balsamic roasted brussels sprouts with pancetta

Hey hey! How was your Thanksgiving?! We had a great one with family and friends, full of tons of food of Austin sunshine. :)

It seems that right after Thanksgiving, it's time to start thinking about what to cook for the next holiday meal. I think you should add these brussels sprouts to any/every menu! They are perfectly simple, but oh so delicious. Salty from the pancetta and sweet from the syrupy balsamic... heavenly!

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta (barely adapted from Ina Garten)
serves 10-12

you'll need:
3 lbs. brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
8 oz. pancetta, diced
olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (because of the simplicity of this recipe, this is the time to break out the nicest balsamic you have!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the brussels sprouts on a sheet pan in a single layer (you might need two sheet pans depending on the size). Add the pancetta, then drizzle with olive oil, salt, and teaspoon pepper. Toss with your hands, and spread out in a single layer. Roast the brussels sprouts for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so. Remove from the oven, drizzle immediately with the balsamic vinegar, and toss again. Taste for seasonings, and serve warm.

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sesame brussels sprouts salad with sriracha vinaigrette

Let's ease into this week simply, shall we?

Do you get into food ruts? I definitely do - but the thing is, I totally don't mind them. I sort of love getting the same salad at Whole Foods every time I go. Avocado toast every single morning? I'm into it.

This salad is a twist on that food rut salad from Whole Foods, also known as the Cabbage Crunch Salad. I can't get enough of that thing. But then I swapped out the cabbage for brussels and threw in some sriracha and boom... a new lunch rut was born.

I think that's a good thing?

Sesame Brussels Sprouts Salad with Sriracha Vinaigrette
serves 2

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon sriracha
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, shredded
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, toasted

In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, honey, sriracha, mustard, and garlic. Add brussels sprouts, almonds, and sesame seeds to the bowl. Toss everything together to combine. Serve!

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ham & brussels sprouts naan pizza

Hey there! Thought I'd throw in a little weekend recipe for those of you who are already thinking about what you're going to do with leftover Easter ham.

Wait, do you have an Easter ham? We don't... I don't know if we ever have? We've always been non-traditional when it comes to holiday food. This year we're having this salad alongside this pasta. Of course there will be garlic bread. I'm making these for snacking, and we're having my mom's incredible coconut pie for dessert. YUM.

But back to ham! Since most of you will have some leftover, please please please try this pizza. It is INSANE how good it is! I had a similar pizza in Austin last month and couldn't wait to recreate it at home. The sweet balsamic and the roasty brussels sprouts are perfection.

This is just as a leftover meal should be: quick, easy, delicious. Done!

Ham & Brussels Sprouts Naan Pizza
makes 4 pizzas

you'll need:
4 naan breads
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 lb. ham, diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, plus more for drizzling
1 cup shredded brussels sprouts
grated parmesan, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place breads on the baking sheet. Divide the mozzarella between each one, then top with ham. In a small bowl, toss the brussels sprouts with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Divide brussels sprouts evenly over each pizza.

Bake pizzas for 15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly. To serve, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle parmesan on top.

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rye panzanella with corned beef & brussels sprouts

Happy Monday, y'all! I have to admit, it's a little hard for me to get back to work today after a great spring break in Austin and San Antonio. We had great weather, ate like kings (brunch here and dinner here were our favorites!), and had so much fun with each other, family, and friends. So thankful for that time, but now it's back to school today!

So let's talk about this salad. I LOVE panzanella so much. Classic recipes are great, but a twist on the flavors or ingredients is always welcome. When I saw this recipe that Molly shared, I knew immediately I would fall in love with it... and oh how I did. We're a little St. Patrick's Day festive with the corned beef, but bacon would also be great. The flavors are so simple, but so fantastic, so much so that I ate this for every meal until every last bit of it disappeared. It won't be long before I make another batch of this!

Rye Panzanella with Corned Beef & Brussels Sprouts (adapted from Molly for Betty Crocker)
serves 4

you'll need:
4 thick slices rye bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 freshly ground black pepper
3 cups shredded brussels sprouts
1 large shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 lb. corned beef, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss bread cubes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the black pepper. Spread on a baking sheet. Toast for 10-15 minutes, until the edges are brown.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until soft. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, beat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, vinegar, and mustard. Add the bread cubes, shallots, brussels, and beef and toss well. Enjoy!

