Ali’s Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Dried Apricots

I have a love/hate relationship with Brussels Sprouts. Plain steamed Brussels Sprouts? Ugh, no thanks. Brussels roasted with bacon? Oh yeah, now, we’re talking. By the way, am I the only one who didn’t know that it was Brussels with an “s” on the end instead of Brussel? Probably. Learn something new everyday.

Anyway, I digress. I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram the other day when a food post stopped me in my tracks. It was Brussels Sprouts of all things, and it looked damn good. When I went to click that little heart, I realized the poster was none other than my niece, Ali! She got herself an immediate invitation to share this delectable dish with my readers. I knew that Ali was becoming quite the talented photographer, but I had no idea she was also so creative in the kitchen! We made a deal. She said she would share her recipe and photos as long as she didn’t have to write. No problem-o. Hopefully this will be the first of many posts from Ali – and one day maybe I’ll get her to say hello too!

Ali’s Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Dried Apricots

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ lbs fresh Brussels Sprouts, washed and cut into quarter spears

1- 6 oz Package dried Apricots, julienned

½ lb Bacon, thinly sliced (julienned) width wise.

1 tsp refined coconut oil (or any cooking oil you prefer)

2 TBSP water

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prep Brussels sprouts, apricots and bacon.
2. Add coconut oil to skillet over medium/high heat, add bacon and cook until almost crispy.
3. Add julienned apricots to pan with bacon and continue cooking until bacon is crisp, about another minute.
4. Remove bacon and apricots from pan using slotted spoon or mesh skimmer. Reserve 2 tsp of bacon drippings for later, drain pan, but do not rinse.
5. Return pan to stove over medium heat, add Brussels sprouts and water, cover and cook until tender but not soft, should take about 4 minutes but adjust time if necessary.
6. Once sprouts are tender, add the reserved bacon drippings and the cooked bacon and apricots to pan and turn heat to high.
7. Sauté sprouts, bacon, and apricots until most of the sprouts have some color. Add salt and pepper as desired, (Ali recommends using a lot of pepper as it adds another layer of flavor)
8. Serve immediately.

**If you don’t like apricots or can’t find them, substitute with cranberries!

This dish is a great side for pork or chicken.  Thanks for sharing, Ali!

xo Jaime