Category Archives: Bacon

Sweet Potato Hash with Bacon and Green Onions ~ Breakfast

23 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by in Bacon, Breakfast, Eggs, Gluten Free, Sweet Potatoes

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…But there you go again, there you go again, making me love you more!  I’m talking about the sweet potato here people.  I just can’t get enough.  The trick to making a quick sweet potato hash is to precook the cubed potato in the microwave for a few minutes.  The cubes get soft and tender and will crisp up and caramelize so much faster.  Give this one a try!

Sweet Potato Hash with Bacon and Green Onions for Two

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, peel on, cubed 1/2″
2 bacon slices, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Serve with poached eggs and barbecue sauce

Directions

1.  Place cubed sweet potato in a microwave-safe bowl and add a tablespoon of water.  Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes.

2.  Cook bacon in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add precooked sweet potatoes and cook until potatoes begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes.

3.  Sprinkle green onions over the potatoes and season with salt, pepper, and paprika.

4.  Serve with poached eggs and barbecue sauce.

Delicious!

If you want to bump up this breakfast, you might add black beans, diced bell peppers, and tomatoes to the hash.  Crumbled Mexican cheese, such as cotija would go well.

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French Lentil Salad with Crispy Bacon and Vegetables Recipe

22 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Bacon, Cooking, French, Lunch, Recipe, Salad

≈ 1 Comment

Just in time for the latest cookbook club potluck, I prepared this French Lentil Salad with Crispy Bacon and Vegetables.  I bet you could make this with regular lentils, but using the French variety elevates this dish slightly, making it more decadent and special.

We were reading An Everlasting Feast: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler.  She cooked a lot with lentils and beans.  She used a lot of parsley. Majority of her recipes came straight from her well-stocked pantry.  I tried to do the same, using what I already had on hand, brightening the dish with parsley and briny capers.  I think Tamar would be proud….accept for the part where by mistake I poured out the broth from the lentils, instead of saving this flavorful, deep liquid and making soup out of it the next day.  I’m sorry, Tamar.


French Lentil Salad with Crispy Bacon and Vegetables

Ingredients

Lentils

1 1/2 cup French lentils, rinsed
1 shallot, quartered
3 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf

4 bacon slices, diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped

Dressing
zest and juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1 clove garlic, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Place lentils, shallot, garlic, and bay leaf in a pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer lentils until al dente.

2.  Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

3.  Drain the lentils and discard shallot, garlic, and bay leaf.  If there is too much bacon fat in the pan, skim off some of it.  Add the lentils to the bacon fat in the pan and gently stir.

4.  Stir in the vegetables into the cooked lentils.


You can make the dressing separately and drizzle it over the salad, or stir everything together directly in the skillet.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed, with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

5.  Garnish with bacon right before serving.

The salad keeps well in the refrigerator over night.  It also heats up very well, so feel free to enjoy it cold or warm.  I almost want to call the salad vegetarian, but the bacon gets in the way.

French Lentil Salad with Crispy Bacon and Vegetables Recipe


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Toad in a Hole Meets Pancake

07 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Bacon, Breakfast, Cooking, Recipe

≈ 4 Comments

We all have heard about toad in a hole – a fun breakfast idea where the egg is pan fried inside a piece of toast.  The trick to the dish is to make sure that your bread is toasted and crusty on the outside, the egg white is perfectly set, and the egg yolk is soft and gooey. It can be quite challenging, but when done correctly, totally satisfying.

I normally do not have bread in my kitchen, making toad in a hole an unlikely occurrence.  This morning, craving an egg, I opened my refrigerator and was reminded of the leftover batter from Apple and Bacon Pancakes.  “Why not an egg in a pancake?” I thought.  I pulled out my skillet and got cooking.

To make Egg in a Pancake, heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add vegetable oil and allow the oil to heat up.  Ladle the pancake batter into a pan, I used the apple and bacon pancake batter, but feel free to use your favorite recipe.  Next, carefully crack an egg and place it in the middle of the batter.

Lower the heat slightly, and continue to cook the pancake until the batter bubbles up on top.  Get your spatula, say a prayer, and carefully flip the pancake and the egg.  Cook a few more minutes on the other side, say another prayer, and flip the pancake and the egg onto a warmed up plate.

I drizzled the Egg in a Pancake with syrup and hot sauce.  The egg yolk miraculously stayed soft and created a lovely infusion with the sweet syrup and spicy sauce.

I still have some pancake batter left, what should I do with it next?

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Project "You Buy, I Cook" ~ Apple and Bacon Pancakes

06 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Bacon, Breakfast, Cooking, Recipe, You Buy I Cook

≈ 3 Comments

The third installment of “You Buy, I Cook” is here!  Last time, I made a Salad with Pomegranate and Asian Pear with Priya. This time, my friend Anna came over for a night of Breakfast for Dinner and a movie.  The movie never happened, but we did play a fantastic game of Scrabble.


