This asparagus garlic sauté is an easy, fresh and tender side dish with bacon chopped up and sautéed together creating the perfect combination of deliciousness.
A sautéed dish that is a perfect combination that can enhance any meal.
1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds, for garnishing, optional
Himalayan salt and black pepper to taste
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-low stirring occasionally, until golden-browned, but not crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Leave bacon fat in skillet.
Next add asparagus to skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until asparagus is crunchy tender, about 10 minutes.
Cook’s Note
As your cooking the asparagus you will want to watch it carefully so it cooks up tender but not overly soft.
Once the asparagus color turns to a deep green that is an indicator it is cooked through and you can remove from the heat.
Remove asparagus from skillet and set aside with bacon.
Add prepared garlic to skillet and sauté until fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
Next, add bacon and asparagus back to skillet. Add 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce and stir well to combine. Optional to sprinkle black sesame seeds.
Caramelized with its natural sugars and maple syrup, this Maple Roasted Brussels sprouts with Bacon gains a nutty flavor from the roasting process.
Thats the best way to prepare Brussels sprouts, that is roasting them. It’s really easy. Just toss the sprouts in some olive oil, with salt and pepper to taste, then spread them on a baking sheet and roast them for 20-30 minutes.
Caramelized Brusselssprouts & Crispy Bacon
The roasting process will bring out all those delicious nutty flavors, rendering the sprouts soft and tender in the middle and leaving the outer leaves super crisp and deliciously yummy.
You could even sprinkle in some chili flakes, oregano, Rosemary or any of your favorite spices for additional flavor.
Cook’s Notes
Lining your baking sheet is a great idea, as there’s a little less clean up.
Keep in mind that while parchment paper creates a great nonstick surface when baking cookies or other sweet treats, but not so great for roasting vegetables.
The parchment actually holds moisture that inhibits the caramelizing of vegetables.
They’ll have a much better chance of crisping up if you place them directly on the metal sheet or even lined with aluminum foil.
Place Brussels sprouts in a medium sized bowl. Add in oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper; toss to coat. Next spread vegetables out over sheet pan. Sprinkle with bacon.
Roast in the preheated oven until bacon is crispy and Brussels sprouts are caramelized, about 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Plate and serve with your favorite protein.
Now try these Brussels sprouts recipes. All deliciously yummy.
You can eat it plain, stir-fry with it or like we did, turn it into a main meal by adding smoked bacon and melted cheddar cheese.
What is it? It’s, Cauliflower Rice, yes and it is cooked with Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Cheese.
Did we say this dish is low-carb, keto-friendly and deliciously yummy.
Cauliflower Rice with Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Cheese
1 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into florets
1 large orange carrot, diced
1 large stalk celery, diced
5-6 strips thick cut, smoked bacon, cooked and chopped
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheshredded
Cut cauliflower, stems and all into florets. Dice carrots and celery.
Working in batches process prepared vegetables in a food processor until it resembles rice (you don’t want to crowd the food processor). Set a side.
Fry bacon in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Fry until just crisp. Do not over cook. Remove from heat to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the skillet and increase the heat to medium-high.
Add cauliflower rice and fry for approximately 3 minutes, or just until vegetable rice begins to soften.
Chop or crumble bacon and add to skillet and mix in. Remove skillet from heat.
Mustard is a popular condiment in Asia, the Mediterranean, southeastern and northern Europe, America, and Africa – basically, the whole world enjoys mustard.
It is considered to be one of the most popular and widely used condiments and spices in the world.
Mustard seeds on their own aren’t spicy until water or an acid is added to the crushed seeds.
Grinding the seeds and mixing them into a liquid of your choice helps to release the oils and enzymes that give mustard the bite it has.
Oven baked casserole that is deliciously yummy and the cheesiest smoked pork belly, white sharp cheddar cheese, broccoli, cream cheese and green onions.
This meal is a one dish meal that is easy to bring together all in under an hour.
We searched the internet and found most people making this dish used either velveeta, orange cheddar, or Swiss cheeses.
This recipe uses white sharp cheddar cheese.
Sharp Cheddar is an aged cheese, with a golden color and a piquant taste. Regular mild cheddar has a sweeter flavor.
We’re as the orange cheddar is a variety colored with Annatto seeds.
Cheddar tends to have a sharp, pungent flavour, often slightly earthy. The “sharpness” of cheddar is associated with the levels of bitter peptides in the cheese.
According to Cheese Pro Club, sharp cheddar is the go to cheese for many when they make a grilled cheese sandwich or a Macaroni and cheese dish.
Sharp Cheddar, inexpensive or not strikes just the right balance between meltability and flavor.
And that is what you want with a dish that is baked with cheese.
You often do get some pooling of fat when you add cheddar to the top of a dish.
