Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

Remember when I went to Maine for a lovely weekend in February??  Well I mentioned it in my post but I had the most delicious salad that weekend at a restaurant called Walter’s in the Old Port. 

I’ve been wanting to re-create this salad ever since.

My grandmother’s birthday party was on Saturday!

Looking good for 87 right?? 

I wanted to bring a salad or some sort of veggie dish, as I knew we were having a Turkey-dinner-esque meal.  I wanted something fresh and light!

Plus there are so many great cooks in my family that there is always that unspoken pressure to come up with something different and delicious.

So I figured it was as good a time as any to try that salad!

If you’re making a large quantity of salad I highly recommend using a food processor with the slicing attachment to shred all the Brussels sprouts.  Otherwise, I’d just use a sharp knife and thinly slice them.

Another tip I learned after the fact was that you might want to cut out a bit of the core first.

I ended up with some of those thicker slices like in the photo above.  Not that you can’t eat it, but if eating raw they are better if that thick middle part is cut out.   

I prepped the Brussels sprouts the night before.

The next morning I cooked the bacon (in the oven), sliced the onion, made the dressing and assembled everything else when I got to the party.

Dressing…

Brussels, onion, and bacon ready to go!

When I arrived at the party, I added the almonds, cherries, and grated the cheese fresh on top!

Then tossed with dressing:

I left the nuts in a small dish to the side as some people can’t eat them.

I LOVED it!  I tweaked the recipe as written below to have a tad more honey and olive oil than what I had made.  Make sure to taste the dressing as you go to make sure it’s as sweet or sour as you like it!

Here’s what I did for a big party size salad:

Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

• 2 lbs (or just under) Brussels Sprouts, washed, stalks trimmed
• 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 5-6 slices apple smoked bacon (nitrate free!)
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)
• 1/2 cup Marcona almonds (or your favorite nut!)
• Pecorino Romano cheese, about 2 oz, grated
• 1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
• 2-4 Tbsp lemon juice (just from 1 large lemon)
• 1 T honey
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Shred or thinly slice Brussels sprouts (use food processor or knife).  This can be done the day before.  Set aside in large bowl.
2. Cook bacon until just crisp (I did this in the oven).  Drain on paper towels then give the bacon a rough chop.
3. Thinly slice red onion and add to the Brussels sprouts.
4. Prepare dressing in a small mason jar…easy to transport and then just shake it up real good.  Otherwise prepare in a bowl and whisk until combined and frothy.  Taste and tweak as needed.
5. Pour dressing all over salad.  Add in bacon, cherries, almonds, and grate the cheese on top.
6. Toss all together..SERVE!

 

Other goodies from the party…

Fresh Challah bread from the bakery!  No, my family is not even Jewish…we just love good bread!! 

Feast!!  Unpictured was also a HUGE platter full of twice baked potatoes!!!  Haven’t had one of those in ages and it was delish!!   

Hope you try the salad!  I want to try it again and maybe make it as a warm salad :)

I LOVE BRUSSELS!!

It’s beginning to feel a lot like SPRING around here :)

The Flash Mob Video & Shoes

It’s one of those weeks.  For some reason I just don’t have much of anything exciting to write about and share on the blog! 

Lame, I know.

I’ve been working a little late both nights this week and the next 2 days I have post-work activities.  Meals have been leftover chili, sandwiches, or Trader Joe specialties…like tonight.

TJ’s Creamy Polenta and some roasted Brussel sprouts!

Easy and delish.

Especially when Brian preps and gets the brussels in the oven before I get home :)

Not too exciting, but super easy :)  

I did, however, remember that I hadn’t posted the video from the Bruins Flash Mob I was a part of last weekend on Labor Day!!

This was the one for Andrew Ference’s Day with the Stanley Cup in the North End. 

In the beginning, from your view I am in the 2nd row (the row facing the camera) and on the far left!

Once the big group joins in I am in the front row towards the center so I’m not always in the shot as the camera moved back and forth.  This is just one of the videos I found on You Tube! 

Enjoy:

Fun right?!

Much different than the dancing I did this past weekend, but it’s fun to just be able to dance sometimes!

And just to add another completely unrelated topic to this post, lets talk shoes!

I tweeted this morning that even though I was excited for Fall, I was going to be bummed when flip-flop season is over!! 

I mean, I’ll wear them until I just can’t take the cold anymore (or it snows), but right now my Rainbow’s are THE most comfortable shoes I own and it’s sad to put them away.

(source)

The other reason is commuting!!  I walk a lot now, to the train, from the train, to the office, the bus, at lunch…a LOT more walking these days.  Even my “comfy” flats will give me blisters if I walk for too long in them, and I’m sorry I just can’t rock the sneakers with dress clothes…

(source)

The other issue I encounter is “fake comfortable”.  You know, you try them on at the store, walk around and think ‘wow these are comfortable!’  Then you wear them out one day and are in dire need of Band-Aids…

I bought those at the Nordstrom Rack tweet up last week!  They are Vera Wang Lavender Label flats, and were seemingly very comfy at the store :)  I’m sure I just need to break them in…although that’s another thing I hate.  I wish I had a machine in the shape of my feet to break in shoes for me!!

So in conclusion, I have no answers.  I am on the hunt for cute comfortable commuting shoes!!  Ones that have some sort of support AND wont rub off the back of my heels!  Anyone??

If anyone knows where these magical shoes are please tell me!  I promise to share if I find them :)

A Much Better Evening!

Nothing a little workout can't fix. I wasn't going to let my off day keep me from the gym...I mean it really wasn't that bad. I did a half hour on the stair climber machine (I don't know the technical term haha...the one that looks like an escalator)...that thing makes you sweat!!

My hunger was full swing when I got home. I needed to use up some brussel sprouts I bought last week. I cooked them in a saute pan similar to a recipe on 101cookbooks.com

Except less oil.
I had them with a third of a leftover burrito from last night, and a little leftover BBQ chicken from Saturday. I decided to eat the burrito and chicken with BBQ sauce instead of the salsa and sour cream from last night!Very good...and there were a lot of sprouts...I couldn't finish them!

Later after dinner, my roommate came home from shopping and asked if she could give me an early bday present?!?! (My bday isn't until Nov 7th!) But she had a BIG Williams-Sonoma bag and I knew what it was hehe...I've been eyeing this gorgeous cutting board for a while, but was going to wait and just register for it. Don't have to wait any longer!
I LOVE IT!! It's so big and nice and reminds me of the one Giada uses (she's my hero btw haha). Yay for EARLY bday presents :)