Tasty Tuesday - Just Give Them A Chance

For something so tasty, Brussels sprouts get such a bad rap. I wager most people don't know how to prepare them or try to eat them plain and are put off. So, here's your chance to try them out!

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad with Chicken, Walnuts, and Bacon

Ingredients

2 bags of Brussels

6-8 chicken tenders

1 c walnuts

1/4 c red wine vinegar

1-2 T Dijon mustard

1-2 T real maple syrup

4 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T lemon juice

1 t garlic salt

4 large garlic cloves, minced

Pepper or Mrs Dash table blend

4-5 Prepared bacon strips (I used low sodium bacon - who knew that was a thing?!)

Directions

1. Rinse the sprouts gently in a colander. Remove outer leaves and trim stalk. Chop lengthwise in strips (3-4 chops per sprout, this is a little labor intensive but worth it!).

2. Combine vinegar, 1 T olive oil, Dijon, and maple syrup. Mix well and set aside. Chop walnuts. Chop bacon into crumbles.

3. Heat 1 T oil in a large pan. Add chicken tenders, sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper/Mrs. Dash. Cook 5 mins and flip, cooking additional 8 minutes or until done over medium heat (should reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees). Allow tenders to cool just enough to pull apart and shred, set aside.

4. In a deep fry pan, heat remaining oil, add minced garlic. Cook 1 minute. Add chopped sprouts and cook evenly for about 8-10 minutes until tender, adding lemon juice about 5 minutes into cooking. Sprouts should be well done but not soggy or burned.

5. Add walnuts and chicken and reduce heat. Pour vinegar mixture over entire pan and stir to coat evenly. Remove from heat and serve topped with bacon crumbles.