Spring is fast approaching as the pollen dusts my car with its yellow hue. Itchy eyes, sneezing and wonderful fresh produce at the market to compensate.

Try this little trick with brussel sprouts:

Sauté over medium heat 3 or 4 thin slices of pancetta with a thinly sliced shallot in a little olive oil. While that gets started, wash and peel off any nasty outer leaves from 4 - 6 brussel sprouts. Slice the sprouts in half from top to stem end, and then with cut side down, slice it thinly. Toss the lot into the pan with the pancetta and shallots, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, shake or stir a bit...if it gets too dry, add a jigger of water. A generous pat of butter just before serving won't hurt a bit, either.
To make a complete one dish meal, last night I tossed in a half cup of cooked quinoa. Cooked brown rice would be nice too. The sprouts make an excellent side dish or a full course meal. Let me know how you like it.