Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta

I found this recipe in Cooking Light magazine, and made them to take to our Thanksgiving dinner. Man they were yummy! Brussel sprouts are the "in vegetable" right now so there are lots of good recipes floating around. You can use bacon instead of pancetta if you like.

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pancetta (about 4 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Cook Brussels sprouts and 1 tablespoon salt in boiling water 6 minutes or until almost tender. Drain and plunge into ice water; drain well.
3. Cook pancetta in a large skillet over medium-low heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove pancetta from pan, reserving drippings.
4. Cut Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise; place on a baking sheet. Add reserved drippings, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until browned, stirring after 10 minutes. Combine Brussels sprouts, pancetta, and vinegar in a large bowl; toss well.

New Year - 2010

Well here we are in 2010 already. Still cannot believe it. Had a heck of a time getting up this morning and back into that school and work routine. Started Day 1 of my diet today....so far so good. But the first couple of days always seem to be the easiest for me. It is the sticking with it that’s a problem. I do know that I have willpower just got to find where it is. My hubby is dieting with me so hopefully it will work with the two of us being there for each other. We quit smoking together - June 2010 will be 5 years, so I know that together we can do it. So the plan is:


Breakfast - Special K


Lunch - we will be alternating weekly between All-You-Can-Eat Diet Soup (just like vegetable soup and actually very delicious) and salads with baked fish or chicken.


Dinner - As usual but with portion control and hopefully some new low cal recipes


I am limiting myself to 1-8 ounce glass of Coke a day and plan to drink lots of water.


So with that being said my goal is to lose 20 pounds by mid March. I will post my weekly progress here. Anyone interested in the recipe for All-You-Can-Eat Diet Soup will find it below. It only has 45 calories per cup! Recipe is very easy and makes 28 cups.


·1 pound(s) carrots, sliced

·3 medium (1 1/2 pounds) onions, chopped

·4 stalk(s) celery, sliced

·2 large cloves garlic, crushed with press

·2 can(s) (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes in juice

·1/2 small (1-pound) head green cabbage, thinly sliced

·3/4 pound(s) green beans, trimmed and each cut into thirds (I used frozen)

·1 can(s) (48-ounce) chicken broth ·6 cup(s) water ·1 teaspoon(s) salt

·1/4 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper

·3 medium (1 1/4 pounds) zucchini, sliced into half-moons

·2 bag(s) (6 ounces each) baby spinach leaves

Directions
1. Coat 12-quart stockpot (or 2 large saucepans) with nonstick cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, add carrots, onions, celery, and garlic; cook 8 minutes or until vegetables soften, stirring occasionally.

2. Add tomatoes with their liquid, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. Add cabbage, green beans, broth, water, salt, and pepper; heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to high; stir in zucchini and spinach and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.