This warm Brussels Sprouts and Chorizo Salad is the perfect meal salad which takes less than 15 minutes to whip up! Easy, quick and no mess- It also makes a great side dish to your main dish of choice!
“I got dumped for organising a third date on a weeknight. Never date in the middle of the week EVER. Except Friday nights”
Two weeks ago, I was having a Skype session with my sister. The first 20 minutes included her telling me five important things…out loud.
1. Panda (her puppy) had grown and she seriously thought one of Panda’s parents had an affair with a hippo.
2. She burnt her left eyebrow because she was hash-tagging on Instagram while straightening her hair
3. She has to wear an extra dark coating of make up to cover said burnt spot
4. Someone stole her ASOS purchase
5. She got dumped on a third date with her “dream guy” for scheduling a mid week date
It puzzled me. Why would someone break up a potential relationship over making a date on a weeknight? Wouldn’t a mid week date be considered the highlight to many, especially those with full time jobs or in full time education?
She told me about their two previous dates and how it had gone magically. He’d brought her gummy bears to the movies (her favourite candy) and was open to her suggestion to see a horror movie. He was game to do a Zumba class with her and he loved how she ordered the burger and fries on their second date and scoffed at the couple next to them who ordered the salad.
“So what went wrong on date three?”
“I don’t know! It started off well, I told him how Panda jumped on mum and it was awesome. He told me how he’d just gotten a job promotion and was excited for his new co-workers because the current ones were as friendly as cabbage. We then ordered and I’d eaten cake beforehand so I just got the cheapest thing off the menu and then from there, it kind of went downhill!”
“What did you order?”
“Oh the cheapest thing on the menu, the house salad? It was just lettuce and a tomato. I’d seen Linda beforehand for coffee and cake but she’s diabetic so I had to eat the whole cake.”
“Did you tell him you had cake before hand?”
“No? Why would he needed to know that?”
There you go. He thought you had a double standard. You laugh at people for ordering salads and then you order one yourself. Don’t go blaming the time of choice for your loss. Blame your poor meal option.
***
So now we’ve cleared the misconception that weeknights are perfectly acceptable to have a date night, let’s break another misconception- Salads can’t be meals. For some people (*cough* Niki *cough*), choosing a salad as an actual meal might be torture. However, with some flavourful ingredients and delicious combinations, it can easily be transformed into a satisfying, hearty and delicious meal.
While I love salads based off GOOD kinds of lettuce (Iceberg is just a pretty name), I actually adore lettuce-less salad. As part of my partnership with Green Giant, I thought to create a delicious warm salad based off one of their Sauté range- The bacon brussels sprouts.
This delicious warm brussels Sprouts and Chorizo Salad will make any weeknight date night a success, even if your date of choice is your stomach (a la Arman). It’s hearty and full of delicious flavours, it’s easily a meal in itself. To put it together, it’s an absolute breeze thanks to the hard work done with the brussels. To add some filling protein and some fun antipasto, I added spicy chorizo sausage and sun dried tomatoes. This also made the need for any additional seasonings (which the sautés package comes with) very minimal- I simply added a dash of cayenne and some extra black pepper and voila- Dinner done in under 10 minutes!
The beauty of the Sautés range is how the bacon is kept separate from the Brussels Sprouts and the seasoning in the package. For those wanting a completely meat free meal, simply omit it and sub the chorizo for tofu or eat as it is!
Make this delicious Warm Brussels Sprouts and Chorizo Salad and lettuce remove the unfair stigma salads have. Also, let’s not blame mid week dates for being dumped.
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Warm Brussels Sprouts and Chorizo Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Package Green Giant Sautés Bacon Brussels Sprouts
- 2-3 x pre-cooked chorizo sausages chopped (Can sub for any sausage of your choice or for a meat free version, vegan sausages or even a veggie patty)
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
- Cayenne pepper to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Coat a large frying pan with oil and once hot, add the brussels and the spice mixture and mix very well.
- Once fully cooked, add the chorizo sausage, sun dried tomatoes and mix well. Add the spices to taste and remove from heat.
- Divide into two bowls and add the chopped bacon package and dig in.
Notes
If you use raw sausages, cook first and keep pan cooking and add the brussels mixture to that- I tried it out and it tasted great!
This salad can be reheated or even eaten cold.
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I use the term salad loosely as you might see on my Instagram. Lots of fried stuff on top of spinach is my salad. This salad definitely speaks to me, you know my thoughts on chorizo! And if she really got dumped for ordering lettuce, well, that’s lame too! Lamer than lettuce 😉
Hahahaha I despise plain lettuce salads!
This looks SO delicious. I’ve been on a brussels sprouts kick lately. I love roasting them with balsamic vinegar, but it’s totally time to up the game! Yummmmy!