Just a quick reminder of how this project works – you bring groceries, I cook (you have a chance to cook and learn with me, if you wish), we eat, you do the dishes.


Back to Breakfast for Dinner.  Eggs, bacon, and pancakes came immediately to mind.  Then I had the idea to combine the bacon and pancakes, throw in an apple – and, voila, Apple and Bacon Pancakes were born. We also devoured a plate of sunny side up eggs and roasted potatoes.



Apple and Bacon Pancakes


Ingredients


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
healthy pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups half-and-half (originally, I wanted to use buttermilk, but apparently the store did not have it, so we settled on half-and-half)
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1-2 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into thin strips (do not use a grater to grate apples – you’ll end up with too much juice and hardly any texture)


Directions


1.  In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients and whisk to combine.  Carefully stir in bacon and apples.



 2.  Heat a large pan over medium high heat.  (I tried using a cast iron skillet and somehow it didn’t work for me.  Since I don’t have a non-stick pan, I ended up using a heavy bottom stainless steel pan).  Add a little bit of oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and allow the oil to warm up.


3.  Use a measuring cup (1/4 c) or a small ladle to make pancakes.  Cook the pancakes for 4-5 minutes on each side.



Once bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes, you know it is time to flip them.  Be sure to flip away from you to prevent any oil splattering.



4.  Add a little bit of oil to the pan between the batches.  Serve the pancakes hot, with a drizzle of syrup and hot sauce.



The good news is the batter keeps well overnight in the refrigerator.  Feel free to make it a day ahead to save some time in the morning (unless you’ll be making these sinful delights for Dinner for Breakfast).


I am guessing you won’t have too many leftovers 🙂



Do you love Breakfast for Dinner?  What is on your menu?


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Summer Tuscan Soup Recipe – Stone Soup Kitchen at Carnations Farmers Market

10 Wednesday Aug 2011

Posted by in Bacon, Chicken, Cooking, Farmers Market, Recipe, Soup, Vegetables

≈ 2 Comments

I’ve had so much fun cooking at the Carnation Farmers Market that I decided to come back for the 3rd time. 

My two previous visits to the Stone Soup Kitchen resulted in Cream of Asparagus Soup and Summer Smoked Salmon Chowder.  (Have you tried the recipes yet?  If not, what are you waiting for?) What would I make this time around? 
You might remember that last time I could not find new potatoes at the market.  So when I heard that these little young spuds made their appearance, I decided to definitely use them!  So young, so innocent, creamy and tender, these potatoes didn’t even need to be peeled.  But the soup shall not be build on potatoes alone.
I took my inspiration from a Tuscan Sausage and Kale soup I have once cooked with my friend Melissa.  That soup was a perfect bowl of comfort on a cold October night, and even though, some of these summer days might have felt like October to you, I wanted to bring the soup into the summertime.  I made a few changes to lighten up this soup. 

Instead of using pork sausage, I used Spicy Italian Chicken sausage, but kept the peppered smoked bacon, both from Whole Foods Market.  Also, I replaced the traditional kale with bright and colorful Red and Rainbow Swiss Chard.  And finally, I added more summer vegetables – rainbow carrots and green zucchini.  Let’s get cooking!
I have to say, the visits to the market have been so successful and well received, that I am strongly considering starting up my own Soup Kitchen delivery service.  Are you interested in placing an order?  Who knows, I just might be the next soup lady 🙂

Summer Tuscan Soup 

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 slices peppered bacon, diced

2 pounds mild or spicy Italian chicken sausage, casing removed

2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced

1 bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced
pinch of red pepper flakes

1 gallon chicken broth

8 small potatoes, scrubbed and diced

1 bunch rainbow carrots, scrubbed and diced

3 medium zucchini, diced

1 bunch rainbow Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and diced

1 bunch red Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and diced

1 quart milk or half & half

salt and pepper to taste







Directions:

1.  Heat oil in a large saute pan.  Add bacon and saute for 5 minutes.  Add sausage and cook until sausage is no longer pink inside, about 5-8 minutes.  Be sure to break sausage into small pieces while it’s cooking.  Removed bacon and sausage from a pan (reserving the fat) and set aside.

2.  Add onion, fennel and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook until vegetables are translucent, 8-10 minutes.  Remove from heat.

3.  In a large soup pot, combine chicken broth, potatoes, and carrots.  Season with salt and bring to a boil.  Partially cover the soup pot and lower the heat to simmer.  Cook until potatoes and carrots are tender.

4.  Add the stems of Swiss chard and zucchini and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

5.  Add milk and bring to a simmer.  Be sure not to boil, or the milk will curdle.

6.  Add Swiss chard leaves, cooked bacon and sausage, and onions with fennel.  Cook until Swiss chard is slightly wilted and everything is heated through.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Serve with green olive bread from Preston Hill Bakery and butter from Golden Glen Creamery.

Thank you SO much to all the farms for providing beautiful vegetables.

