Smoked Chicken Quesadillas

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This could technically be an addition to the 'Chopped Refrigerator Challenge" Hall of Fame, since we had smoked chicken from Labor Day, but that shouldn't really count as a left over, since we specifically smoked a lot of meats to eat all week long, and freeze for future use. I love the whole smoked chickens, we used to go to a Hutterite Farmers Market twice a year near my home town twice a year to stock up on them. One of my favorite preparations was always smoked chicken salad sandwiches, which may make an appearance here later this week. I had some avocado just about to turn in the refrigerator, so I needed to make something with those, and salsa fresca is our favorite way to use those up. With the leftover tortillas from fish tacos, quesadillas seemed like a smart transition.

Smoked Chicken Quesadillas 
To smoke the chicken:
2 whole chickens, about 5 pounds each
3 quarts water
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup pickling spice
Combine these ingredients together, and immerse chickens in the brine. Let soak overnight. Remove from brine in the morning and pat dry.

For the rub:
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon black pepper
Mix spices together and rub chickens thoroughly with spice mixture. Place on smoker, and smoke at 200-225 for 6-8 hours until meat reaches an internal temperature of 185. Remove from heat and let rest for 30 minutes.

For the quesadillas:
1 cup smoked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup queso fresco
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 tortillas

For the salsa fresca:
6 roma tomatoes, diced
1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red onion, diced finely
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Toss all the ingredients in a bowl just before you are ready to serve.

To assemble the quesadillas, place one tortilla on your board. place half the queso fresco on it, then half the chicken. Top with half the cheddar cheese, and another tortilla. Repeat for a second quesadilla. Heat a small non-stick spray pan and brush lightly with olive oil. Toast the quesadillas lightly on each side until warmed through, and cheese is melted. Place on a serving plate, cut in quarters, and top with salsa fresca.

Maple Bacon Apple Crisp

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I'm not competitive...hehehe....

I really am ! I love entering bake offs, chili cook offs, you name it ! And when I saw the Kingfield Farmers Market had an apple bake off, I wanted to enter, because I make a really awesome apple crisp. But I needed to kick it up a notch, to win, of course ! And I didn't...

But, I was so pleased with the recipe, I am posting it anyway! Maybe a little too adventurous for the folks at the Kingfield Farmers Market, but I would make it again in a heartbeat!

Maple Bacon Apple Crisp


For the apple base: 3 large Granny Smith Apples, peeled and diced 3 large Minnesota Zestar apples, peeled and diced1 cup Minnesota maple syrup 6 ounces dried cranberries ¼ cup all purpose flour1 tablespoon Saigon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmegMix together and place in a 9 by 13 pan coated with butter.
For the topping: 1 cup salted butter 2 ½ cups old fashioned oats¾ cup all purpose flour ¾ cup dark brown sugar1 tablespoon Saigon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 pound good, smoked bacon, fried crispy and diced intosmall pieces Mix all ingredients together until crumbly. Bakeat 375 degrees  45-60 minutes until brownon top and bubbly. Let rest 10-15 minutes, before serving warm with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Pierogies for Dessert at Maruso

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I think I am going to stop trying new places when I invite friends out to dinner. Especially a place like Maruso, that had so much promise from their website. 
I loved the concept, street food brought inside, and a mish-mash of cultures all on one menu. So, I suggested it for a pre-show outing we were planning with another couple. We previewed the menu online and saw plenty of things that all of us would enjoy. I thought it was a perfect night out.

When we arrived, there were very few people in the restaurant. It was early, so no panic ensued. My husband arrived, and we were waiting for another couple, so we ordered cocktails and a couple appetizers off the happy hour menu. Ray had been anxious to try the XXX Bubble Tea they have on the specialty cocktail menu. When he ordered, our server said, "OK, but it's going to take awhile, those are hard to make." That should have been our first sign of things to come. I ordered a raspberry mojito, which apparently took the same amount of time.