If this happens just enjoy the flavor, or you could gently lie a paper towel over the top to soak it up.
Other cheese that would make this dish stand out in flavor could include, Asiago, Canadian Cheddar, or Manchego.
Unlike other rice that is left in a pot of water to boil, risotto rice requires constant attention to ensure a perfectly finished dish.
The rice is not to be pre-rinsed, boiled, or drained, as washing would remove much of the starch required for a creamy texture.
When Arborio rice is cooked slowly with stock (usually chicken or vegetable stock) it allows the amylopectin starch to be released.
As a result, the rice takes on a smooth, creamy texture.
A 1/3 cup of uncooked Arborio rice (used in preparing risotto) has about 166 calories.
Bacon and Spring Pea Risotto
4 pieces bacon
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cups arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock, hot
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut bacon into small bite-sized pieces. Add to a large, deep, skillet and cook until crispy. Remove from pan to cool.
Drain most of the bacon grease, leaving about 1 Tbsp. in the pan. Add diced onions and cook on low heat until translucent.
Turn heat to medium and add uncooked rice to the pan. Stir to coat in bacon grease.
Add 1 cup hot chicken stock, reduce heat to low and stir while rice absorbs the liquid. Once it’s absorbed, add another 1 cup and repeat until all the liquid is gone and rice is tender.
This process should take about 20 minutes.
Next, add to tender rice frozen peas and carrots, lemon zest, cilantro and bacon. Mix in well.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.
Herbs and spices are used to enhance the flavor of food, either it be for cooking Spaghetti Carbonara or baking an apple pie.
An herb or spice can be a seed, fruit, root, bark, berry, bud or leafy part of the plant. They are principally used for flavoring food among other uses. They can be used fresh or dried.
Herbs And Spices Through The Ages
It is said that by the Middle Ages,the most common spices and herbs being traded and used were black pepper, cinnamon (including the alternative cassia), cumin, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
Herbs and spices are useful for many things, among others are medicinal uses, cosmetic or perfume production uses, and of course they are used add flavor to a meal.
By 1000 B.C. medical systems based upon herbs were found in China, Korea, and India. Also the Egyptians used herbs and spices for their embalming practices and their demand for exotic herbs and spices helped stimulate world trade.
The flavor of an herb or spice is derived by exposing the volatile oil compounds of the seed or leafy part, that oxidize or evaporate when it comes in contact with air.
As an example, fresh ginger is usually more flavorful than its dried form, but fresh spices are more expensive and have a much shorter shelf life.
Flavor of herbs and spices can be maximized by storing them whole and grinding when needed, as grinding greatly increases its surface area and so increases the rates of oxidation and evaporation.
If you decide to use dried spices, be sure to use them within 6 to 8 months of purchase. Ground spices are better stored away from light, as it also increases the oxidation of the volatile oils.
How To Use Herbs And Spices
When using herbs and spices you’ll want to pick flavors that complement each other, such as the spice mix known as “pumpkin pie spice.”
The ratios of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg add great flavor to the pie, and each spice doesn’t over power the other.
The key or rule of thumb to spicing things up is that less is more. Avoid adding too much all at once. Instead, add a little at a time and add more to taste.
A good example of over spicing and unable to fix it, is when you use oregano or cloves. Their volital oils are great for flavoring culinary and pastry dishes, but they are strong in flavor, and only require a small amount.
When using spices to flavor your meat or vegetables, use only 3 different types at a time.
You can even use herbs and spice to replace salt. Choose your spice or spices, add a little lemon juice and unsalted butter.
Which spices pair well together for the best culinary dishes you can make?
Let’s examine some of the most commonly used spices and which spices pair well with them.
Just because the weather is cold shouldn’t keep you from enjoying in season fresh produce. Nature gives us a collection of its best winter vegetables that have proven to be flavorful. Winter root vegetables can contribute an interdependent, sweet flavor to a hearty winter soup recipe, like carrots, or sweet potatoes.
Roasting most winter vegetables brings out their best flavors. Even using complementary herbs and spices helps add some extra exceptional tastes.
Available In Season Winter Vegetables
Although Brussels sprouts are available year-round, their peak season is from September to February.
When looking to purchase them, remember to look for small firm sprouts with compact bright-green heads, and the smaller the head the sweeter the taste. Roasting Brussels sprouts lightly caramelizes their edges but keeps them tender inside.
To view a few recipes using Brussels sprouts one of the following links:
At All Recipes (allrecipes.com) they call Broccoli the star vegetable in stir-fries, soups, salads, and casseroles.
Broccoli can be purchased year round. But when in season, as a winter vegetable when roasted retains its entire flavor and even gains deliciously crisp bits when.
When asked the question – How Do You Describe Broccoli? – to a community of online people at answers.com, one member answered saying, “Broccoli is good chopped into small pieces or cut into larger piece and cooked until tender.
