3466. SWISS CHARD, PINTO and BACON BURRITOS

serves two 


2-3 strips bacon, diced
2-3 Swiss chard leaves, chopped
16 oz can pinto beans, drained
a few dashes dried epazote
a few dashes Hawaiian pink sea salt, or to taste
a few dashes crushed Aleppo pepper, or to taste
2-3 tablespoons sour cream
2 large tortillas
1/3 cup crumbled cotija cheese
optional add-ins: avocado, salsa, hot sauce, etc.

Add the diced bacon to a large, heavy pan, and cook over medium heat until it just begins to brown. Add the chopped Swiss chard and sauté with the bacon until soft and wilted. Stir in pinto beans, salt, epazote and Aleppo pepper. Cook and stir until the beans are hot and everything is mixed together. Spread 1-2 tablespoons sour cream onto each tortilla, cover each one with half the pinto and chard mix, and sprinkle each one with half of the crumbled cotija. Roll it all up!


bacon recipe source: dramatic pancake (@dramaticpancake), May 6, 2013

3132. BACON FALAFEL BITES with HUMMUS

yields 24 bites

 

 

One 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

3 tablespoons tahini 

2 cloves garlic, finely grated

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

6 slices bacon

 

One 10-ounce package falafel mix, such as Casbah 

Canola oil, for frying 

3 small heads Boston Bibb lettuce, leaves separated (about 24 leaves total) 

3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced 

1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

Aleppo pepper, for garnish 

 

Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Put the chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic and 1/3 cup water in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until completely smooth and slightly fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Place in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Put the bacon slices on a rack set over a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, and then crumble or cut with a knife into bite-size pieces.

Prepare the falafel mix according to the package directions, adding the bacon to the mixture. Using a leveled tablespoon as a measure, form the mixture into small balls, about 24 total. Place the formed falafel balls onto a baking sheet.

Fill a large skillet with 1/2 inch canola oil and heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 350 degrees F. In batches, fry the falafel balls until golden brown all over, 1 to 2 minutes total per batch. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked falafel balls to a paper-towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt.

To assemble, place 2 to 3 slices of both tomato and cucumber down the center of each lettuce leaf. Top with a falafel ball. Drizzle with some hummus and garnish with a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper.

 

 

bacon recipe courtesy of: Alie Ward and Georgia Hardstark, "Marfa, Texas," Tripping Out with Alie & Georgia, Cooking Channel TV

2798. STEAMED CORN with CLAMS and BACON

makes four servings


1/2 cup diced slab bacon

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
24 littleneck clams
2 ears corn, shucked and cut into 2-inch lengths
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons pimentón
aleppo pepper
handful fresh basil leaves, torn
healthy drizzle of olive oil 

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, sweat the bacon over medium heat. Once it begins to render, about 2 minutes, add the garlic and sweat until translucent. Add the clams, corn and white wine, and stir in the pimentón. Increase the heat to high and cook, uncovered, for about 30 seconds, until the alcohol has evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and steam until all the clams have opened and the corn is tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard any clams that don't open. Serve in a large bowl with a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper, torn basil and a generous drizzle of fruity olive oil.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Los Angeles Times, September 22, 2012 | adapted from Seamus Mullen's Hero Food: How Cooking with Delicious Things Can Make Us Feel Better, by Seamus Mullen. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2012

2682. SUGAR-ROASTED PEACH and CORNBREAD SUNDAES with BACON SYRUP

serves eight 


For the cornbread:  
4 oz. (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened; more for the baking dish  
9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the baking dish  
3 oz. (1/2 cup) fine yellow cornmeal  
2 teaspoons baking powder  
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream

For the bacon syrup:
6 slices thick-cut bacon, preferably applewood-smoked
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup honey

For serving:
8 sugar-roasted peach halves, warmed (recipe below)
Vanilla gelato or ice cream
Minced fresh sage, for garnish
Aleppo pepper flakes, for garnish (optional)

For the sugar-roasted peach halves:

2 slices thick-cut bacon
4 ripe semi-firm medium peaches (about 8 oz. each), halved and pitted
2 teaspoons raw sugar, such as demerara or turbinado
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large sprigs fresh summer or winter savory, thyme, or rosemary

