Sides

“Duck fat” just sounds sexy. Say it out loud, in your lowest bedroom voice — I’ll wait…see?? Doesn’t it sound naughty 🙂 It’s a wonderful fat. Bacon fat and duck fat are the yin to the potatoes yang. You can’t go wrong with either of them. I have to buy my duck fat because I don’t cook down enough ducks on the regular to make my own. This deliciously sinful tub of bird fat cost me about $6 from Wegmans and a little goes a long way. You only need about 2 tablespoons of it for all of these potatoes. They soak up the duck fat and get amazingly crisp and super golden brown.

These are the brussel sprouts for those who hate brussel sprouts, or think they hate brussel sprouts. My dad absolutely hates brussel sprouts, and he destroyed these. My mom shook her head and raved, “I eat brussels all the time, but those are the best I’ve ever had. Makes no sense. They’re even good cold”. Well, neither party is lying here. These are just damn good brussel sprouts. Bacon and brussels go together like eggs and avocado. They’re just a match made in mouth heaven. Throw in a few dried cranberries to soak up some of that white wine and we’ve got ourselves a party. The brussels cook up tender and caramelized, full of delicious flavor, sure to please any skeptic. They aren’t the least bit bitter, and sure to be a great addition to your holiday table.

Kale is another one of those “super amazing superfoods” that helped me shed the pounds this year. You can really customize this quick and easy recipe to your personal needs. Here is one of my favorite ways to cook this bitter green down to deliciousness. I’m cheating by using pre-washed kale in a bag, purchased from Wegmans. It’s absolutely delicious. Although I’m not a fan of stems, and there are a few in here…it’s still a great dish. You can pick them out if you want — I usually do because I’m petty. Adding just a touch of honey at the end really mutes the bitterness associated with this vitamin-packed dark leafy green. You can use this recipe for any “tough” green vegetable, it works great with swiss or rainbow chard.

Since January 1, 2014, I’ve been focusing on my health and losing weight. I’ve lived off an 80% clean diet with plenty of exercise, and had to part delicious ways with my beloved heavy cream pastas, super cheesy yeast breads, and sugar-laden bowls of dairy. I mean, we still hook up from time to time — but those days of eating them frequently WHILE sitting on my ass in front of a computer for 40 hours a week are long gone. I had to really focus on this. The hard work is continuing to pay off, as I’m down 40lbs and a crazy number of inches and still going strong. Don’t get things twisted, I am still about the comfort foods — I’ve just learned how to keep it cute.

Listen, I love stuffing. I. Love. Stuffing. Nothing beats homemade stuffing. I knew that once I became an adult I’d have to make it from scratch like all of the lovely women in my family. You can seriously take your recipe variations to the moon, the possibilities of flavor are endless. That’s because I truly believe everything tastes tastes with bread. Seriously, it’s the one part of the meal that always fits no matter what. They serve a variation of bread with practically every meal in every cuisine, so when you take that concept and run with it, you get delicious stuffing.

My boyfriend hates black-eyed peas. I don’t blame him. Just about everywhere you go, you find the same gritty, muddy textured peas sitting in a thick, pasty gravy that ends up looking grey and unappealing. However, I love black-eyed peas — I just don’t love everybody’s. Not too many people make this dish the proper way, and the end result is usually a mushy, mealy, disrespectful version of this southern classic. If you’re tired of eating mealy, gritty black-eyed peas, grab my hand and let me take you on a journey.

Chicken Canzanese…pronounced “can-zan-ay-zee” is an incredible Italian braised chicken dish that you need to keep in your culinary rolodex. I can’t really tell you how many times I’ve made this dish, because I’ve lost count. This is so delicious, you guys. It’s so very flavorful and easy to do.