The Mister and I were recently invited over to dinner with our friends, Laura and Jake, who just so happen to be as gracious and well-versed in the kitchen as they are good-looking. Seriously, when you meet them, it's hard not to be overwhelmed by the incredible duo of attractiveness. Even the Mister, after he met Jake for the first time, was all like, "Whoa, now that's a good-looking dude." I have never before and never again heard the Mister comment on any man's looks if that's any testament. 

Besides good genes, Laura and Jake are wicked fit and subscribe to a Paleo lifestyle which is essentially a whole-foods based diet that includes lean meats and fish, plenty of vegetables, some fruit and good fats like nuts, avocadoes and coconut oil. It is gluten-free, dairy-free (for most)and free of legumes and grains. Some call it the caveman diet and others call it rather extreme. It's actually not so far off from the diet that the Mister and I subscribe to (although more meat than I tend to eat) and it most definitely seems to be working for our friends. 

I was eager to dine in their primal kitchen.  

Suffice to say, there was not an empty belly or disappointed soul to be found after dinner that night. Before dinner, we snacked on  bacon wrapped dates, the perfect combination of sweet and salty. The bacon was nitrate-free, of course.  For the main meal, Jake made a local, grass-fed beef brisket with an amazing dry rub of cocoa, chile, coffee and cumin along with roasted purple sweet potatoes and the rock star side and reason for this post, Brussel Sprout Slaw. That shizz was soooo good. 

The recipe came out  of this book, which also happens to be bible for many die-hard Paleo folks.  It all starts with bacon which means there's really nowhere for this dish to go but up. 

See that sizzle. That becomes the love nest for our brussel sprouts. The recipe calls for a half-pound of bacon, cooked and cut into small dice, then set aside. 

A pound of mature brussel sprouts are shredded into slaw-like pieces, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. You can use the food processor, but I like to hand-cut mine. It's all zen and stuff. 

Then, the shredded sprouts are sauteed with all the sizzly leftover bacon love  until they are bright green and soft. 
Like so...

The sauteed slaw is then reunited with the diced bacon, chopped scallions and a tangy dijon-apple cider dressing. 
If the bacon is Cher, this dressing is Sonny.  

From Paleo Comfort Foods: 
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper (or more to taste) 

Whisk all ingredients together and pour over the slaw. 

The original recipe called for toasted pecans which I left out. Variations could be anything from the addition of crunchy apples to toasted walnuts and chunks of blue cheese (not Paleo).  If swine isn't your thing, use your favorite oil to sautee the brussel sprouts and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. 

Served warm, the combination of flavors is hard to beat.  See that bowl right there. I ate the whole thing after I took photos of it. It is definitely in my "I'll bring a dish" arsenal. Thanks to our friends Laura and Jake for sharing their home and their primal kitchen with us. It was inspiring and delicious!