The other couple joined us before our drinks came. Strangely, the "Angry Eggs" appetizer we ordered came before our cocktails (apparently he wasn't exaggerating the amount of time required for the preparation of the bubble tea). We did enjoy the Angry Eggs, which are wasabi infused deviled eggs with a piece of bacon on top (although we all agreed they could have been more aggressive with the wasabi). We had also ordered  some "bar nuts" which were supposed to be some crispy seasoned chick peas, they had yet to arrive.

Our drinks finally came, and our guests ordered theirs, and we ordered some dinner (which included pierogies, ordered by our friends, this will come into play later). Now, let's talk about bubble tea. The "bubbles", in my experience, are normally like large tapioca, and do have some flavor. These were like small balls of rubber, and had no flavor whatsoever. If you had too much to drink, you could easily choke on one! My husband wasn't even interested in drinking the liquid portion of this cocktail, which, at $8.00 a pop, says something about the quality of it. And we were still waiting on the bar nuts, which I requested a second time.

We were enjoying our conversation, and the other cocktails. One of my friends asked for a second glass of wine, and the server brought the bottle to the table and refilled her glass. I thought this was strange, I have never seen this practice before. But, assuming this to be a more "edgy" place, I just went with it. Dinner arrives, before the pierogi appetizer...strange. We figure it is lost in the same place as our bar nuts.

Dinner was, meh. Both of my friends ordered the Grinder, which is basically a Philly Cheese Steak. It was nothing special, and underseasoned. And, we had no condiments of any kind on our table. My husband had a grilled steak salad, that came "deconstructed". I normally like this kind of thing, but he had an entire head of Romaine lettuce on the side of his plate, barely grilled just sitting there. The steak was nicely grilled, and the rest of the salad was interesting, but this large, uncut piece of lettuce on the plate made it quite difficult to eat.

I ordered the noodle bowl, which was pho, actually (not sure why they didn't just call it that). The server informed me it was best to put the side condiments in with the soup, it was much better that way. Of course it should be ! I think I had the best dish of the table, the broth was tasty, the noodles were cooked perfectly, and they have a house made soy sauce that is excellent. As we were finishing up our meals, the pierogies arrived. Maybe they are considered to be a dessert in some other cultures ? They were quite heavy and greasy, and we were already done eating, so I am not sure what the reasoning was behind bringing them at this point. They were wasted, no one wanted them.

We were headed to a show after dinner, and still had plenty of time.We would have probably stayed for a couple of cocktails, but we never saw the server again. That, and we had no interest in staying, with the slow and inattentive service, and really poor cocktails and food we received. We literally had to grab him as he ran by to get our check.

So this is my lesson: never take your friends with you to a new place, you should always "preview" it first, and you too, can avoid pierogies for dessert. 

Pastrami and Goat Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

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I was inspired to make this by a recent visit to the Maple Tavern, where we had a meatloaf sandwich stuffed with pastrami, pepper jack cheese and bacon. Since we had our homemade pastrami, I thought I could make my own version. 
Our pastrami was pretty smoky, so I didn't want to add more smoke with the bacon. And it was peppery on the outside, so pepper jack cheese probably wasn't the best addition either. I had goat cheese on hand, so I opted to add that. It was really tasty!
Pastrami and Goat Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf2 pounds ground beef 1 cup bread crumbs1/2 cup milk2 eggs 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning 1/2 cup onion, minced 4 ounces pastrami, shredded 4 ounces goat cheese 1/2 cup ketchup Preheat oven to 375. Soak bread crumbs in milk until all milk is absorbed. Combine with meat, and add eggs, Worcestershire sauce, steak seasoning and onion. Press half of the mixture into a loaf pan. Combine goat cheese and pastrami, and make a "tunnel" down the middle of the meatloaf. Top with the remaining meat mixture. Top with ketchup. Bake for 1 hour until brown on top. Let rest for 100 minuted before serving. 

