Wednesday's Dinner

Preparations for Wednesday's dinner actually began Tuesday evening. I wanted to marinate some boneless pork ribs overnight before cooking them. I also had a surprise up my sleeve for my daughter who would be my only dinner companion. But more on that dangerous maneuver later.

Canola oil, rice vinegar, low-sodium soy sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, ground ginger and garlic cloves were combined with some honey for the marinade.

I sliced the pork into smaller pieces.

The pork and the marinade were sealed in a zip-top bag...

Before being put in a bowl to guard against leaks. This was put in the refrigerator until it was time to cook.

And now for the surprise. One of the great things about food blogs is that there are so many great ideas and recipes out there. My dear friend Rosie Hawthorne has often blogged about her Brussel sprout dishes and I found one that I really wanted to try.

Disclaimer: It is at this point that I feel I should admit that I really have never liked Brussel sprouts. Yet, I felt compelled to give the poor things another chance, so I decided to try again. Oh, and I should also tell you that my husband and daughter really, really hate Brussel sprouts. And no, they don't feel like giving the things any more chances.

But on with the show: Rosie's recipe calls for black pepper, salt, balsamic vinegar, Brussel sprouts, bacon, red onion and sugar (not shown). You will notice that I only purchased three Brussel sprouts as I anticipated being the only one who would be eating them. Wow, am I psychic or what?



I cut up and cooked the bacon.





Then the Brussel sprouts, which had been trimmed and quartered, went into the pan with the bacon and the bacon fat.

Finally the red onion, salt, pepper and a bit of sugar were added to the pot.

I drizzled a bit of balsamic vinegar over the dish at the very end.

I had also sauteed the marinated pork ribs before tossing them in some barbecue sauce.

'Dolled up' purchased mashed potatoes accompanied the Brussel sprouts and the barbecue pork ribs. I made a sandwich with my pork ribs.

This recipe has turned me into a believer. I will say though that I actually liked the leaves that had fallen off and sauteed individually better than the quartered sprouts.

However, my dear daughter who was finally coerced into trying the tiniest bite, declared that it was horrible (okay, I'm paraphrasing here) and that the Brussel sprouts contaminated the bacon. I also believe that my well-being was threatened if I ever even thought about trying to serve them again.

My husband called after dinner and was greatly relieved to learn that he had missed the experience.

I guess I'll be eating these beauties by myself from now on. My family thanks me.

And I thank Rosie Hawthorne for yet another terrific recipe! I don't care what my family says.