Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Warm Cider Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts 
4 slices bacon
1 shallot 
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme sprigs

Steps

1. Trim stems from bottom of sprouts, cut sprouts in half; set aside.
2. Preheat large sauté pan on medium 2-3 minutes. Cut bacon into 1/2-inch and add to pan. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring often, or until bacon just begins to crisp. Meanwhile, chop shallot.
3. Stir in shallot and pecans; cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often, or until bacon is fully crisped. 
4. Stir in sugar and vinegar; add sprouts and salt. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often, or until desired tenderness. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

Tahini and Roasted Walnut Oil Salad Dressing

1/2 c Tahini
1/2 c Roasted Walnut Oil***
1/2 c Water
1/4 c Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp of Lemon juice
2 tsp of minced fresh garlic
2 tsp of minced fresh ginger


*** I bought a Trio pack from Trader Joe's that consists of Roasted Walnut Oil, Roasted Pistachio Oil, and Roasted Hazelnut Oil. You may use regular Olive Oil as a substitute.

Brussel Sprout Slaw

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

To make the spiced pecans:1/2 cup pecan halves
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of cayenne pepper

To make the slaw:1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons whole grain dijon mustard
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed
1 small radicchio head, quartered and cored

Directions

1. Start by making the spiced pecans. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Add pecan halves to a small bowl and drizzle with 11/2 teaspoons olive oil. Sprinkle pecans evenly with the kosher salt, sugar, and cayenne.
3. Spread pecans out over a rimmed baking sheet, and toast in the oven until browned and fragrant (10 – 12 minutes). Definitely check the pecans at 9 or 10 minutes to make sure they aren’t burning. Let cool.
4. Next, prepare the slaw dressing. Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and maple syrup in a mason jar. Season with 3 pinches of salt and several turns of black pepper. Cap the jar, and shake until combined. Taste for seasoning. I like to season my vinaigrettes aggressively, so I don’t have to add any additional seasoning later. This means that the vinaigrette should taste a bit too salty on its own.
5. Using the grater attachment of a food processor, shred the brussels sprouts and radicchio. You can certainly do this by hand if you don’t have a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl, and drizzle with half of the vinaigrette, tossing to combine. Add more vinaigrette if needed. You want to coat the shreds, not drown them (no dressing pooling at the bottom).
6. Let stand for 15 minutes to “cook” the sprouts. Top with spiced pecans and serve immediately.

- See more at: http://www.kitchenkonfidence.com/2013/11/brussels-sprout-slaw#sthash.MqLgNbIK.dpuf