3992. BACON HALLOUMI ROLLS with SAGE GREEN BEANS

serves 2


200g halloumi cheese

200g streaky bacon

2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

200g green beans, ends chopped off

1 1/2 tbsp flaked almonds

2 leaves fresh sage

1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half

butter (from your pantry)

salt and pepper (from your pantry)

Heat oven to 200ºC (400ºF).

Cut the halloumi into sticks – about 1.5 cm wide. Lay the bacon slices out on a board and scatter with chopped chives and freshly ground black pepper. Roll the bacon around the halloumi in a spiral to cover the halloumi stick. Place the halloumi rolls on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until the bacon browns and begins to crisp.

Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add beans and cook for 2 minutes. Once cooked, drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

Place a small pan on high heat and dry toast the almonds until lightly browned - about a minute. Toss often to make sure they don’t burn.

Put a frying pan on medium to high heat. Add a few knobs of butter. When the butter has melted, add whole sage leaves and garlic and cook for about a minute. Now add the beans to the frying pan and mix through with the butter sauce. Scatter with the toasted almonds.

To serve, divide the beans between the plates and place halloumi rolls on top.

bacon recipe source: DailyDish (@DailyDishForYou), 13 Garnet Park, 6 Drill Avenue, Montague Gardens, Western Cape, South Africa, 7441

3740. BACON SPINACH MANDARIN ORANGE SALAD with WARM DRESSING

4 strips of bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

1 can of mandarin orange, drained
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
Several red onion rings
1 ten ounce bag of baby spinach
½ cup of slivered almonds

1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1½ tablespoons of butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten

Mix the vinegar, water, sugar, butter and salt together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 1 minute. Set pot off stove for about an hour to cool. In a dish, beat the egg then add to the can and put back on the stove. Stay with the pan and stir constantly. Allow dressing to cool. Put all the other items in a bowl and drizzle the warm salad dressing over the salad. Serve with crackers.

bacon recipe source: Kelli's Kitchen (@venuscorpiogirl), August 21, 2014

3654. SAVORY BACON GRANOLA

1 1/4 cup of rolled oats
4 slices of thick cut bacon
1/2 cup of flax seeds
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds (unsalted)
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
1/2 cup of dried apples, diced
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1 egg white
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
3 tablespoons of maple syrup

Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. Cut bacon into small cubes and cook in a pan over medium high heat until fat renders and just begins to tan around the edges. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Combine oats, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, almonds, dried apple, bacon, and salt in a large bowl and toss to combine. Whisk an egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Add maple syrup and oil to the bowl of the oat mixture and add egg white. Toss to coat. Pour in even layer on baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely and store in an air tight container.


bacon recipe source: Karen, Honestly YUM (@HonestlyYUM), August 6, 2014

3625. CREAMY FETTUCINE with BACON, ALMONDS and ORANGE

yields four servings


8 oz. dry fettuccine
4 slices bacon, cooked and diced (4 oz)
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
zest of 1 medium orange, plus more for garnish
juice of 1 medium orange
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
finely grated Romano cheese, for garnish

Cook fettuccine pasta to al dente according to directions listed on package. Drain cooked pasta, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1/4 cup reserved pasta water, heavy cream, orange juice, and orange zest. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and stir in cooked pasta. Cook for about 1 minute until sauce coats pasta, then remove from heat and toss in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, diced bacon and toasted almonds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Plate and garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and Romano cheese. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe source: Jaclyn Bell, Cooking Classy (@cookingclassy1), January 30, 2013

3607. CREAMED BRUSSELS SPROUTS with BACON, MASALA and ALMONDS

serves 4-6 


500 grams Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed, halved through the root 
125 grams smoked, streaky bacon, chopped 
olive oil, for frying 
100 ml masala 
50 grams flaked almonds 
3 tablespoons double cream

Fill a bowl with cold, iced water. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and add the sprouts. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 2–3 minutes, drain, then plunge the sprouts directly into the cold water and leave for 5 minutes.
 
