they could be personal serving platter on the plate. One word... amazing. Have y'all ever had Parmesan Frico's? They are like the crispy cheese bits on a pizza crust. And why not add some fried capers, crispy pancetta, toasted walnuts, and homemade dressing? Ain't nothin' better. I know this is quite the complicated salad, but when you're celebrating, that's what you should do. And hey, you can always turn this into an entree and top with some protein!! Enjoy :)

Such pretty colors...

For the Caesar Vinaigrette:

½C Olive Oil

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced into a Paste

¼C Fresh Lemon Juice

1t Worcestershire

4oz Freshly Grated Parmesan

1t Anchovy Paste

2 Eggs

Salt & Fresh Cracked, To Taste

For the Parmesan Frico Bowl:

½C Freshly Grated Parmesan (for each Frico bowl)

For the Fried Brussel Sprouts Caesar Salad:

2lb Brussel Sprouts, Trimmed & Halved

2C Baby Arugula

1 Small Radicchio, Thinly Sliced or Shaved

Parmesan, Freshly Shaved (to your liking)

Crispy Pancetta or Bacon Lardons (to your liking)

Crispy Fried Capers (to your liking)

Toasted Walnuts or Pine Nuts (to your liking)

Prepared Caesar Vinaigrette

Prepared Parmesan Fico Bowls

Directions:

1. For the Caesar Vinaigrette: In a very large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and garlic. Let it sit and infuse the oil for 30 minutes. Add the anchovies and eggs to the garlic oil. Whisk it until it is creamy. Add in the salt and pepper, along with ¼C lemon juice. Whisk in half of the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. For the Parmesan Frico Bowl: In a small non-stick sauté pan cover the bottom with a layer of Parmesan. Wait a couple minutes for the cheese to melt and turn golden brown. Carefully remove the cheese from the pan and place over a small inverted bowl or cup so that it takes on the shape of the bowl. Cool for 30 seconds then remove.

3. For the Fried Brussel Sprouts Caesar Salad: Pour enough oil into a medium pot so that the oil comes 3 inches up the sides. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Working in batches, deep-fry the Brussels sprouts until the edges begin to curl and brown, about 3 minutes. To the last batch, add the capers (stand back-the capers will pop and sputter!). Give the contents of the pot a stir. When the color of the capers becomes a deeper, more saturated shade of green, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, remove the contents of the pot with a skimmer and place directly in the bowl of dressing.

4. Add in the baby arugula, shaved radicchio, and all of the other desired toppings that you like. Toss with the dressing to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Place a Parmesan Frico on a plate and spoon the tossed salad into the bowl. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese. Enjoy immediately while the brussel sprouts are still crispy.