bacon roasted brussel sprouts

• fresh brussel sprouts
• 2 strips bacon
• fresh garlic, chopped

Place bacon in large dutch oven or casserole dish and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes, or until just cooked. Remove bacon and drain with paper towels. Using the same dish, roast garlic in bacon grease for about 3 minutes. Add brussel sprouts and toss to coat evenly, season with coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast in oven for about 10 minutes, or until brussel sprouts are cooked but firm. Chop bacon into small pieces, add to mixture and toss to coat.

The dish: Brussel sprouts are one of those veggies that everyone seems to hate but no one has tried since they were a kid and their food choices didn't involve much other than chicken nuggets, pizza and cheeseburgers. We know that roasting veggies brings out a natural sweetness that totally enhances their flavor, and we know that bacon makes everything better (faithful reader Rebecca posted an interesting question about bacon), but roasting with bacon; it just doesn't get any better. Brussel sprouts are also loaded with all kinds of good vitamins and antioxidants that do everything from fight various forms of cancers to keep your skin healthy, which means that you'll be ailment free when you have a coronary from all that damn bacon.

spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette

• fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
• 4 slices bacon
• sherry vinegar (or any red wine vinegar)
• Dijon mustard
• sugar
• olive oil

In large skillet (I used my cast iron) cook bacon over medium high heat until just crispy, remove. Blot bacon with a paper towel and then chop into small pieces, set aside. Discard all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pan. Over a medium high flame, whisk together the grease, 3 tablespoons of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of mustard and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Assemble spinach on plates, adding bacon pieces and a drizzle of high quality olive oil. Spoon warm vinegar over salad, serve immediately (unless of course you have to stage a photo for your blog, then your guests can wait a few minutes as you line up the perfect shot).

The dish: I have a good friend that feeds her son oatmeal every morning figuring that it acts as "nutritional absolution" for whatever else may happen in the day. I believe bacon acts in the exact opposite way: no matter how healthy what you're putting it on may be, it instantly becomes a decadent treat. There's not much that's healthier than straight raw spinach, but you wouldn't know it when you take a bite of this salad. Serving the dressing warm wilts the leaves just a touch and gives it a distinctive flavor and texture. Just be sure to eat your oatmeal every morning so that you can begin throwing bacon around without any guilt knowing that you've already been nutritionally absolved for the day.

roasted cabbage with bacon

• 1 head of cabbage, cut into bite size pieces
• 4 strips of high quality bacon, finely diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (sorry Mike and wizzz, when I pasted in from word it showed as "4000"). Place chopped bacon in bottom of large casserole dish, I like either ceramic or cast iron, cook in oven for 5-10 minutes. Add cabbage and toss with the bacon, spreading around all that bacon goodness, return to oven and cook for about 30 minutes or until cabbage appears well cooked. Season with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

The dish: Everything really is better with bacon, and cabbage is certainly no exception to the rule. Roasting the cabbage gives it almost a sweet flavor without turning into the normal soggy mess that most people think it's supposed to be. If the bacon is a little lean and things look a little dry you can always add a little olive oil, but this batch didn't need it. Don't wait for next March, cabbage is cheap and great for you and this is a variation that even people who don't like cabbage seem to enjoy.