Bacon-y Brussels with Celery Root and Onions

Ahhhhhh brussel sprouts.  The vegetable I wouldn't taste until a year ago.  They can stink, that much is true.  But they are also darn tasty if you cook them right (i.e. don't over-cook them).  And who knew they grew in such pretty bunches like in the picture below?  I will assure you that the different flavors in this dish will soften the blow if you are weary of consuming this vegetable, and if you are already a fan, will make them that much tastier!

1.5 pounds of brussel sprouts, washed (or about half of what you’d cut off a fresh stalk)
½ celery root bulb, peeled and cut into strips
1 yellow onion, in ¼ inch slices
1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
4-6 strips of bacon

First off, peel the celery root and cut it into strips like you would in this recipe. If you make the salad with celery root this would be a good recipe to use up the leftovers (hint: that’s exactly what I did here). Slice the onion and add it all to a frying pan along with the oil. Cook over medium heat until the celery root is softened, but still a bit “al dente”. Remove from heat and set aside. If you’re using leftover root and onions, skip to below:

Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the strips of bacon and cook until just crispy. While the bacon is cooking, cut the ends off the brussel sprouts and cut them all in half, lengthwise. Remove the bacon and reserve about 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan. At this point, you want to remove any blackened bits that are left behind from the bacon. What I do is I scrape the bottom of the pan and all the black bits to one side of the pan with a spatula. Then tilt the pan with the black bits up and grease at the bottom. Then remove the black stuff with the spatula.

Return the frying pan to the heat and add in the brussel sprouts. Turn to coat them in the bacon grease and lower the heat to medium. Cover the frying pan and continue cooking, turning occasionally, for another 6 or 7 minutes. (while that’s cooking chop the bacon into bite-sized pieces). Add in the bacon, celery root and onions and toss well. Cover again and continue cooking until the sprouts are cooked but not mushy, another 5 minutes or so.