Produce Pick: Brussels Sprouts

So, Aldi had Brussels sprouts on sale last week for 99 cents a pound. I have loved these little green sprouts of goodness ever since I had them tossed with bacon and smothered with cheese at a fantastic local restaurant. Why is it, by the way, that restaurants can take any seemingly healthy vegetable and turn it into a gluttonous and decadent side dish? It tricks your brain and confuses all concepts of a "veggie" side dish for healthy meal planning! (It's still delicious, though, so I guess I'm okay with it!)

I recently checked out this book from the library, and so far, I'm excited to work my way through some of these fun meals! I'm most excited because I love the idea of eating healthy without blowing up my budget.

So, back to the sprouts.

We'd had them in the fridge for a little while, and we'd already roasted them and steamed them...so I was out of ideas. (I know, not a lot of options there, but I'm learning!)

Oh - by the way - our power was out for around 10 hours, so I needed a recipe that I could cook on top of the gas stove.

That's when I remembered this pasta recipe from Supermarket Healthy.

I usually have most of the ingredients on hand - whole wheat penne, lemon juice, bacon, onion, Parmesan cheese, etc. But - I've never cooked with pine nuts before. I decided to venture out of my comfort zone - mostly because the picture in the book was so enticing! - and I added pine nuts to my grocery list last week. Just to have on hand to try and cook with if I ever felt brave.

I was surprised that they weren't that hard to find. They were, however, a little pricey (or seemed that way to me - $4.98 for 3 oz.) but you only use a couple of tablespoons in this recipe, so if you do the math, I guess it's not that bad. I also did absolutely zero research on the pine nuts, so I have no idea how they compare to other brands, where or how they are processed etc. I just know they tasted great in this pasta dish!

There are a few steps to this recipe, and it's not mine, so I'm going to encourage you to check out this cookbook, and Melissa D'Arabian's website for more information. But basically, it goes like this:

- Cut or slice all of your ingredients

- Toast the pine nuts (this part is fun!)

- Saute everything + cook the pasta on the side

- Toss it all together with some Parmesan cheese and serve with a lemon wedge

This dish was filling and fresh. Plus, it's husband-approved, which (believe me) is a huge success in our house. The sprouts and bacon bring some substance to the plate, while those toasted pine nuts add a marvelous flavor.

We had lots of leftovers, so I reheated it on the stove with a little bit of chicken broth. It was great for lunch the next day!