Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Bacon

Even if you are an avowed brussels sprouts hater, I am certain you will change your mind once you try this recipe. These carmelly sweet, roasted brussels sprouts with olive oil and bacon will transform anyone into a brussels sprouts lover!

Editors note: Cruciferous vegetables are often hated, but have some incredible health benefits. The key is to find a way to cook them so that you enjoy eating them and benefit from their unique health benefits as well. 

Cruciferous vegetables include cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, and cabbage. Try to include a generous serving of these vegetables in your meals, 2-3 times a week, to get the most out of their healthy nutrients.

We are constantly exposed to synthetic estrogen-like chemicals (Xenoestrogens) in our environment. These xenoestrogens are actually hormone-disrupting agents in our bodies, and can have a very negative effect on men and women. These estrogenic chemicals stimulate your body to store belly fat, lower testosterone production, and encourage cancer growth.

 

Cruciferous vegetables contain unique nutrients such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) that help to fight belly fat, and block the effects of these estrogenic compounds. So you get healthier and burn fat when you eat these veggies!

In addition, there are 10-15 compounds in these leafy greens contain that have been proven effective against many cancers. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

 

Even if you are an avowed brussels sprouts hater, I am certain you will change your mind once you try this recipe. These carmelly sweet, roasted brussels sprouts with olive oil and bacon will transform anyone into a brussels sprouts lover!

Brussels sprouts are members of the auspicious cruciferous vegetable family and have all the amazing fat burning, cancer-fighting, anti-inflammatory, healthy benefits that broccoli, cauliflower, kale, arugula and cabbage contain.

Brussels sprouts’ health benefits have been well-studied, and many of the studies have to do with the benefits of this vegetable and its powerful cancer-fighting abilities.

Brussels sprouts provide vital nutrients for the three systems that are have to do with our body’s ability to fight cancer. A healthy diet that includes brussels sprouts arms your body to effectively fight:  bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer.

Brussels sprouts actually contain health omega 3 fatty acids that help fight inflammation as well.

About a cup and a half of Brussels sprouts provide about 430 milligrams of plant based omega 3 fatty acid (ALA). And, brussels sprouts supply an ample amount of antioxidants, including the vitamins K, C, E, and A, manganese, quercetin, kaempferol, and more.

The amazing amount of Vitamin K in brussels sprouts actually fights chronic inflammation.

This nutrient helps to regulate our inflammatory response, including chronic inflammation that increases the risk of certain cancers.

Brussels sprouts’ anti-inflammatory benefits help to fight:

Obesity, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, insulin resistance, irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and ulcerative colitis.

Ingredients
20-25 small brussels sprouts
4 slices thick-cut (nitrite free) natural bacon, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Sea salt and pepper


Directions
Preheat oven to 400°.

Wash and dry the Brussels sprouts. Trim off the ends of the sprouts, remove the outer leaves, and cut lengthwise in half.
Slice the bacon into small strips and cook until just crispy. Remove bacon from the pan.
Add olive oil, melted butter, brussels sprouts, bacon, salt, and pepper to bowl and stir to mix well. Spread Brussels sprouts on a large, flat baking sheet or pan. Roast for 20  minutes, or until the sprouts are just fork-tender. Do not overcook!

Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Enjoy!

 

Till next time, stay healthy and lean!

 

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.   

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.    

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

 

 

Bacon, Blue Cheese, Apple and Arugula Salad

I had this crazy idea for a salad recipe and thought these things would work together. I was right…

bacon blue cheese and arugula salad

I had a crazy idea for a superfood salad recipe and thought these things would work together and I was really not surprised they worked as well as I had thought. I purchased some delcious creamy, nutty raw blue cheese that was just magnificent with the saltiness of the bacon, the bite of the arugula and the tart-sweetness of the apple.

I topped it off with an olive oil, and cinnamon-pear balsamic mixture. You don’t need cinnamon-pear balsamic but a nice, mellow sweet balsamic will do just as well.

I purposely did not include measurements in this recipe, it’s very easy to adjust to whatever size crowd you are serving. Hint: Add more Bacon to gain more popularity! 😉

Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, probably the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene,lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of healthy omega 3 fats as well.

The standout of all the nutrients  in dark green leafies is Vitamin K.

A cup of most cooked greens will give you about 9X the minimum recommended intake of Vitamin K, and even a couple of cups of dark salad greens usually provide the minimum all on their own.

Here ya go…I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. 🙂

Bacon, Blue Cheese, Apple and Arugula Salad

Any combination of Arugula, regular baby greens and/or baby kale

2-4 slices thick sliced natural (no nitrites) bacon, cooked and cut up in small pieces

1/2 to 1 apple, chopped in small pieces (Granny Smith is good, or any tart-crisp apple variety)

Crumbled Blue Cheese (try something exotic here like Maytag Blue or another aged delightfully nutty flavored blue cheese)

Thin sliced red onion

Add greens to large glass bowl, with apple, bacon, and blue cheese sprinkled on top. Drizzle equal amounts of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil on salad and serve.

