A question for you, do you like Brussel Sprouts?  Or HATE them?  If you answered yes to the former, then the latest recipe from Amanda should be of interest to you!  If you answered yes to the HATE THEM question, well guess what, this recipe is REALLY for you!  I made this recipe last night and even K admited that they were not so bad.  (You have to understand that she grew up eating traditionally overcooked, over boiled mushy Brussel Sprouts made by her Dutch Oma so the girl is scarred!)

Hopefully you will give this recipe a try either way.  I highly recommend trying the recipe both ways (ah YES! this is about healthy cooking right?!?)  At the bottom of the recipe Amanda has give us her newest updated change to make the recipe healthier…unfortunately it replaces the bacon…mmmm bacon…um heh yeah, sorry about that, I just love Bacon!

Also at the bottom of the article is the “official” Amanda Freeland Bio!  So please read it, as it is much more informational than my attempt.

RECIPE

BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH BACON AND APPLE

3 slices bacon, cut into ½” pieces

4 pints fresh Brussel sprouts, ends trimmed and halved

Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

1 granny smith apple, peeled and cut into ½” slices

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425.  Brown bacon in an oven proof skillet.  Add Brussel sprouts and cook until golden brown.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in chopped apple and drizzle with vinegar.  Bake in oven and roast until Brussel sprouts and apple are tender, 10-15 minutes.

For a healthier option- replace bacon with 3 Tbsp. olive oil and continue as above.

 

And as promised here is the official Amanda Freeland Bio:

Amanda Freeland – Annapolis, MD

Amanda Freeland fell in love with cooking at a very young age, as a young girl she often pulled up a stepping stool so she could peer over the counter and help her father prepare the family meal. As she grew so did her love for cooking. Her professional career began with a small private caterer and deepened her love for cooking.

She entered the Anne Arundel Community College Chefs Apprentice Program certified by the American Culinary Federation to gain her professional certifications. Hard work and the contacts from the program help her become the Assistant Pastry Chef at the Stouffer Harbor Place Hotel in Baltimore Maryland.  She later accepted a position as the Executive Pastry Chef for the Maryland Club in Baltimore Maryland. During her tenure she was awarded the Apprentice of the Year from the Restaurant Association of Maryland in 1997.  After the Maryland Club Amanda worked for a few private bakeries as the Executive Pastry Chef before she started Amanda’s Confections specializing in pastry and wedding cakes.  Amanda prides herself that not only does her food look great but tastes great as well.

As Amanda’s love for cooking continued to grow she became interested in foods that not only tasted great but were healthy for you as well. She started a personal journey to improve her health with the focus being weight lose.  This journey initially began by changing her diet and then down the road she added a personal trainer and continued to refine her eating habits. During this time she published her first cookbook Recipes from People I know and Love in November 2006. Her healthy lifestyle journey continues today with weight loss to date of ninety four pounds.

Amanda is often asked how she achieved her amazing body transformation and she tells everyone that a healthy diet has been essential along with a strong cardio workout program and the introduction of weight lifting to her regimen.  Amanda has started on a second cookbook where she will feature some of the recipes that she has used to aid her weight loss as well as share some other things she learned about maintaining a healthy lifestyle over the years. Amanda currently lives in Annapolis, MD with her husband Ernest where she has stepped away from the culinary industry for full time employment but still pursues her love of cooking healthy food.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • •

Filed under: Healthy Recipes

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!