Put a non-stick frying pan or sauté pan over a medium heat and fry the bacon in a little oil until crisp. Add the marsala and reduce by half, then take off the heat and leave to cool.

In a dry pan over a medium heat, toast the almonds for a minute or two, stirring regularly, until golden. Set aside in a bowl.

Put the pan with bacon in it over a medium heat. When it starts to fizzle, add the sprouts and the cream and bring back to a gentle boil. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 3 minutes.

Scatter the toasted almonds over the sprouts and serve.


bacon recipe source: Good Food Channel (@GoodFoodChannel), UK-TV

3616. LETTUCE, BACON and CHOW MEIN SALAD

For the salad:
8 slices cooked, crumbled bacon strips
1 head of lettuce (chopped)
1 cup chow mein noodles
3 oz toasted almonds
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
Chopped green onion

For the dressing:
½ cup salad oil
6 teaspoons white vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Toast the almonds and sesame seeds on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees. Cool and add lettuce, noodles, bacon and onions. Put the dressing on salad immediately before serving.


bacon recipe source: katie7609 (member), BakeSpace.com (@bakespace)

3607. STUFFED MUSHROOMS with BACON and ALMONDS

16–18 button mushrooms
3 pieces of bacon, cooked and diced
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
a handful of raw, blanched almonds
10-15 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grass-fed butter

Take the buttons off the mushrooms and set them aside. Clean out the mushrooms and rinse them in water to remove any dirt. Set upside-down on a paper towel to drain.

Wash the stems and with a knife, chop into small pieces. Set aside.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter in the olive oil and cook the onion until translucent.

Add the garlic and mushroom stem pieces. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, to release any liquid in them.

Add the back rasher pieces and cumin and stir well. Cook about 1 minute and remove from heat.

Place the mushroom caps with the open-side up in an ovenproof dish.

Fill with the bacon-onion mixture. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In the same saucepan, add a drizzle of olive oil and over low heat, brown the almonds, stirring constantly. Be careful not to burn them, as they will turn sour. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Pour the almonds and oil into a mortar with the peppercorns. Ground with the pestle into coarse pieces.

Spoon the almonds-ground peppercorn mixture over the filled mushroom caps.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes and serve immediately.


bacon recipe source: Debra Dorn, The Saffron Girl (@TheSaffronGirl), August 5, 2013

3593. RAINBOW CHARD with BACON and ALMONDS

makes four servings 


3 slices of bacon, cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick 
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise 
1 pound rainbow chard—stems trimmed and cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick, leaves cut crosswise 1 inch thick 
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped roasted, salted almonds 

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Add the onions and chard stems to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. 

Add the chard leaves to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until the leaves are wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and cook for1 minute. Stir in the almonds and the bacon. Season with salt and pepper and serve.


bacon recipe source: Melissa Rubel Jacobson, Food & Wine (@foodandwine)  

3494. ALMOND-BACON CHEESE CROSTINI

makes 36 servings


1 French bread baguette (1 lb), cut into 36 slices
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 green onion, chopped
dash salt
additional toasted almonds, optional 

Place bread slices on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-9 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cheese, mayonnaise, almonds, bacon, onion and salt. Spread over bread. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with additional almonds if desired. Serve warm.

 

 

bacon recipe source: Country Woman Christmas Annual 2007, p. 42; Taste of Home (@tasteofhome), PO Box 5294, Harlan, IA 51593-0794

3382. MAPLE-BACON MOUSSE TARTS

Maple mousse
1 cup (240 ml/ 8 fluid oz.) pure maple syrup
4 large egg yolks
1 package (7g/1 tablespoon) unflavoured gelatine
1 1/2 cups (360 ml. g/12 fluid oz) whipping cream

Bacon-nut crust
About 5 strips of bacon, cooled and crumbled
1 1/2 cups crushed nuts of your choice such as almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts
1 egg, beaten, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar

Meringue
3 large egg whites at room temperature
3/4 cup (165 g./5.5 oz) sugar

Maple Mousse: Bring maple syrup to a boil then remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and pour a little bit of the maple syrup in while whisking (this is to temper your egg yolks so they don’t curdle). Add warmed egg yolks to hot maple syrup until well mixed. Measure 1/4 cup of whipping cream in a bowl and sprinkle it with the gelatine. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Place the bowl in a microwave for 45 seconds (microwave for 10 seconds at a time and check it in between) or place the bowl in a pan of barely simmering water, stir to ensure the gelatine has completely dissolved. Whisk the gelatine/whipping cream mixture into the maple syrup mixture and set aside. Whisk occasionally for approximately an hour or until the mixture has the consistency of an unbeaten raw egg white. Whip the remaining cream. Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the maple syrup mixture. Fold in the remaining cream and refrigerate for at least an hour, or until ready to use.

Bacon-Nut Crust: Use a food processor or a zip-lock back with a rolling pin to crush your nuts if whole, use about 1 cup of whole nuts to get 3/4 cups crushed. You want it somewhat coarse. In a bowl mix the crumbled bacon and nuts with the beaten egg and the sugar. Take 6 small 1/2 cup capacity Pyrex cups or a similar container and line the inside with aluminum foil. Spread 1/4 cup of the mixture in the bowl, all the way up to the sides making sure you have a thin and even clean layer all around. Bake at 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. until the nuts are golden and fragrant (about 15 minutes). Let cool completely before unmolding.

Meringue: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F/150 degrees C. Put the egg whites in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer beat for a few minutes until the whites become stiff. Now add the sugar, a little at a time, whisking until the mixture is stiff and glossy. You should be able to turn the bowl upside down and the mixture won’t fall out. Place baking parchment on to a clean baking sheet. Using a spoon or a piping bag, dollop the meringue into circles that fit inside the rim of your edible cups. Put the tray in the oven, then immediately turn the oven down to 250 degrees F/130 degrees C. and bake for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool in the oven for a few hours.

Assemble: Carefully unmold the crusts and fill each one with the chilled maple mousse. Decorate as desired using the meringues and any left over bacon bits.


bacon recipe source: Valerie, Une Gamine dans la Cuisine, April 28, 2011

3243. BACON QUINOA with ALMONDS and HERBS

makes four servings 


1/3 cup slivered almonds 
1 teaspoon vegetable oil 
2 thick slices of applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice 
1 small shallot, minced 
1 cup quinoa, rinsed 
2 cups chicken stock 
1 sage sprig 
1 tablespoon minced chives 
1 tablespoon chopped parsley 
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the almonds in a pie plate and toast in the oven until golden brown, 4 minutes; let cool. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the bacon and cook over moderately high heat until the fat has rendered, about 2 minutes. Add the shallot and cook, stirring a few times, until softened but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the quinoa, stock and sage and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the stock has been absorbed, about 17 minutes. Remove the quinoa from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the sage and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Stir in the chives, parsley and toasted almonds. Season the quinoa with salt and pepper and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Bruce Sherman, "Cruising with a Naturalist Cook," Food & Wine, November 2009

3229. CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON TOFFEE

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sliced almonds
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (should make about one cup)
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Layer a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Put a glass measuring cup next to the pan.

In a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the butter, sugar, and salt. Stir regularly until the mixture boils and comes to a 285 degrees F.

Once the mixture has reached the right temperature, quickly stir in the almonds, and then the bacon. The fat is going to melt off the bacon immediately and separate from the rest of the mixture.

Pour it all into the jelly roll pan. It will start to set quickly, and the bacon fat will be liquid and on top. Lift the pan with one of the corners pointed down and pour off the fat into the glass measuring cup. Get as much of it as you can, turning the pan and dripping from the opposite corner as necessary.

Let the toffee set for at least two hours in the refrigerator. Move to the freezer for an hour.

Once the toffee is frozen, break it apart and keep it in the freezer. Melt the chocolate according to the package directions, and taking a few pieces of toffee out of the freezer at a time, dip it in the chocolate, setting it on wax paper to set.