 

 

 

 

 

Breakfast Quinoa Scramble

Looking for a quick and tasty breakfast but tired of the same old scrambled eggs and bacon? Here is a great idea that you can make from virtually anything–leftovers are ideal!

quinoa breakfast fried rice

Breakfast Quinoa Scramble

Looking for a quick and tasty breakfast but tired of the same old scrambled eggs and bacon? Here is a great idea that you can make from virtually anything–leftovers work great!

This particular recipe uses bacon, eggs, sweet onion and green onion and sliced carrots. You can also add peas, broccoli, fresh tomatoes, zucchini, spinach, kale, parsley, cilantro or whatever other yummy veggies you’d like to add. The key ingredients are cooked quinoa, sweet or green onion, bacon and eggs.

When I make quinoa, I like to make a big batch, because the leftovers are great for breakfast. This recipe is quick and easy and absolutely delicious and satisfying–and very nutritious as well! This recipe serves two but is easily expandable to 4 or more. There are no hard and fast measurements here, just add more ingredients for a bigger crowd.

Ingredients

1 cup cooked quinoa

3 slices of (natural, nitrite free) bacon

1 or 2 organic, free range eggs

1/4 cup sweet onion, coarsely chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1-2 carrots, sliced

1/4 cup frozen peas

handful of cilantro or parsley,if desired

1 Tbsp of olive oil

Sea salt and hot pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

In a skillet, cook the bacon till done, but not too crisp. Set aside to cool, then cut or break into smaller pieces. Scramble egg in pan with leftover bacon grease and set aside with bacon.

Add vegetables, and stirfry in leftover bacon grease until slightly tender but not mushy. (5-6 minuutes)

Add olive oil to pan, and add cooked quinoa, and stir into veggies and heat through. Add chopped bacon and egg and mix in with quinoa-veggie mix. Add sea salt and hot pepper flakes and serve. Enjoy! You will have superpowered energy to burn all day!

Till next time,

Stay healthy and lean!

cat

 

Find out what foods age you the fastest and how to reverse aging here.

And get the Anti-Aging Superfoods Recipe book too! 

The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging_3D BOOKAnti-Aging Superfood Recipes_3D BOOK

The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging

 

Cat profile close upSM Paleo Carrot & Apple MuffinsCatherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. 

Cat’s  book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

                           Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.

                                Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

Warm Lentil, Kale & Bacon Salad

Lately I have been really liking lentils. Lentils are a power food–loaded with protein, fiber, B vitamins and iron; and the stellar health benefits of kale. And there’s bacon…

Lentil kale bacon salad lgLately I have been really enjoying lentils. Now for the die-hard Paleo/Primal folks, lentils are not on the ‘list’, but as an athlete who needs to get plenty of non-grain high quality carbs, lentils are a perfect addition. Lentils are a power food–they are loaded with protein,  fiber, B vitamins and iron.

Lentils contain more folate than most any other plant food. Besides protecting your body against heart disease and inflammation by lowering dangerous homocysteine, folate is ideal for women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, as it helps prevent birth defects. And did you know that folate, combined with vitamin B6 (also in lentils) helps reduce the risk of breast cancer and other cancers.

Lentils’ high fiber makes them filling and satisfying, while keeping blood sugar low. This low calorie legume is a great dietary addition if you are trying to lose weight as well. The lentil is an easy to digest food that is helpful to those who have digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrom and diverticulosis.

Lentils contain the third highest level of protein of all legumes and nuts, so not only are they a  great slow burning carbohydrate source, but they are also an excellent source of protein.

And one of the main reasons I love lentils is their steady, slow-burning energy they provide for athletes, along with the iron which helps to transport oxygen in the body. Oh, and did I mention they taste delicious?
And of course, there is the kale, which we all know is a known ‘Superfood’. A member of the cruciferous family, it has anti-cancer, fat burning properties, along with its powerful anti-oxidants, calcium and vitamin K, among other more numerous health benefits.
There’s also turmeric in this recipe too. If you don’t know about turmeric, read more here. It’s one of the most powerful, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging spices you can use.
I used black lentils in this recipe. They are a slightly smaller, firmer lentil than the more common brown lentil you see at the grocery store, although you can use either type. Brown lentils cook relatively quickly, so don’t overcook or they will become mushy.
This recipe, that I made up on the fly, turned out surprisingly good. I may have to make it again tonight!

Warm Lentil, Kale and Bacon Salad

2 slices of thick sliced, natural (nitrite/nitrate free) bacon

4-6 good sized garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup (or so) cooked black or brown lentils

1/2 bunch of kale, chopped in small pieces

sea salt

1/2 tsp turmeric

juice of 1 fresh lemon wedge, to taste

hot pepper flakes, to taste

toasted sesame seeds, optional

In a frying pan, fry bacon until medium crisp. Remove from pan and chop or break in small pieces. Set aside. Leave about 1-2 Tbsp of the bacon grease in pan, and stir and cook garlic for a few minutes, until soft. Add chopped kale, salt, drained lentils, red pepper flakes, and turmeric. Cover with lid and cook over medium to medium-low heat for a few minutes until kale is tender. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over kale, stir and serve. Enjoy! Serves 2-4.

This can be served as a side dish or as a complete meal.