Ingredients
- You will need:
- 1 pound brussels sprouts
- 3-4 slices of bacon, cut in strips, optional
- 2-3 TBS olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/3 cup diced yellow bell pepper
- 1 red jalapeno, minced, optional
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- 1/2- 2/3 cup black olives, optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 tsps lemon juice
- extra olive oil, for drizzling on top, optional
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, optiona
- can use cauliflower
Preparation
Step 1
1. Wash and remove outer leaves of sprouts and cut in half. Dice onion, bell peppers and bacon(if using), mince jalapeno pepper(if using) and garlic. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season water with plenty of salt... I usually season as I would pasta water.
3. Cook the sprouts until barely tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain under cold water.
4. If using bacon: cook bacon in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until brown but not crisp, 3 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel. You can pour out all of the bacon fat from the pan...or use some(or all of it) to sauté the vegetables....the next step.
If not using bacon: Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat and add olive oil.
5. Add onion (to the olive oil or bacon fat, if using)and cook... stirring often, until soft, reducing the heat if necessary, about 4 minutes or so. Add minced garlic and diced peppers... and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until peppers soften a bit. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. You may want to add a tiny amount of water/wine to deglaze pan if it's needed....I had a bit of water clinging to the brussels sprouts after I drained them and that helped with deglazing my pan.
6. Increase heat to medium-high, add the brussels sprouts and grape tomatoes. Cook, tossing or stirring occasionally, until sprouts are tender and tomatoes are warmed through, about 3 minutes or so.
7. Add olives, and bacon(if using) and lemon juice and toss. Drizzle a bit of fresh olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese(if using)... you can likewise use some crumbled feta, or omit the cheese altogether, making the dish dairy-free.