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Lisa Longley, wine & glue, April 26, 2013

3127. FILLET OF HAKE with SAVOY CABBAGE, TOASTED ALMOND and BACON VINAIGRETTE

5 x 160g hake fillets (pan-fry skin side in a little olive oil, season with sea salt)
1 small head of savoy cabbage 
1 medium carrot 
2 red onions, peeled and sliced
dash of olive oil
knob of butter 
1 clove of chopped garlic
dash of cream

Vinaigrette: 
4 streaky bacon rashers, cut into small pieces
knob of butter 
25 grams flaked almonds, toasted
pinch of cumin 
40 ml dry white wine 
50 ml olive oil

Remove the first few dark green leaves of cabbage, remove the stalk and finely shred the savoy cabbage. Wash in cold water and drain. Peel and cut the carrot into fine strips. Heat a large sauce pan, add the olive oil, lightly fry, without colour, the onions and garlic. Add the cabbage and carrot, season with salt and pepper and cover with a lid. Stir every few minutes, the cabbage will take about 4 minutes to cook. Remove the lid add the butter and cream and check the seasoning. Heat the butter in a pan add the bacon and slowly cook until golden brown add the cumin and diced shallot, and continue to fry until shallot is soft. Next add the white wine and boil until all the sediment is removed from the pan add the almonds and olive oil warm and check the seasoning.


bacon recipe courtesy of: David McCann, The Afternoon Show, RTÉ, Donnybrook, Dublin 4

2984. PEAR, BACON and SWISS SANDWICH with LINGONBERRY MAYONNAISE

serves one


2 slices rye bread
4 slices Swiss cheese
3 slices bacon, encrusted in crushed potato chips, baked in a 350 oven until crisp
enough pear slices to cover bread
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons lingonberry preserves
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon toasted slivered almonds

Mix mayo and jam together. Spread on both slices of bread. Add almonds on top of mayo mixture on both sides. Assemble the rest of the ingredients on the bread. Close sammie and butter the outside of each side. Grill until cheese in melted and bread is golden.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Nancy R (member), Durham, North Carolina, Just A Pinch

2973. MANGO, BACON and STREAKY BACON SALAD

¼ cup of blanched almonds, chopped
A selection of salad greens
1 mango, peeled and diced
70 to 80 grams of feta, crumbled
4 rashers of streaky bacon
1 lemon
2 spring onions, finely sliced
Freshly ground black pepper

In a dry pan, toast the chopped almonds briefly until golden and remove from the heat. In the same pan fry the bacon rashers until crispy, drain on absorbent paper. Assemble the salad greens onto two plates, sharing the diced mango, feta and sliced spring onions between each plate. Chop or rip the warm bacon into bite sized pieces and scatter over the greens with the toasted almonds. Dress the salads with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Bron Marshall, March 21, 2006

2892. BACON, AVOCADO and STRAWBERRY SALAD with GREEK YOGURT POPPY SEED DRESSING

yields 4-6 servings 

3 cups baby spinach

3 cups torn romaine lettuce or other crisp greens

10 slices bacon, crisp cooked and crumbled

2 cups ripe strawberries, washed and quartered

2 ripe avocados, sliced

1/4 cup sliced almonds

For the Greek Yogurt Poppyseed Dressing:

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

salt and pepper to taste

To a salad bowl, add the spinach and lettuce and toss to combine. Top with quartered strawberries, sliced avocado, almonds, and crumbled bacon. 

