"BB&B"- Brussel Sprouts, Beets and Bacon

I love beets. I love eating beets and how I feel after I've eaten them. Beets make me feel whole and healthy.
Beets carry a near exclusive phyto nutrient, glycine betaine and help your body remove some specific toxins from your blood stream.

 So yes, I really like how I feel when we eat beets, and since my local grocer had some beauties this week, I jumped right in. Next to the beets was a beautiful bin of fresh brussel sprouts, one of my favorite companions for beets!! AHhhh Spring is near!

"BB&B"

Ingredients;
3-4 small to medium sized fresh beets
1lb fresh brussel sprouts
4 slices bacon, diced
1/4 cup quality balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder, or one clove minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of cayenne pepper *optional

small glob of coconut oil

First off you'll need to prepare the beets. Cut the greens off an inch or two from where they meet the root. Gently place the beets in a glass baking dish and put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour. Remove them and set them aside to cool until you're ready to cook the rest of your meal.

Next, take the diced bacon and get it cooking in a med-hot skillet so it renders and gets crispy around the edges. Now I realize that a picture of sizzling bacon is not necessary here, but really, who doesn't love bacon?
                                                               MMMmmmm Bacon...

Quarter the brussel sprouts while the bacon is cooking, when the bacon is just right, add them to your skillet. At this point I put in a spoonful of coconut oil just for good measure, and because my sprouts soaked up the rendered bacon fat. I seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Then just let them sautee until the sprouts are nicely browned and as tender as you'd like.

                                           One peeled beet with whole and quartered sprouts

While the sprouts are cooking, you'll need to peel the beets. Slice off both the top and bottom of the beets and use a knife to remove the peel. If they're roasted well this is very easy. After the peels are removed, dice them into small chunks.

When the brussel sprouts are as tender as you'd like, add the beets to the pan and stir. Add the balsamic vinegar and allow it to sizzle and heat through. You don't want the beets back on the heat more than to reheat them, so wait until the end.

Voila! This is the only way I can get my husband to eat brussel sprouts thus far. This also works soaking the beet greens and some swiss chard and using those instead of the brussel sprouts. I've done it with broccoli. The bacon is optional obviously if you want vegan, otherwise the bacon is NOT optional.

We had our "BB&B" with simple herb seasoned chicken legs, cooked in a skillet on top of the stove. Since hubby decided to have a glass of wine last night, we added a splash of Sweet Red wine to the pan. He also wanted "sauce" and proceeded to make our replacement for Ranch Dressing. It tastes nothing like Ranch Dressing, but its delicious. Its Safflower Mayo, a dash of almond milk, some dried Dill Weed and Cayenne pepper whisked together. Originally formed as a sauce for fish tacos.
~Jamie