Ground Cherry Chutney

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I saw these little fellows at the Minneapolis Farmers Market, and I wanted to try them. I wasn't quite sure what they were, or how to prepare them, so I asked. They tasted (at least to me) something like a mango, only not quite so sweet. I purchased a bunch, husked them, and set about figuring out a way to incorporate them into our menu. 
My initial thought was jam, but we honestly don't eat very much jam, so that was out. That was what led me to chutney ! We do like the sweet, savory taste of mango chutney, so it seemed like a natural transition. When it was complete, I paired it with some pan seared fish, that I had seasoned with some Hipster Dust. This is a seasoning mix I was asked to try by it's creator. You can find it at http://hipsterdust.com/. It is actually a vegan spice blend, but I used it on meat. If I made an error, I probably used too much ! I underestimated how much kick this little rub has, and I quite liked it ! I will need to find a way to incorporate it into more dishes!
Ground Cherry Chutney
3 cups ground cherries, husked and rinsed 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup champagne vinegar 1 cup red onion, chopped 1 cup purple bell pepper, chopped 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon dry mustard powder 1 tablespoon sriracha 1 teaspoon salt In a large saucepan, combine sugar and water, and slowly bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add vinegar, onion, and pepper, and cook until onions and peppers are soft. Add remaining ingredients, and simmer over low heat until most of the cherries have burst and mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

Vegetarian Meatball Sub

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Once you've made a big batch of our Vegetarian Meatballs, you need to know what exactly to do with them. They freeze well, so you can have them on hand whenever you need them. If you want to use them right away, you could cook up a big pot of noodles, toss the noodles with some tomato sauce, and then top the whole thing off with a few meatballs and shredded parmesan cheese. Or you could (as shown) slice open a nice piece of crusty bread, pack it with fresh mozzarella, stuff it with meatballs, and top the whole thing off with tomato sauce and chopped parsley. (That's what I'd do If I were you!)


Vegetarian Meatball Sub

1 16-inch take-n-bake baguette
1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella (sliced)
12 to 14 Vegetarian Meatballs
1/2 cup good-quality tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Slice the bread lengthwise leaving one edge
intact; this will help keep all the meatballs from sliding out when you bite into the sandwich. Pack the mozzarella and meatballs into the bread. Place sandwich cut-side-up on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the bread is crispy, the cheese is melty, and the meatballs are heated through. Top the sandwich with a little warm tomato sauce and the chopped parsley. Slice into 4 sections and serve. (Serves 2 hungry people.)

Vegetarian Moussaka

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I saw a big, beautiful slice of traditional moussaka at a local Mediterranean restaurant, and I knew right then and there that I just had to make a vegetarian version for us here at home. Granted, this is the first moussaka I've ever even tasted, but I think it's a total winner. 


To make it vegetarian, I used my versatile Mushroom Meat spiked with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and allspice in place of lamb, and I seriously cut down on the amount of béchamel sauce that tops more traditional versions. Instead, I topped it with a thin layer of tangy béchamel and a thin layer of crispy phyllo dough. It adds a nice variety of textures and flavors to this Greek dish.

Vegetarian Moussaka

2 cups mushroom meat
1 large russet potato 
2 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fresh minced oregano
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 cups tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
16-20 thick slices of eggplant*
Lemon Parmesan Béchamel Sauce (recipe follows)
8 large sheets phyllo dough
1 tablespoon olive oil
chopped parsley for garnish

Make the Mushroom Meat according to the recipe and set aside. Slice the potato into 1/4-inch slices, place into a covered dish with 1 tablespoon of water, and microwave in high for 3 minutes. Allow the dish to remain covered for another 3 minutes so that the potatoes soften.

In a medium pan over medium heat, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil and the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, and garlic until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add the Mushroom Meat, tomato sauce, and tomato paste, and stir to incorporate. Once the sauce is warm, remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350. Make the Lemon Parmesan Béchamel Sauce and set aside. 

Assemble the moussaka in a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Start by lining the bottom of the casserole with 1/3 of the tomato sauce mixture, then layer in the potatoes, one half of the eggplant slices, the remaining tomato sauce mixture, a second layer of eggplant, and finally the Lemon Parmesan Béchamel Sauce. Bake uncovered for 1 hour.

