How did we end up at Thanksgiving week already?! Just like that we’re going into the holiday season and before you know it we’ll be celebrating the welcome of 2019. Too much? It is a little weird that I’m in a country that doesn’t even celebrate Thanksgiving but I certainly plan to enjoy all of the fixings on Thursday….complete with my roasted chicken. Turkey seems like it’s hard to come by here in France. At least where I’m living. I think that’s alright because I’m not really sure how two people could eat through an entire turkey. I do know this, I will be making these Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta as one of our side dishes.
Typically my list of favorite sides include mashed potatoes, a small scoop of mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows toasted on top, corn, green bean casserole and canned cranberries. Sadly the sweet potatoes and green bean casserole won’t be making the cut this year and I totally forgot to have my friends bring over a can of cranberries for me so they got the axe as well. I do know that I’ll be adding some fresh brioche rolls into the mix!
This is our last full week in Villefranche-Sur-Mer and by next Friday we’ll be off on a little adventure before we settle again. I can’t believe how quickly 3 months has flown by and I’m starting to get a little sad thinking about leaving this beautiful area! Everything seems so “normal” here, so perhaps it’s a good time to shake things up again. Our next stops include a short stay in Prague, a few nights in Munich, a few more nights in Venice and then a 2-month stay in Florence. Does anyone have recommendations for any of these areas? I’m looking forward to all of the Christmas markets, beer halls and then onto some delicious Italian meals.
I know that sometimes people tend to curl their noses at Brussels sprouts but this recipe will make them a firm believer in this vegetable. Who doesn’t love a good side dish that includes bacon?! As a matter of fact, you don’t even have to wait to serve these for Thanksgiving. Give them a try tonight and let me know what you think!
- 3 pounds brussels sprouts
- 6 tablespoons EVOO
- 6 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, diced
- Kosher salt
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook the brussels sprouts until crisp- tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Cut the brussels sprouts in half lengthwise.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add in the shallots and cook over low heat, stirring until lightly browned. Transfer into a bowl.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet along with the brussels sprouts. Stir in the pancetta, season with salt and cook over high heat until the sprouts are golden and tender.
- Add back in the shallots and cook until warm, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
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