For the sugar-roasted peach halves: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. Cook the bacon in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, flipping occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Pour the bacon fat from the skillet into a small heatproof bowl, leaving a slick of fat in the skillet; you’ll need 4 tsp. reserved fat. (If you don’t have enough, make up the difference with extra-virgin olive oil.) Raise the heat under the skillet to medium high.  Sprinkle the cut sides of the peaches evenly with the sugar and a tiny pinch each of salt  and pepper. Arrange the peaches in the skillet cut side down and tuck the herbs around them. Tear the bacon slices in quarters and tuck the pieces around the peaches. Drizzle 2 tsp. of the reserved bacon fat evenly over the peaches and let them cook undisturbed until the cut sides begin to brown, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle the uncut sides of the peaches with a tiny pinch of salt, then transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the peaches are just tender, about 10 minutes.  Flip the peaches, drizzle with 2 tsp. more of the reserved bacon fat, and continue to roast until they’re tender but not falling apart, about 5 minutes more. Enjoy the bacon as a cook’s treat, or save it for another use; discard the herbs. Let the peaches cool slightly before serving.  

 

Make the cornbread: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Adjust the mixer speed to low and add the cream, milk, and sour cream; mix until combined. The batter may look curdled at this point. Add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined and scraping down the sides as needed. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, smooth the top, and firmly tap the dish on the counter to break any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let the cornbread cool in its dish on a rack until warm.  

 

Make the bacon syrup: In a 12-inch skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, flipping occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and then coarsely chop. Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat from the skillet. Add the maple syrup and honey to the skillet and heat over medium heat, stirring to combine. Return the bacon to the skillet and stir to combine and heat through, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the syrup cool to warm.  

 

Serve: Cut eight 2-inch cubes from the cornbread (you’ll have leftover cornbread). If made ahead, warm the cubes in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes, or lightly toast them in a toaster oven. Put a cube of cornbread on each of 8 plates. Arrange the peaches and scoops of gelato near the cornbread. Top with the bacon syrup, sage, and a tiny pinch of Aleppo pepper, if using.

 

 

bacon recipe courtesy of: Bill Taibe, Fine Cooking, Number 118, July, 2012, pp. 84-85 

1967. BACON-FILLED WAFFLES with CHILI-SPICED FRIED APPLES

for the waffles:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
12 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs separated
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup crumbled cooked bacon
Canola oil spray

for chili-fried apples:
3 1/2 tablespoons bacon drippings or grease
4 crisp tart apples, peeled, cored and cut into thick slices
1/4 cup raw, brown or maple sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
Aleppo pepper flakes and maple syrup for serving/garnish

FOR WAFFLES: Heat your oven to 200 degrees F. and plug in your waffle iron and start it heating.

Whisk the dry ingredients together thoroughly except for the sugar and bacon in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together the milks, vanilla, canola oil and egg yolks in a large measuring cup or batter bowl until well combined.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Sprinkle the sugar over them and continue whisking until they form fairly stiff peaks.

Blend together the liquid into the dry ingredients until they are just combined. Do not overmix.

Fold in the egg whites.

Spray your waffle iron well with canola oil spray. Fill the iron with scoops of batter without overfilling the iron. Sprinkle with an even layer of bacon bits. Close waffle iron and cook as directed.

When baked, remove from iron, cut into fourths along guidelines and lay in oven on racks in a single layer to crisp up. (You can also crisp them in the toaster as I directed in the post and then hold them in a single layer in the oven. This works a bit better in my opinion.)

Serve topped with fried apples and a bit of maple syrup.

FOR CHILI-SPICED FRIED APPLES: Heat your bacon drippings or grease over a medium flame in a skillet or frying pan. Add apples in a single layer and cook, stirring, until they soften to where they can be pierced by a fork, but they still are a bit hard in the center and they are golden colored. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and chili flakes, and keep cooking, stirring constantly, until they are fragrant, glazed with a thick syrup and are soft through without being mushy.

Serve spooned over the bacon waffles with a drizzle of maple syrup and if you like another sprinkle of Aleppo pepper flakes.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Tigers & Strawberries, Petitchef.com, March 25, 2009