3695. BACON and GOLDEN RAISIN PILAF

serves four


200 grams (7 oz) long grain white rice
300 grams (10 oz) smoked bacon
1 small tube of saffron, or 1 cube of saffron stock
ground red pepper
salt to taste
1 small packet of golden raisins

Cut the bacon into small strips and stir fry them in a pan (using the fats as oil). After about 5 to 10 minutes when the bacon is more or less cooked, add in the ground red pepper. Add in the rice and stir for a while to let the rice absorb the flavours. Add in saffron and 2 cups of water initially, stirring every once in a while. As rice cooks, add as much more water as needed, but in small portions each time until rice achieves consistency you like. Once rice is cooked, add in golden raisins, and stir to make sure they are distributed evenly. Chop parsley and spring onions for garnish.


bacon recipe source: Felicia Lim, Dish by Dish (@_dishbydish), August 11, 2012

3694. WALDORF SLAW with BACON

yields four servings


4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon celery seeds
2 apples (such as Gala or Fuji)
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes; drain on paper towels.

Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar and celery seeds in a large bowl until combined. Slice the apples into matchsticks, then add to the bowl with the dressing along with the celery, carrots, walnuts, raisins, parsley and bacon. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

bacon recipe source: Food Network Kitchen/Food Network Magazine

3599. QUINOA SALAD with PEAS, BACON and GOLDEN RAISINS

yields 4-6 servings 

1 cup quinoa

1 cup fresh or frozen green peas

2 lemons, zest and juice reserved

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Put 2 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the quinoa and stir. Cover the pan, reduce heat so the water is just simmering, and cook until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the peas to the pan and stir with the quinoa. Cover and cook another 5 minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, basil, dill, and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the dressing over the quinoa. Add the bacon, raisins and chopped pecans and toss to coat. Serve warm, at room temp, or cold from the fridge.

bacon recipe source: Rachael White, Set the Table (@rachaelwhiteSTT), March 2014

3467. SWEET POTATO TAMALES with BACON

makes about 25 appetizer-size tamales


4 pounds sweet potatoes
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
6-8 pieces of bacon
2 1/4 cups masa harina
1/2 cup melted butter or lard (or reserved bacon fat)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup golden raisins
Salt and pepper to taste
About 30 dried corn husks for wrapping tamales

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Place corn husks in a bowl and cover with warm water to soften them.

Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Melt the 4 tablespoons butter. Stir 4 tablespoons (half) of the brown sugar into the melted butter. Stir in the cinnamon (optional).

Place the sweet potato halves on the baking sheet with the cut sides facing upwards. Brush the cut halves of the sweet potatoes with the melter butter and sugar mixture.

Bake sweet potatoes until they are very soft when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from the oven and let cool.

While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon: Place the bacon slices (working in batches if necessary) in a heavy skillet and heat over medium heat. Cook until bacon is browned and crispy, turning at least once. Drain bacon slices on paper towels, then finely chop.

Pour excess bacon fat out of the skillet and strain into a heat proof glass or bowl. Reserve bacon fat for tamale dough, if desired. (I prefer to use butter because the bacon fat gives a lot of bacon flavor).

Slice the onion into thin slices and add to the skillet with a bit of the bacon fat. Cook onions over slowly over low heat, until they are browned and sweet. Remove onions to a bowl, and stir in the raisins and the chopped bacon.

Prepare the masa: Add the masa harina to a large bowl. Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the inside of the potatoes (discarding the skins) and add to the bowl. Mix well with a potato masher. Add the melted butter or lard (or reserved bacon fat) and the chicken stock, mixing well. Stir in the remaining brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Drain the corn husks and pat dry. Tear a few of the corn husks lengthwise into strips.

Place a corn husk down on a flat surface. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the masa into a 2 1/2 inch square in the middle of the corn husk. Add some of the onion mixture to the middle of the masa. Fold the sides of the corn husk in slightly to close the filling over the onions, then unfold them. Fold the pointed end of the husk up over the filling. Fold in the sides, one over the other. Tie at the top with a strip of corn husk. Repeat until masa and/or filling run out (I can never manage to use them up equally).