While the moussaka is in the oven, prepare the phyllo topping. Cut the phyllo to fit the top of your casserole, drizzle every other layer with some of the remaining olive oil, stack the sheets, and set aside. After an hour, remove the moussaka, place the phyllo sheets on top, and return it to the oven for another 20 minutes.

Allow your Vegetarian Moussaka to cool for 30 minutes before slicing. (Serves 6 to 8.) 

Lemon Parmesan Béchamel Sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
zest of 1 organic lemon
2 large eggs (beaten)

In a medium pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk mixture together until nutty and fragrant. Add the milk and turn up the heat in order to bring the mixture to a boil. Stir consistently. Once the mixture boils, add the garlic, cheese, nutmeg, and zest. Temper the eggs before mixing them into the sauce. Set aside.

*To ensure my eggplant isn't sour like it can sometimes be, I briefly (15 seconds) blanch the eggplant slices in super-salty water and then set them out on a kitchen towel to dry. This is quicker and more effective than other methods.

Apple Rum Raisin Strudel with Phyllo Dough

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When I was a kid, my mom made an excellent apple pie that was similar to this strudel. We all loved it until a particularly sassy uncle made fun of it at Thanksgiving one year. He had never seen anything made with phyllo dough before, and his relentless commentary about it all day long kind of killed our affection for the pie for a while. (As you might've already experienced yourself in this life, when someone points out something weird about something you genuinely love, it either dulls your appreciation for it or makes it flare up that much sharper in protest...)

Well, let's just say that we think this strudel is a mighty fine revenge. It's best eaten the same day you make it after it cools a bit because it stays crunchy and fresh, but we're definitely not above having a softened piece from the fridge the next day. It's so simple to put together; you can even made the apples a night or two ahead of time and then put the strudel together when you're ready.

Apple Rum Raisin Strudel with Phyllo Dough

10-12 Granny Smith apples (peeled, diced; about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons rum
juice from 1 lemon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
8 sheets phyllo dough
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
1-2 tablespoons cane sugar

Place apples, rum, lemon juice, butter, sugars, raisins, cinnamon, and sea salt on a medium saucepan on medium-low heat. Stir often. Let this cook for an hour; apples will soften and liquid will soak into them when they're ready. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grab the defrosted phyllo dough, and get ready to roll.

On a large, rimmed, parchment-lined baking sheet, lay 2 sheets of the phyllo dough out flat and brush them generously with butter. Add two more sheets to that and brush them with butter. Continue until all sheets are buttered. Place the filling down the middle third of the dough and fold one side over the filling. Using the parchment to lift, roll the strudel over the remaining dough. Doing it this way will leave it seam-side-down, which makes for a more attractive presentation. Brush the remaining butter over the top and sprinkle with sugar. Bake strudel for 30 minutes or until golden brown. (Makes 4 to 6 servings.)

Vegetarian Tuna Salad

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This is one of those ubiquitous veggie recipes like mock chicken salad or tofu egg salad. Everyone seems to have a recipe for the most perfect version of it. Well, it's time to throw our hat into the ring. We were particularly inspired by the The Kitchn's Chickpea of the Sea recipe that was adapted from a book called The Kripalu Cookbook, which was originally published in 1995.

We changed it up by switching their ingredient list for some of our favorite ingredients like olive oil mayo and Creole mustard. We also added a chopped sheet of nori, the dried seaweed usually used to make sushi rolls, which totally, totally makes the dish. We have to give credit for that idea to some smart commenter on The Kitchn site.

Supposedly, this tastes just like tuna fish. So make up a batch and have it on some crusty bread with lettuce and avocado or over a bed of lightly dressed arugula with some grape tomatoes.

Vegetarian Tuna Salad

1 15-ounce box chickpeas, drained and rinsed (like Whole Foods 365 brand)
1/4 cup olive oil mayonnaise
1 tablespoon creole mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 cup chopped celery, from about one rib
1 sheet toasted nori (torn)
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Pinch cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper

Into a medium bowl, add the chickpeas, mayo, mustard, vinegar, and celery salt. Mash mixture with the back of a large fork until the chickpeas are broken up but not smooth. Into the work bowl of your food processor, add the celery and nori. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the celery mixture to the chickpea mixture along with the chives, cayenne, and black pepper. It's best to allow it to sit in the fridge for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Keeps for 3 days in the fridge. (Makes 4 servings.)

