Quinoa With Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Submitted by ElizabethKnicely

"So this is a dish I made with the intention of my husband and I eating for lunch. But it could certainly be a main dish in and of itself, or a delicious side dish with some grilled chicken or steaks. The reason I made this as a "lunch dish," is the Brussels Sprouts. My kiddos are fantastic eaters, they love most vegetables, but 2 out of 3 of them "draw the line" at Brussels Sprouts. And I didn't want to waste all this delicious-ness on kids who wouldn't enjoy the meal! Our kids love quinoa. And they love bacon. But I didn't want to risk it, with the addition of the Brussels Sprouts. :D Bill enjoyed this for lunch...so much so that he texted me and thanked me for the tasty food. (He doesn't text. Ever. So this was a big deal, and shows how much he enjoyed it!) I'll share the recipe as I made it, but note that it is heavy on the lemon flavor...as that's how we prefer it. You could try using just 1 lemon, and then adding more lemon juice as your taste buds prefer. But in general, lemon + bacon + Brussels Sprouts = FABULOUS FLAVOR! I hope you enjoy this as much as Bill and I did!!!"

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Yields: 4 main dish servings, 8 side dish servings
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb Brussels sprout, stems removed and halved
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 tablespoons minced onions
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• salt, to taste

directions

1. In a saucepan, cook the quinoa according to the package directions. (Takes about 20 minutes.) Remove from heat once done cooking.
2. (If you haven't cooked the bacon, cook it in a skillet, drain the skillet and crumble the bacon. Then proceed -- ) (I usually "batch cook" bacon, so I already had some cooked.).
3. In a large skillet, add the olive oil, the halved Brussels sprouts and any stray leaves, the crumbled bacon, and the minced onion (finely chopped small white onion works too.). Squeeze the lemon juice into the skillet as they are sautéing. Saute over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, or until Brussels sprouts have turned bright green and browned slightly. Remove from heat to prevent overcooking and burning. Stir in the pepper and salt, to taste.
4. Toss the bacon-Brussels sprouts mixture with the cooked quinoa. Serve warm.