Sautéed Brussels Sprout Tops

8-9 cups of Brussels sprout leaves, rinsed thoroughly
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
3 slices of bacon.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1-1 ½ tablespoons)
1/2 cup of Vegetable Stock
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
Lemon zest
Juice of 1/2 lemon
A splash of Red wine Vinegar (to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and cook the bacon for 15 minutes on a rack. Cool and dice.
Add the olive oil to a pan and sauté the diced onion until slightly translucent.
Once the onions start to turn translucent, add the garlic and continue to cook until the onions are soft and the garlic is slightly browned.
Add the vegetable stock to the pan and bring it to a simmer.
Add the Brussels sprout leaves to the pan and cover the pan with a lid, allowing the leaves to be steamed.
Once the leaves have slightly wilted down, add the pinch of red pepper flakes and the lemon zest.
Continue to sauté the ingredients together, stirring occasionally until they reach the texture/consistency you desire (I prefer mine to be soft, with just a slight bit of crunch. I cook mine on low heat about 30 minutes.)
Remove from heat and stir in a small splash of red wine vinegar and lemon juice.
Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the diced bacon.
Serve hot.

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