Sides

We had this side with our Braised Lamb Shanks.  It was one of the best sides I have had in a long time.  So different, and just fantastic.

Ingredients

4-5 medium sized beets, cubed
1 lb. brussels sprouts, stems removed and halved
.5 - 1 lb. of un-cured, nitrate free bacon
1 white onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
~ 3 tsp. of dried thyme, didn't measure!


Process


1.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Wash, peel and cube your beets.  Clean and halve your brussels.
3.  While chopping your onion and garlic get some bacon going in a large skillet.
4.  Fry bacon until crispy and remove.  Let drain on a paper towel.
5.  Combine your beets, brussels, onion and garlic into a large roasting dish.
6.  Sprinkle lots of salt and pepper on top as well as your dried thyme. 

7.  Transfer all the bacon grease from your skillet into the dish and toss well.  Make sure everything is nicely coated.
8.  Put dish in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.
9.  Oh, and before I forget -- while you're waiting grab a napkin and wipe down the area that you cut the beets on.  Beets leave really bright red stains...now here's what you do...wrap the napkin around your fingers and holler out!  Rush out of the kitchen holding the knife in one hand and the paper towel over your other hand and fool an innocent by-stander into thinking that you've badly cut yourself!  hahahaha I did it to Jason tonight -- it was priceless.

We like to have fun here.

10.  After you've had your fun and your beets and brussels are tender and crispy, crumble/cut your bacon and mix it in. 

11.  Set your oven to broil and add the dish back in.

12.  Let broil for about 3-4 minutes, not long, I just personally like the brussels sprouts and onions to have a little bit of a charred side to them.

13.  Now mound up some salad greens on your plates.

14.  Add several spoon fulls of beet/brussels mixture on top of salad greens.  You will add this nice and warm.

15.  Throw on some chopped pecans for an extra yum factor and drizzle some good quality olive oil on top.  You don't have to do either of these last steps, but here in the Paleo world we love our fat.  Makes me very very happy.

Freakin' enjoy your heart out.