It’s delicious to eat as it is when cooked naturally and also in recipes.
The popular dish, broccoli and cheese is made with cooked, tender broccoli before draining and stirring in cheese until it melts and mixes in with the broccoli.
You can also make cheese sauces, which you serve, poured over the broccoli on a plate.
Either way it is cooked or served, broccoli is a favorite among vegetables and nutritionally powerful” (Answers).
The Sweet Potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulaceae family.
This species of plants are known commonly as the bindweed or morning glory family, which has more than 1,650 species of mostly herbaceous vines, but also trees, shrubs and herbs.
Stuffed Sweet Potato with Chipotle Black Bean and Corn Salad
The sweet potato is a starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous root. There are about 1,000 species of sweet potatoes, with some varieties sold at market for food, while others are not for consumption, as they are poisonous.
The sweet potato is only distantly related to the common potato, though it is not part the nightshade family.
The website – “The Worlds Healthiest Foods” – has this to say about sweet potatoes when preparing to eat them, “It can be helpful to include some fat in your sweet potato-containing meals if you want to enjoy the full beta-carotene benefits of this root vegetable.
Recent research has shown that a minimum of 3-5 grams of fat per meal significantly increases our uptake of beta-carotene from sweet potatoes. Of course, this minimal amount of fat can be very easy to include.
In our Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe, for example, we include 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and with just this one tablespoon, each of our 4 servings for this delicious recipe provides 3.5 grams of fat (whfoods).
To view a few recipes using sweet potatoes click one of the following links:
Kale is considered to be the most robust of the cabbage family. Its high nutritional worth and intense flavor make kale an exceptional addition too many vegetable recipes.
At Mind Body Green, Alison Lewis makes note of kale as “the new beef,” “the queen of greens,” and “a nutritional powerhouse”(MBG).
To view a few recipes using kale click one of the following links:
Leeks are winter root vegetable that looks much similar to onions, and to which they are also related. Their flavor is onion-like but much milder, mellower, and not overpowering, as onions sometimes can be.
The darker green parts have plenty of flavor. They can either be cooked longer then the root parts to tenderize them, or used when making homemade soup stock, like chicken broth base soup along with potatoes, carrots, and herbs.
They can also be eaten raw or joined with a salad of leafy greens to divulge a wonderful crisp crunchy flavor.
Turnips are a a round, light-colored root related to the mustard family. Though the vegetable is grown for its eatable root, the top green parts are also enjoyed in salads.
Turnip greens are a common side dish in southeastern U.S. cooking, primarily during late fall and winter months.
Smaller leaves are preferred when boiling them in water, as the larger the leaf the stronger the flavor.
However, if you find yourself cooking with larger turnip greens, any bitter taste can be reduced by pouring off the water from initial boiling and replacing it with fresh water.
The natural sweetness of Parsnips comes alive when they’re roasted and caramelized.
The addition of fresh rosemary, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar makes a sweet, aromatic glaze.
Roasted parsnips make a great side dish for pork tenderloin.
According to Food History asparagus has a long history as far back as the first century. There are records of it growing in ancient Greece and Rome. History even records Egyptians over 2,000 years ago cultivated asparagus for medicinal reasons (Kitchen Project)
Of course most eatable plants were first discovered growing wild, and asparagus is no exception. A wild asparagus has thin shoots thinner than a pencil and is much different than the asparagus that we find in the market.
Through selective breeding and growing techniques, a modern non wild asparagus has a thicker stem with more edible flesh.
Asparagus is even a low carbohydrate food, and a 15 on the glycemic index, which is the rating of plant food and how it effects your blood glucose or insulin in the body (0-35 is low).
Now for our featured recipe, and here is what you will need.
8 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining. Return the pasta to the pan that you cooked it in, and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until browned, but not crispy. Remove and place on paper towel lined plate to drain.
Remove all but 2 tablespoons of grease from the skillet, and return to the stove. Add the chopped asparagus to the pan, stirring occasionally. Cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic to the skillet, and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the cooked asparagus, garlic, bacon, and Alfredo sauce to the pot of cooked pasta. Toss to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of the saved pasta water to thin it out. Season to taste with Himalayan salt and pepper before serving (optional).
Herbs and spices are used to enhance the flavor of food, either it be for cooking 
Although Brussels sprouts are available year-round, their peak season is from September to February.
When asked the question – How Do You Describe Broccoli? – to a community of online people at answers.com, one member answered saying, “Broccoli is good chopped into small pieces or cut into larger piece and cooked until tender.
Kale is considered to be the most robust of the cabbage family. Its high nutritional worth and intense flavor make kale an exceptional addition too many vegetable recipes.
The genuine Belgian endive is deeply rooted in its country of origin – Belgian, were it was discovered in 1830.