Thanks Erin, it’s delicious.
I totally agree that salads can be meals, and this one is ideal for the cooler weather temps to come. Pinned!!
Thanks so much, Blair!
Anyone who says that salads can’t be meals has obviously never met a salad of mine. And my salads are miffed at the implications. Don’t go offending my food.
Hahahaha no offending your food- Touche 😀
I once almost dumped a guy for ordering a salad. I made him order something else. Haha!
smart woman!
Oh no that’s no good!
well you know my thoughts on salads….go big or go home. But i love that niki had cake before. haha. she’s so well balanced. and the date should have know that. Bugger! p.s I ADORE THIS COMBO! seriously, how did you know i (we) are obsessed with brussels and chorizo? Mind reader!
Seriously, all we need now is one of your lasagnas and we’d be in heaven!
You know I love my Brussels sprouts and yes, salads and veggies are definitely meals to me 🙂
I LOVE your salads because of the goodness ratio 😀
Hmmm….I’m gonna have to nix the weeknight date night. I mean, I did it occasionally when Laura and I were dating, but in general I’m not a fan. Unless it’s Thursday. Thursday is practically Friday, so it’s fair game. And we all know the fun happens on Fridays! But salads as a meal? Yes, yes and more yes…especially during the summer! I haven’t seen the Green Giant Sautes yet, but I totally want to pick some up now. I love me some Brussels…and this salad sounds incredible!
Ooooo I know why you liked Thursdays. If it’s anything like it was in Australia, Thursday was the ‘cheap’ dinner and drink nights. I’m telling Laura! 😉
OMG definitely going to their website now to check out their other products! Since I love sausage and working full time requires fast preparation, i believe this has to enter my weekly roundabout. I love that you said salad-less salad because that’s actually what i have for lunch every day. lots of veggies ( no lettuce HA) topped with potatoes, meat, guac, hot sauce you name it. if a tree falls but no one is around to hear it does it still make a sound? if theres veggies but too many toppings to see them, do they still exist? that kind of sounds like everything i eat.
annnnnnnd i would have a weeknight date with you if you serve brussels sprouts. (and cake.. gluten free egg free delicious (No nake?) CAKE) 😀
YES! NO LETTUCE!
Please see if you can find it- They are so good and easy!
I love salads. But not the boring ones. Lettuce and tomato doesn’t do it for me. The bigger the salad the better. Sounds like the guy was a bit off anyhow. I mean, if she wants a salad, who cares. He already knew she wasn’t an “always salad” girl. Whatever. Anyhow…on to your brussels sprouts…yum! We love them here, which is kind of funny, because I HATED them growing up…like so much I would sit at the table for hours to avoid eating them and try to get the dog to eat them too and he wouldn’t. Turns out, its all in how they’re cooked. My kids love them. And the only reason I tried them again is because my father in law was such a great cook and he made them. I was hooked after one batch of his.
Right? Lettuce and tomatoes are like….not even condiments. They are the pickles of the salad.
Oh we had a similar situation too- It totally is how it’s cooked! My mum studied in the UK and thought the only method was steamed or boiled. WORST.
Of course. I love salads for meals. However they have to have some sort of protein/fat on them to make them filling for me! This salad looks really good and unique. I used to think that brussel sprouts were gross. I had never even tried them, but people were always talking about them as the ‘despised’ vegetable. Then I tried them, and I loved every bite. Needless to say, next time we get brussel sprouts, this sounds like a good option.
As for weekday date nights, I don’t think I would care either way. 😉 Pretty flexible in that department.
Thanks Emily! I’m so glad we can praise the humble sprout now haha! 🙂
This looks great! I have an unhealthy obsession with brussel sprouts.
Haha, that’s a good obsession!
i love the idea of weekday date nights! I dont mind lettuce every now and then but im more of a arugula or chickpea type of person.
Oh chickpeas are such a great addition!
I love brussel sprouts- even though they are deemed as one of the ‘nastiest’ vegetables alongside broccoli by the toddlers of the world committee.
Niki’s date sounds horrible. I understand that someone may not like to be around a person who ONLY want to eat lettuce for meals, but this seemed out of line! I hope the next guy is a little less judgmental of food choices… or maybe you can invite them all over and show them what a REAL salad looks like ;).
Hahahaha TOUCHE!
Thanks Niki! Maybe you and Niki can go on a friend date and discuss where the hell our mothers picked that name.
I love a good roasted salad! Not so sure about the chorizo, but I will take your word for it. And I cannot imagine a date on a weeknight because I am usually in my PJs by 7. It’s a good thing I am married. And yes, he is a lucky man.
Roasted salads are the only salads!