We meet again, Sunday! This weekend has been another great one for Macon: two successful Saturday events, Macon Beer Festival and Weaver’s Weekend, were excellently executed and tons of fun. I was especially proud to show off my town to a few of my GHP girlfriends who came into town for a visit! Since I dropped Alex off at the airport for a week in Copenhagen (no, I’m fine…really…not jealous at all…why do you ask?), I was glad to have some company to enjoy a day on the town. After the GHP gals and I parted ways, I got to work on food prep for a BBQ baby shower for two of our dearest friends, Adam and Lauren Ragusea. Alex (in absentia) and I co-hosted the shower with our friends Tim and Leila Regan-Porter at their house, and I like to think that it was the opposite of a typical baby shower: no tiny sandwiches or punch, frilly decorations, or games. Instead, we had barbecue, hearty sides, beer, and men along with women! We did a similar setup for Tim and Leila before they had their precious Rosemary June in the spring of 2013, and I spent the rest of the week happily eating leftovers for lunch. This week is a repeat of that, but I’m also going to include the recipe for brussels sprouts salad, a crowd-pleaser and healthy alternative to coleslaw. This recipe is our go-to when we take a side dish to a barbecue, and we were introduced to it by today’s guests of honor, Adam and Lauren!
This week, I’m having some leftover beer can chicken that was cooked by Tim on the Big Green Egg, a healthy portion of brussels sprouts salad, a spoonful of Fresh Air coleslaw (because why would you make your own when you can pick up the best at Fresh Air?), and a 1/2 cup of baked beans.
Brussels Sprouts Salad
1 lb. brussels sprouts
1 shallot
1/2 cup chopped cashews
for the dressing: juice of two lemons, 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard, 1 tsp. honey, 1/4 cup canola oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper
Cut off the stems of the brussels sprouts, then either thinly slice them or use the shred function your food processor to thinly shred the sprouts, then place them in a bowl. Cut the shallot into paper-thin rings and sprinkle on top of the sprouts. Top the salad with the cashews. Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar, shake vigorously, then pour over the salad and toss to combine.
Bungalow Kitchen 