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, salt and pepper until smooth. Drizzle over salad and serve promptly (or if not serving promptly, leave dressing on the side so as to not wilt the lettuce).

bacon recipe courtesy of: Alaska from Scratch, March 11, 2013

2818. POT ROAST studded with ALMONDS and BACON

serves six


3 pounds (1.35 kg) brisket in one piece, trimmed of some of the fat

1½ tablespoons slivered almonds

8 ounces (225 g) bacon or ham, cut into small pieces

3 large ancho chiles, seeds and veins removed

1½ tablespoons mild vinegar

¾ cup (185 ml) water

3 whole cloves, crushed

½-inch (1.5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick, crushed

4 peppercorns, crushed

6 sprigs fresh thyme or 1½ teaspoon dried

6 sprigs fresh marjoram or 1½ teaspoon dried

¼ teaspoon dried mexican oregano, or ½ teaspoon dried oaxacan oregano

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil

Salt to taste

1½ pounds (675 g) red bliss or new potatoes

 

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).

Pierce the meat all over with a knifepoint and insert the almonds and bacon. Set it aside while the sauce is prepared.

Toast the chiles lightly, turning them often so they won’t burn. Put the chiles into a bowl, cover with hot water, and leave them to soak for about 10 minutes.

Put the vinegar and water into the blender jar, add the spices, herbs, and garlic, and blend as smoothly as possible. Add the chiles and blend to a fairly smooth consistency.

Heat the lard in a Dutch oven and when it is very hot sear the meat well all over. Remove the meat and set it aside. Drain off the fat, leaving only 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the sauce to the pan and let it cook fast for about 5 minutes, stirring it all the time. Add salt to taste.

Return the meat to the pan and baste it with the sauce. Cover the casserole with a tightly fitting lid and cook the meat in the oven for about 2 hours.

Put the potatoes, unskinned, into a saucepan, cover them with boiling water, and let boil fast for 5 minutes. Drain them and set them aside to cool. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, skin.

Remove the casserole from the oven, turn the meat over, and baste it well with the sauce. Scrape the sauce from the sides and bottom of the pan and add a little water if it has thickened too much.

Put the potatoes into the sauce around the meat, replace the lid, and let the meat cook until it is very tender, but not falling apart-test after 1 hour and 10 minutes. Slice the meat fairly thick and place it on a serving dish with the potatoes around it. Pour the sauce over it. 


bacon recipe courtesy of: Diana Kennedy, The Essential Cuisines of Mexico; Men's Fitness

2740. CHOCOLATE-COVERED BACON ON A STICK with MARCONA ALMONDS and DRIED CHERRIES

serves twelve


12 slices of thick-sliced apple or hickory wood smoked bacon, skewered lengthwise
2 cups high quality semi sweet chocolate chips

6 tablespoons butter 

1/8 teaspoon sea salt 

1/2 cup finely chopped marcona almonds

1/2 cup finely chopped dried cherries

demerara or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Cook bacon: Preheat the oven to 400. Place skewered bacon on a broiling pan. When oven is ready, bake the bacon until crisp, about 20 - 25 minutes in the top third of your oven. When done, set the pan aside and let the bacon cool. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside. 

Prep assembly line: Place bowl of finely chopped almonds and bowl of finely chopped cherries next to the bacon. Place Demerara sugar next to that. When your chocolate is done, you will have an assembly line of bacon, melted chocolate, cherries, almonds, and Demerara sugar.

Prep chocolate: Place semi sweet chocolate and butter in a shallow microwaveable bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Continue to microwave in 15 second increments, stirring after each one, until the chocolate and butter have melted. When melted, add a the sea salt and stir to combine.

Cover bacon in chocolate: Using a pastry brush, coat both sides of each piece of bacon with melted chocolate and place on baking sheet. If your bowl of chocolate sauce cools and hardens before you are finished brushing it onto the bacon, just stick it back into the microwave for 20 seconds or so. 