Sweet Potato Piccata (inspired by The Publican)

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My friend Kelly, an on-again-off-again vegetarian, just returned from a trip to Chicago. He'd decided that he would eat vegetarian the whole time he was in the Windy City. This sounds like it'd be a challenge in a town know for meaty deep-dish pizza, kielbasa sausage, and Chicago dogs, but Chicago, believe it or not, is a very vegetarian friendly city with an abundance of options. Last time I was there in 2009, I had no problem finding great food. I even had one of the best meals I've ever eaten at Shawn McClain's stellar all-vegetarin Green Zebra.

I got a text from Kelly last week that read: Sweet potato piccata, best thing I've ever eaten... It brought a tear to my eye. I pressed him for details. He and Michael were at The Publican, a temple of the pig that happens to have an incredibly innovative selection of vegetable dishes.  

I made the dish as described with capers, lemon, and toasted pecans. The result was incredible. I wouldn't expect a potato dish to read as a main course, but this one did. It's simple enough to make for a weeknight meal, but special enough to serve at your upcoming holiday dinner.

Sweet Potato Piccata (inspired by The Publican)

2  medium sweet potato (peeled)
Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour (for dredging)
1 egg (plus 1 tablespoon water, beaten)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon canola
1 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 large shallot (peeled, thinly sliced)
1 organic lemon (thinly sliced)
1/8 cup capers
5 sprigs fresh thyme (more for garnish)
1/2 cup pecans (roasted, salted)

Cut the sweet potato longways into 1/2-inch planks. You should get 4 good slices per sweet potato. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. The water should be as salty as the sea. Boil slices of sweet potato for 3 minutes and then remove them from the water and set aside on a plate to cool.

Season both sides of the sweet potato slices with salt and pepper. Dredge each slice in the flour, then the egg, then the flour again. Set aside. In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the canola oil. Working in batches of 4 fry both sides of the sweet potato until lightly golden. This will likely take 4 to 5 minutes per side because the heat is moderately low in order to keep the butter from burning. Remove the sweet potato slices, drain on a paper towel, and then keep warm in a low oven.

With the fat and bits of toasted flour still in the frying pan, add the wine, sugar, shallot, lemon, capers, and thyme. Allow sauce to reduce by 1/3. Arrange sweet potato slices in a shingle-like pattern on a serving plate, drizzle the sauce over the top, and place the lemon slices around the plate. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves, salt, and pepper.

Looking for a Quick Pork Dish? Pork Tenders

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We call them Pork Tenders but they're alsoreferred to as a Pork Cutlet, or even Schnitzel. No matter what the name, this recipe is super quick, easy and very delicious! Barry just slices offa piece or pork tenderloin or loin, pounds it until it’s thin, dredges it inseasoned flour and fries it in hot olive oil. Sometimes he makes a pan sauce,other times he serves it plain.
Pounded Pork TendersPork tenderloin – loin wouldalso workSalt & pepperPaprikaAll-purpose flourOlive oil
1.    Slice the tenderloincrosswise into rounds about ½” thick. 2.    Place the roundsbetween two pieces of plastic wrap and pound it with a meat mallet or a skilletuntil it is thin and spread out.

Barry uses a skillet to pound the pork.

3.     Mix salt, pepper and paprika with flour in a shallow pan.4.     Dredge each side of the meat in the flour mixture; shakeoff excess flour.

He "dredges" the meat in seasoned flour; a hot skillet awaits.

5.     Heat a skillet over medium-high heat on the stove. Add athin layer of olive oil. 6.     When oil is hot, carefully drop in the floured pork. Letit brown on one side and turn. Because the meat is so thin, this cooking timeis very quick.

Tenders "fry" in the hot oil and then they are turned , , ,

Pork tenders brown in the back of the skillet; fried green tomatoes are at the front

Recipe without photos . . .

