keep your diet real

I have no idea why I made this recipe. It makes no sense. Usually food reminds me of people…

This recipe reminds me of no one. Growing up, I ate Brussels sprouts, apples, onions, and kielbasa, but never all on the same day, and certainly not at the same time! I would not have liked this combination of foods as a child, but when I ate it today, I LOVED it! It is so interesting to me how our food preferences can shift as we get older.

When I was little I did not like to eat meat. I would go out of my way to avoid eating it. When my mom would make steak or pork chops I would almost certainly do one or more of the following with the meat on my plate…

Chew it about 900 times then:

• Wait until it disintegrated and then hold my nose and swallow it with a gulp of water
• Weasel it up near my gum line then deposit it in one of the house plants after dinner
• Gingerly let it fall from my mouth into my glass of milk (FYI: whole milk hides meat better)
• Carefully place each piece of meat into a dinner napkin. Then proceed to tuck about a dozen of these napkins under my thighs and wait… the waiting is the hard part. Sometimes I would wait 45 minutes or more until everyone left the table so I could dispose of the evidence.

Time they are a changin’. I can say with confidence now that I no longer harbor the same disdain for meat that I once did. I actually look forward to eating a meal with meat. I never thought I would say that. I hope that you will enjoy this recipe. Even if you leave the meat out an add another veggie or two, the combination of Brussels sprouts and caramelized onions is one to be savored.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of kielbasa (thinly sliced)
• 1 apple with the skin (cored and thinly sliced)
• 2 small onions (thinly sliced)
• 2 cups Brussels sprouts (cut in halves)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (for sautéing)

Directions

1. Saute the onions in a frying pan with the olive oil. Cook until caramelized (about 15-20 minutes on med-low heat)
2. Remove the onions from the pan and place into a separate bowl or plate
3. Add the kielbasa to the frying pan. Cook until the edges are crispy and brown (about 10 minutes med-high heat).
4. Add the Brussels sprouts to the frying pan with the kielbasa and sauté about 10 minutes (the color should intensify to a brighter green and the Brussels sprouts should be tender when poked with a fork)
5. Add the apples and the cooked onions. Cook for another 5 minutes. Serves 4

What is the most random thing that you ever cooked?