Dara Michalski is the voice behind the popular recipe blog Cookin’ Canuck. Yes, as you might guess, she is Canadian born. These days Dara lives in Utah her husband and two busy boys. She blogs about the amazing food she makes in the little bit of free time she has after her day job and the kids are in bed. Dara’s easy, innovative recipes are an inspiration to us all and I am so thrilled she agreed to share some of her amazing photography and recipes with The Family Kitchen today! Take it away Dara!:

Brussels sprouts hold a very precarious position in the Thanksgiving feast lineup.  As a kid, I did everything in my power to avoid eating the little cabbages.  When a hearty portion of these vegetables was scooped onto my plate, I immediately began searching for places to stash them.  Sticking them amidst the cornucopia was always frowned upon and feeding them to the dog was out of the question because the dog was such a noisy eater and would immediately give away my stealthy ploy.

My hostility towards these unsuspecting vegetables continued well into adulthood.  That is, until a friend served me shredded (in fact, thinly sliced) Brussels sprouts and I discovered that the fine texture was surprisingly appealing.  Sauteed and mixed with crumbled bacon, dried cranberries, and toasted pecans, the sprouts are transformed into a side dish that your guests will enjoy.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Cranberries & Pecans

4 strips bacon

½ cup pecan halves, roughly chopped

1 medium shallot, minced

1 ½ lbs. Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

1 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place bacon in large nonstick skillet set over medium heat.  Cook until the bacon is crispy.  Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to drain.  Crumble the bacon into small pieces.

2. While the bacon is cooking, toast the pecans in a medium skillet set over medium heat.  Cook until light golden brown, taking care not to burn the pecans.

3. Pour our and discard all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease.  Return the pan to the burner and add shallots.  Cook, stirring, until shallots being to soften, about 2 minutes.  Add the Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring frequently, until the Brussels sprouts are just tender, but still bright green, 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter until melted.  Add toasted pecans, cranberries, and crumbled bacon.  Stir to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 8.

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