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sriracha lime salmon

Love her (me!) or hate her, Gwynnie has got to be your BFF when the new year rolls around and you kick it into high clean-eating gear. Gal's got some seriously great recipes (evidence) that are also healthy and simple. What's not to love?

This salmon is too delicious. It's got a perfect balance of flavors and couldn't be easier to throw together. Paired with the best brussels sprouts ever, this is pretty much all I want to eat from now on.

P.S. I've blogged a few recipes from It's All Goodbut that doesn't begin to scratch the surface on how much I've made and LOVED from it. So, I want to give you guys one! I promise you, the recipes in here are awesome and are perfect for starting the new year off right. All you have to do is like Little Kitchie on Facebook, then leave me a comment letting me know you did (or that you already do, which if so, thanks!). You can also follow on Twitter or Pinterest  for extra entries, just comment and let me know. I'll choose a winner at random next Friday, January 31. Good luck! xo

Sriracha Lime Salmon (slightly adapted from It's All Good. Actually the only difference here is not making my own sriracha because sanity.)
serves 2

you'll need:
zest of 1/2 a lime
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha
1 tablespoon maple syrup
kosher salt
2 pieces of salmon (mine were about 6 oz. each)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Whisk together the lime zest, juice, sriracha, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, place salmon on top, and pour the mixture over it.

Roast salmon for 12-15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with cilantro. Enjoy!

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thanksgiving sides

Hey there, dears! With Thanksgiving coming up next week(!), I wanted to share some ideas for Thanksgiving sides. I'm one of those who's all about the sides, and love to try new twists on classics every year. Here are some ideas from this site, as well as some from around the internets that have really caught my attention...

slow roasted green beans

crispy smashed potatoes

cheesy baked jalapeno mashed potatoes

roasted brussels sprouts with creamy mustard vinaigrette

turkey bacon asparagus bundles with balsamic syrup

sweet potato dinner rolls

cream biscuits

...and 10 more I can't WAIT to try!

• Mashed Sweet Potato Gratin with Smoked Gouda and Shallots from Feed Me Phoebe
• Maple Bacon Corn Muffins from Southern Souffle
• Warm Chorizo, Pumpkin, and Corn Salad from Milk and Honey
• Double-Baked Potatoes with Herbs, Creme Fraiche, Cheddar, and Prosciutto from Dash and Bella
• Roasted Potatoes with Bacon Parmesan Vinaigrette from Wanna Be a Country Cleaver
• Honey Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts from Dashing Dish
• Pumpkin Cranberry Twists from Girl Versus Dough
• Skillet Cornbread with Bacon Jam and Chive Butter from Savory Simple
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Avocado from The Sweets Life
• Poblano Potato Gratin from Table for Two

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momofuku's thai roasted brussels sprouts

I figured after all that pizza last week, it was time to get our veggies in. And oh, what a wonderful way to get them in.

These are, hands down, the most addicting veggies I've ever had. The flavor is absolutely incredible. Be warned: although this recipe claims to serve 2-4 you may want to go ahead and make a double batch. You'll just have to trust me on this; you'll want leftovers, and it's one of those sides that is so outstanding that you might want to just plan on it being your main course. When brussels sprouts are this good, no one will complain.

Momofuku's Thai Roasted Brussels Sprouts (from Momofuku via Joy Cho's version on Cup of Jo)
serves 2-4 as a side dish

you'll need:
1 lb. brussels sprouts
olive oil
10 cloves of garlic, chopped

for the dressing:
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons mint, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 fresh red Thai chile, thinly sliced (include the seeds)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut brussels sprouts in half and place onto a baking sheet along with chopped garlic. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over and toss to lightly coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until some leaves are turning dark brown.

While brussels sprouts are roasting, make the dressing by combining all of the dressing ingredients, whisking together until sugar is completely dissolved. When brussels sprouts are done roasting and still warm, lightly toss them in a bowl with the dressing (you won't use all of it, so save it for your next batch!).

I served ours alongside teriyaki chicken (recipe coming later this week), but like I said, this could be a meal on its own. You've got to give these a try!

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