Oxbow Farm for the gorgeous rainbow carrots.

Full Circle Farm for fennel, rainbow and red Swiss chard.

Bautista Farm for onions and potatoes.

Thanks to everyone who came for a taste, cup, and bowl of soup and made this Stone Soup Kitchen another success!

What’s your favorite summertime soup?
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Spanish Tapas: The Love Triangle – Dates, Manchego & Bacon

10 Sunday Jul 2011

Posted by in Appetizer, Bacon, Balsamic, Cooking, Recipe, Spanish

≈ 2 Comments

The adventure in Spanish Tapas continues.  I started a few posts ago with a recipe a recipe for Pork Meatballs with Piquillo Sauce.  These little meatballs (little only in size, big in flavor!) are also perfect serve as a second course, along a slice of potato tortilla (check back for a recipe in a week) or on top of angel hair pasta – you might want to double up the recipe for the Piquillo Sauce. 


Now that we have the meat covered, let’s go to the beginning of the meal.  This is one of the most simple, quick and easy appetizers.  The four ingredients are a breeze to pick up at the store, yet the combination of flavors together will surprise you – it is beyond-words-decadent.  A word of advice – you might want to make a few extra for yourself – they will fly off the plate at your party!


Medjool Dates Stuffed with Manchego Cheese and Wrapped in Bacon


Ingredients


12 medjool dates
12 pieces of manchego cheese (sheep’s milk cheese)
6 pieces uncured bacon, cut in half
Fig Balsamic Vinegar

Let’s talk a little bit about the ingredients.  Do buy your dates with pits.  The pits will actually keep the dates more moist – you don’t want a dried out date, do you?  Plus, unpitted dates are cheaper, and who doesn’t want to save some money? 
The Manchego cheese comes in different “ages” or rather “months”.  I chose a 3-month.  A young cheese will melt much better and is milder in flavor than a 6- or a 9-month.  
Fig Balsamic Vinegar is a bit of indulgence.  If you prefer, you can use traditional balsamic vinegar instead.  What’s even better, is the reduction of vinegar – pour the vinegar in a small pot and simmer until it reduces in volume by half.

Directions


1.  Preheat broiler on medium. Line a baking sheet with alluminum foil and set aside.


2. With a pairing knife, make a slit on a side of a date and remove the pit.  Place a piece of cheese in the cavity of each date.  Try to hug the date around the cheese, so as the cheese melts, it still stays inside the fig instead of oozing on your sheet pan.  Once the cheese is hugged, it’s time to hug the date – in bacon! 


Place the wrapped dates on top of a cooling rack instead of directly on the baking sheet.  The cooling rack raises the dates just enough so that the hot air circulates and cooks the dates more evenly and faster.



3.  Broil dates 3-5 minutes on each side, until the bacon is crisp. Carefully remove the dates on a serving platter and drizzle with Fig or Balsamic vinegar. Serve right away.


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In The Kitchen with Melissa – Melissa’s Tuscan Soup with Potatoes, Kale and Bacon

28 Tuesday Sep 2010

Posted by in Bacon, Cooking, Potatoes, Recipe, Soup

≈ 1 Comment

Do you have a signature dish?  Whenever people ask me what my signature dish is, I stare, and stare, perhaps scratch my head, sigh, and say “No, I don’t have one.”  My friend Melissa, on the other hand, does have a signature dish – Melissa’s Tuscan Soup.

On the same night that I shared my recipe for Savory Southwestern Sweet Potatoes, Melissa shared her recipe for a delicious, comforting and heart warming soup!

While Melissa was cooking, I was paying close attention and taking mental notes.  Like many chefs, she didn’t use an actual recipe with measurements – she must’ve made the soup so many times for friends and family that she knew it by heart and measured the ingredients by feel.  So the recipe below is more of a method.
1. In a large soup pot saute diced onion and chopped garlic.
2. Add sausage (Melissa used a spicy sausage variety, but you should feel free to use the kind you like).  Saute sausage and onions until tender.  Sprinkle red pepper flakes.
3. Add thinly sliced potatoes (Melissa used a food processor to slice her potatoes.  She left the skin on – gives you more nutrients!).
4. Add 4 cups of chicken stock.  Have your own homemade chicken stock?  Great! Use it.  Otherwise use low-sodium, low-fat chicken stock.
5. Bring the soup to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender.
6.  Time for white and green!  Add chopped kale, about 4 cups and a few cups of milk.  If you are feeling extravagant, you could add some half and half for richness, but honestly, you don’t need it.  The soup turns out really creamy and rich as is.  Be careful not to boil the milk.  Gently heat the soup to wilt kale.
7.  Time for one ingredient – crumbled pepper bacon.  Melissa used 4 slices.  It really adds a nice kick and texture to the soup.  Ladle up and enjoy!

I truly hope that I did Melissa’s soup justice.  The soup was hearty, comforting and delicious.  Try it for yourself and let me know what you think!