Place a steaming basket or colander inside of a large pot. Fill the colander with the tamales. Fill the pot with water, keeping the water level below the tamales. Cover the tamales with a towel and then the pot lid. Heat the water to boiling, and steam the tamales for 45 minutes to an hour. Check the water level from time to time and add more water as needed.

Let tamales cool for 10 minutes or so before serving. Tamales can be reheated in the microwave, or briefly re-steamed.


bacon recipe source: Marian Blazes, South American Food Expert, South American Food/About.com

3029. BRUSSELS SPROUTS with BACON and RAISINS

makes four servings 


1 teaspoon olive oil 
2 thick slices bacon 
4 cups brussels sprouts (about 1 pound), trimmed, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1/4 cup golden raisins 
1 medium shallot, finely chopped 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth 
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Let cool. Coarsely crumble. (Make sure crumbled bacon is unreachable by children, or it will disappear before you need it again.)

While bacon cools, add brussels sprouts to drippings in skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until well browned in spots and beginning to soften, 5–7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add raisins, shallot, and butter; cook, stirring often, until shallot is soft, about 3 minutes. Add broth to skillet; increase heat and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until broth has evaporated, 1–2 minutes. Stir in vinegar and crumbled bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Jenny Rosenstrach & Andy Ward, Bon Appétit

2812. BACON-WRAPPED BRATS with RED CABBAGE

yields four


2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 pound red cabbage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup sugar or light brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
3 crisp apples, such as Braeburn, Liberty, Gala, diced
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 teaspoon cumin seed or caraway seed
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
12 wurst or brat sausages of your favorite variety
12 slices lean, center-cut smoky bacon
Mustards and pickles to pass at the table

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and let soften a couple of minutes then wilt in cabbage. Toss with sugar and vinegar to coat, season with salt and pepper. Add apples, raisins, cumin or caraway seed, cinnamon stick and bay; reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook to tender and when the liquids come out of cabbage, 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Remove sausages and dry them. Wrap each of them with one slice of bacon, overlapping as you work. Arrange the bacon-wrapped sausages on a slotted broiler pan and bake to crisp, around 30 minutes. Serve sausages with cabbage, buttered rye or pumpernickel bread, or some buttered egg noodles tossed with herbs like dill, chive and parsley. Pass mustards and pickles at table.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Rachael Ray Show, October 12, 2012 | KWP Studios Inc., CBS Television Distribution, 328 8th Ave, Suite 149, New York, NY 10001

1498. BROILED TROUT with BACON, ONIONS and RAISINS

makes 4 servings


4 thick bacon slices (7 ounces), cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-wide strips
2 cups coarsely chopped red onion
1/2 cup golden raisins (3 ounces)
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (10- to 12-ounce) whole rainbow trout, cleaned and boned, leaving heads and tails intact (butterflied), or 8 fillets
2 teaspoons olive oil plus additional if necessary
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Special equipment: 2 (15- by 10-inch) shallow baking pans

Cook bacon in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, then pour off all but 1/4 cup fat (add additional olive oil if bacon doesn't render enough fat). Add onion to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and beginning to brown on edges, about 6 minutes. Stir in bacon, raisins, vinegar, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and keep warm, covered.

Preheat broiler and oil baking pans.

Arrange 2 trout, opened and skin side down, in each pan. Brush flesh of fish with 2 teaspoons oil (total) and sprinkle with pepper and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Broil 1 pan of fish about 4 inches from heat until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes, then loosely cover with foil to keep warm and broil second pan of fish in same manner. Spoon bacon mixture down center of each fish and drizzle with remaining juices from skillet.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Gourmet, March 2007

970. CAULIFLOWER with BACON, CAPERS, PEPPERS and RAISINS

makes 4 to 6 servings


3 oz bacon (3 or 4 slices), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
2 lb cauliflower, cored and cut into 2- to 2 1/2-inch-wide florets
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon drained bottled capers
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Cook bacon in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned but not crisp, about 4 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, cream, raisins, capers, garlic, and bay leaf and cook over moderately low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender, about 12 minutes. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaf.


courtesy of: Gourmet, September, 2004