Pork TendersPork tenderloin – loin wouldalso workSalt & pepperPaprikaAll-purpose flourOlive oil
1.    Slice the tenderloincrosswise into rounds about ½” thick. 2.    Place the roundsbetween two pieces of plastic wrap and pound it with a meat mallet or a skilletuntil it is thin and spread out.3.     Mix salt, pepper and paprika with flour in a shallow pan.4.     Dredge each side of the meat in the flour mixture; shakeoff excess flour. 5.     Heat a skillet over medium-high heat on the stove. Add athin layer of olive oil. 6.     When oil is hot, carefully drop in the floured pork. Letit brown on one side and turn. Because the meat is so thin, this cooking timeis very quick.
Two Menus:

Pork Tenders and  Barry's  Brussels Sprouts w/ Bacon.

Pork Tenders w/ pan sauce, Okra Fries & Sliced Tomatoes.

Try It, You’ll Like It! Barry’s Brussels Sprouts w/ Bacon

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     Have to admit that for years I turned mynose up at Brussels sprouts. And, then Barry started experimenting and came upwith this recipe. I was still skeptical but he said. “Try it, you’ll like it.”I tried them, I liked them, and I’ve been a fan ever since.    Barry even grew a crop of Brussels sprouts in our summer/fall gardenand used his own garden produce to prepares his recipe.

This is what Brussels sprouts
look like when they are growing.

Barry’s Brussels Sprouts w/ Bacon   Serves about 4lpound brussels sprouts -- steamed  (seedirections that follow)1teaspoon olive oil (lemon flavored is nice, if you happen to have some on hand)4slices bacon, chopped 2to 3 tablespoons chopped onions (yellow, white, red, or green onions w/ tops)2cloves minced garlic, optional2to 3 tablespoons vinegar – balsamic (we prefer a light, flavored balsamic such as The Tasteful Olive’s Lemon Balsamic), or a mild vinegar such rice wine vinegarSalt& pepper to taste
1.    Removeany loose leaves from sprouts and trim ends, cut in half (or quarter if large).  

Barry cuts Brussels sprouts in half 

2.    Steam(or blanch in boiling water) about 10 minutes until sprouts can be piercedwith a knife without much resistance. Drain. Set aside.3.    Meanwhile,sauté bacon with olive oil in a medium sauté pan until bacon is slightly crisp.4.    Addonions and garlic; continue cooking over low heat until softened -- about 4 to5 minutes. 

Add caption

5.    Raisethe heat to medium and add Brussels sprouts; stir well. Cook for about 5minutes, adding vinegar, salt and pepper near the end of cooking time. Becareful not to overcook.

Barry adds Lemon Balsamic vinegar near the end of the cooking time.
(The  lemon flavored balsamic vinegar adds a wonderful flavor and
since it is light in color, it does not discolor the green veggies.)

Recipe without photos . . .Barry’s Brussels Sprouts w/ Bacon      Serves about 4l pound brussels sprouts -- steamed  (see directions that follow)1 teaspoon olive oil (lemon flavored is nice, if you happen to have some on hand)4 slices bacon, chopped2 to 3 tablespoons chopped onions (yellow, white, red, or green onions w/ tops)2 cloves minced garlic, optional2 to 3 tablespoons vinegar – balsamic (we prefer a light, flavored balsamic such as The Tasteful Olive’s  Lemon Balsamic), or a mild vinegar such rice wine vinegarSalt & pepper to taste
1.     Remove any loose leaves from sprouts and trim ends, cut in half (or quarter if large). 2.     Steam (or blanch in boiling water) about 10 minutes until sprouts can be pierced with a knife without much resistance. Drain. Set aside.3.     Meanwhile, sauté bacon with olive oil in a medium sauté pan until bacon is slightly crisp.4.     Add onions and garlic; continue cooking over low heat until softened -- about 4 to 5 minutes. 5.     Raise the heat to medium and add Brussels sprouts; stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes, adding vinegar, salt and pepper near the end of cooking time. Be careful not to overcook.