Sauteed Brussel sprouts with crispy bacon

Growing up my Mom made Brussel sprouts with a white cream sauce.  They were very good, but I don't know the recipe for those.  I don't think my little boy would enjoy them though, he doesn't like gravy or sauce that much.  Unless of course it's spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce.  I've tried a really good recipe for roasting Brussel sprouts and tried it a couple of times.  The only problem is, like broccoli, if the recipe is overcooked or burned then the smell is awful and hard to get out of the house.  I burned the Brussel sprouts and haven't been able to get past that awful stench.   I've had a carton of Brussel sprouts in the fridge with the intention of trying to roast them again, I just hadn't worked up the nerve yet.   My Mother-in-Law, Sharon, was here with Pop Pop for Christmas.  She is a fantastic cook who is not intimidated by any food.  She created this recipe, on the spot, and there weren't any Brussel sprouts left.  My son didn't like them, but what kid does?  The rest of the adults loved them. 

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts with Crispy Bacon:

I package of Brussel Sprouts

4 slices crispy thick cut bacon

1 can chicken stock

Fresh ground Pepper

Fry the bacon in a skillet until crispy
Take out the bacon and drain on a paper towel
Retain 2 tablespoons bacon grease
Wash the Brussel sprouts and cut off the bottom, peel off any soft wilted leaves then cut in half
Sautee the Brussel sprouts in the bacon grease and add pepper to taste
Once they are a little soft, add the chicken stock
Don't pour in the whole can, add a little at a time as the liquid is absorbed.
You don't want the sprouts soggy
We used about 1/4 of the can of chicken stock
Taste before you add salt, because bacon generally is salted and it might be too much salt if you add
Crumple bacon into the sprouts and serve warm 

Credits:

Picture taken from:

http://www.virginmedia.com/homefamily/fooddrink/ten-xmas-foods.php?ssid=6

At the end of the "10 things you only eat at Christmas Time" picture show, there is another article on "Christmas Leftovers".  The Turkey Curry looks delish!

Do you know what a Turnip is? Want to know how to cook one and be glad you did?

Long time ago, bacon grease was the "go to" grease to cook with. Then studies showed it was bad for our hearts, and other oils became more popular. I can remember Mom had a bacon keeper on the stove, when I was little. It was a tin container, round, with an insert in the top. The bacon was put on the insert, the grease dripped down into the container to be used for cooking. Mom said that I always smelled like bacon, and she couldn't figure out why. One day, when I was about 3 years old, she came into the kitchen to find me climbing onto the counter top to eat the bacon out of the bacon keeper. I never could figure out why anyone wanted to store perfectly good bacon. It simply must be eaten immediately. I have never seen another "bacon keeper", and when I've mentioned it to people, they look at me like I've sprouted three heads. The horror!! Leaving bacon out, using it's fat to cook with. Why would anyone in their right mind use such a flavorful grease to cook with? Why, not even Paula Deen uses bacon fat! wink wink.


I finally was organizing my loose recipes into a binder with those plastic sleeves, very convenient.  I ran across this recipe from a dear family friend, Justine.  It is her mothers recipe for Boiled Turnips.  This is a very old recipe.  Please don't turn your nose up at it, try it.  You will be surprised and the flavor.  You might just find yourself wanting more turnips in your diet. 

Boiled Turnips
by Ora Wallace

6 medium turnips (cut the root and stem off, wash, then chop into bite size pieces)
2 tbs Bacon drippings  (or just fry 4-5 slices of bacon, remove bacon and crumble, add crumpled bacon to turnips at end)
1 tbs sugar or to taste
salt to taste
Corn meal
Water to about top of turnips
Cook until tender
sprinkle plain corn meal in broth to thicken
eat immediately

Picture credit: http://www.bestinseason.ie/a-z/turnips/