Sprinkle with almonds, cherries, and sugar: When all of the bacon is covered in chocolate, work with one piece at a time and cover with toppings. While the chocolate is still warm, place some of the chopped cherries over the chocolate on one side of a piece of bacon. The cherries are sticky so it is a bit of work. Sprinkle that side with the almonds and a pinch of Demerara sugar. Flip that piece over and do it again so that both sides are sprinkled with cherries, almonds, and Demerara. Do this for each piece of chocolate covered bacon. Refrigerate until hardened. Serve.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Waverly (member), Food52, New York City

2698. CHICKEN ROULADE with BACON, ROMESCO SAUCE and FONDANT POTATOES

serves two

For the romesco sauce

2 medium red peppers 

100ml/3½fl oz extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for frying

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 red chilli, diced

1 x 200g/7oz can chopped plum tomatoes 

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 tablespoon ground hazelnuts 

1 tablespoon ground almonds 

For the chicken roulade

2 large free-range chicken breasts, skin removed

salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1 tablespoon groundnut oil

275g/10oz mixture of chestnut and white mushrooms, sliced

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 handfuls fresh spinach leaves

4 slices unsmoked back bacon, diced

For the fondant potatoes

150g/5oz unsalted butter 

1 garlic clove, diced

3 large floury potatoes (about 750g/1lb 10oz in total), peeled and cut into 1cm/0.5-in thick rounds using a pastry cutter

3 tablespoons chicken stock 

For the romesco sauce, preheat the grill to its highest setting. Prick the peppers in a few places with a fork, then place them under the grill, turning every now and then, until the skins are blackened and charred. Transfer to a bowl and cover immediately with cling film to trap the steam. Leave for a few minutes and, when cool enough to handle, pull off the skins and remove the core and seeds. Set the flesh aside.

Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the garlic and chilli together for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and golden, but not browned. Pour in the tomatoes and cook for five minutes, or until they have broken down to a thick consistency and are almost catching on the bottom of the pan.

Transfer the contents of the pan into a food processor, add the red pepper flesh, the remaining olive oil, and all of the vinegar and salt and blend until smooth. Stir in the ground nuts and set aside.

For the chicken roulade, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Place each chicken breast between two sheets of cling film and flatten with a rolling pin or meat mallet until very thin (about 0.5cm/¼in). Remove the cling film and season the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat the groundnut oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and gently fry the mushrooms with the garlic for 2-3 minutes, or until the mushrooms have started to shrink but are not fully cooked. Leave to cool.

Spread the mushroom mixture over the chicken breasts, then top with the spinach leaves. Roll each chicken breast up tightly and wrap two slices of bacon around each breast to secure. Place onto a lightly greased baking tray and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until completely cooked through (no traces of pink should remain when you cut into the chicken). Keep warm.

Meanwhile, for the fondant potatoes, melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat then add the garlic and fry for one minute. Add the potatoes and fry for five minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown on the bottom.

Turn the potatoes over, then pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

To serve, carve the chicken roulade into thick slices and serve with the hot fondant potatoes and romesco sauce on the side.

bacon recipe courtesy of: The Pendles Family, The Hairy Bikers' Cook Off, BBC Food

2670. PARMESAN EGG and GARLIC CROSTINI with BABY ROMAINE SALAD and BACON VINAIGRETTE

Bacon Vinaigrette & Romaine Salad:

1 pound bacon, sliced into ¼-inch cubes
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
2 cups baby romaine lettuce
1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Parmesan Cream
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups shredded parmesan cheese

Garlic Crostini
1 demi-baguette, sliced ¼-inch thick
Salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, halved
6 eggs
1 tablespoon almonds, crushed or sliced
½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate and reserve the fat.

Make the vinaigrette: Whisk the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and honey together in a mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in the bacon fat and olive oil while whisking rapidly until the salad dressing is thick and creamy. Toss the baby romaine, apples, cherry tomatoes and bacon crisps with the vinaigrette.

Make the parmesan cream: Heat the milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form at the edges. Reduce the temperature to low and stir constantly until the cream coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.

Make the crostini: Lay bread slices on a foil-lined baking pan. Brush each baguette slice with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toast the bread slices and rub each slice with the garlic.

Cook the egg: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat. Crack eggs in pan and cook to desired firmness.

Assemble: Layer an egg, parmesan cream, crushed or sliced almonds on a toasted baguette slice. Garnish salad and crostini with tomatoes and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Antonia Lofaso, for In the Kitchen, A Bullseye View: Behind the Scenes at Target, September 20, 2011