day 40, recipe 40: Sassy Sides- Skinny Sweet Potatoes & Seared Brussel Sprouts

I really don't like brussel sprouts. Or at least I didn't until I came across this lovely little recipe. These are sooooo good, I went back for seconds. The skinny sweet potatoes are a nice change to the traditional mashed potatoes, and as an added bonus- no gravy required! Yay for skipping steps and less dishes.

Seared Brussel Sprouts

2lb            fresh brussel sprouts, washed & cut into half, outer leaf removed
1lb            slab bacon (I used 1/2 package of sliced bacon because it's what I had on hand)
2 T           extra virgin olive oil

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat & add bacon. Add just enough water to the skillet to cover the bacon and cook until the water has fully evaporated, about 8 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring around to break up the bacon. Remove bacon from skillet & strain off fat into a bowl.
Toss the brussel sprouts in the bacon fat and return to skillet flat side down over high heat (it'll be a little smokey, open a window in advance). Cook sprouts for 3 minutes without moving & then flip to cook round side for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat & toss with bacon crumbles. That's all, folks. Phenomenal. Seriously. I mean, it involves bacon, how could it not be?

Skinny Sweet Potatoes3                large sweet potatoes, washed & peeled, cut into pieces
3 C             low sodium chicken broth
3 C             water
2 T             butter
1/4 C           brown sugar (more or less, depends on how sweet you like it)
                   generous dash of black pepper

In a pot, bring water & chicken broth to a boil and cook potatoes until they are tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid. Add butter, brown sugar & black pepper to pot and use your potato masher to create a creamy mashed potato texture. Serve immediately!

note the big empty space on the plate...sigh. I made a cuban pork roast to accompany these sassy sides and because I don't own a meat thermometer, it wasn't ready when the sides were. Truly disappointing.