3953. SPICY BACON ONIGIRI

Filling:

2 strips of finely chopped, crispy thick-cut bacon & the rendered fat

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of panko Japanese bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon or to taste Sriracha chili sauce

Onigiri:

1 full pot of cooked, cooled short grain white rice, ideally sushi rice

1 package of nori seaweed sheets

Cut the nori in half diagonally with a pair of scissors. Take all the filling stuff, put it in a bowl, and stir very well. Form rice “patties” with your hands that are about a half inch thick and about 2 1/2 inches across. Take a small spoonful of the filling, put it on one patty, put a second on top, and mould into a ball or triangle shape, depending on how traditional you like your onigiri. Fold the triangular piece of nori around the rice ball when you’re ready to eat (don’t put it on in advance or it gets soggy and nasty).

bacon recipe source: Christopher S. Penn, June 26, 2011

3920. BROWN RICE BOWL with EGG, AVOCADO and BACON

serves 4


5 pieces bacon, chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
8 oz. curly spinach, stemmed (8 packed cups)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
4 cups cooked brown rice, warm
1 avocado, thinly sliced
4 radishes, thinly sliced
4 large fried eggs

Cook the bacon and scallions in a large skillet over medium until the bacon is crispy, 5 minutes. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute.

Whisk the oil, vinegar, and sesame seeds in a small bowl.

Divide the brown rice, spinach mixture, avocado, and radishes in the bowls. Top with the eggs and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Drizzle with the sesame dressing and serve warm, with more dressing on the side.


bacon recipe source: Kay Chun, Real Simple (@RealSimple), March 2016

3881. ROASTED RED PEPPER RISOTTO with BACON GREMOLATA

Serves 4


3 red bell peppers
1 medium white onion, chopped
400 grams arborio rice
1 cup white wine
1½ liter chicken stock
200 grams creme fraiche
½ cup frozen peas
40 grams grated parmesan
Olive oil to taste
Salt to taste

For the gremolata:
1 cup flat leave parsley (no stems)
6 crispy bacon strips
1 zest of 1 lemon
1 clove of garlic

Place the peppers over a gas burner and cook until charred all over. Discard of the stems and cores. Peel and blend with some stock until smooth.

In a large pan, add some olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent.

Add the rice and stir for 1 minute. Then add the white wine. Let it reduce to half.

Add the red pepper sauce and stir until combined. Start adding the stock one ladle at a time and stir. Do this for 20 min until the rice is cooked.

Add the creme fraiche, frozen peas and Parmesan. Stir until it is all combined and the peas are cooked. Add salt to taste.

To make the gremolata, just chop all of the ingredients very fine. Mix them and set aside.

Serve the risotto on each plate and top with some of the gremolata.


bacon recipe source: cravingsinamsterdam (member), Kitchenbowl

3879. CHICKEN BACON WILD RICE SOUP

Serves: 6


3 (10¾ oz) cans chicken broth
2 cups water
½ cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed
½ cup finely chopped green onions
½ cup margarine or butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
⅛ teaspoon pepper
2 cups half and half
1½ cup cubed or shredded cooked chicken or turkey
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped pimiento
2-3 tablespoons dry sherry, if desired

In a large saucepan, combine chicken broth and water. Add wild rice and onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes (or until rice is tender). Once the rice is cooked, there will be some additional broth - do not drain.

In a medium saucepan, melt margarine, stir in flour, salt, seasoning, and pepper. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly.

Gradually stir in half and half with the butter/flour mixture and cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Add this creamy mixture back into the saucepan with the rice/broth. Add remaining ingredients (chicken, bacon, pimiento, and sherry). Heat on low, stirring every once in a while, for at least a half an hour. Do not boil. The mixture will look thin, but the longer you heat the soup, the more the flavors marry and the more it will thicken. This soup is best served after gently heating for an extended period of time (even a few hours) or the next day! For extra flavor, add more poultry seasoning and/or bacon.


bacon recipe source: Lindsay Ostrom, Pinch of Yum (@pinchofyum), January 6, 2012

3857. SHRIMP and BACON FRIED RICE

Yield: Serves 4 to 6


3 cups uncooked Jasmine rice, cooked

1/4 cup grape seed oil

3 large eggs, beaten

3/4 to 1 pound deveined and washed shrimp (if frozen, then thawed), if really large or jumbo, cut into bite sized pieces

salt & pepper

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

1/3 cup frozen peas

3/4 cup frozen corn

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

4 to 5 slices cooked bacon, chopped

2 green onions, sliced thin

Cook the rice. It's best if you make it the day before because freshly cooked rice will make for mushy fried rice. If you didn't get to make it the day before, make the rice and as soon as it's done cooking, put it on a 9x13 baking dish or a baking sheet. Allow to cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Mix and spread out several times. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 to 60 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil into a wok or a large skillet, heat on medium for at least 3 minutes. Swirl the oil to cover the pan. Add beaten eggs to your wok or skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, swirling the pan a little bit to allow the egg to spread. Flip over and cook for one more minute.  and allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes and flip and cook for another minute. Remove from pan and place on a clean cutting board. Allow to cool. Then, cut into small pieces by cutting into strips first and then cutting across.

Dry the shrimp with clean paper towels.

Add 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil to the skillet. Salt and pepper the shrimp and add them to your pan. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and place in a clean bowl and set aside.

Add 2 Tablespoons of grape seed oil to the pan. Add rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring with a rubber spatula. Add soy sauce and sesame oil and mix the rice thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium high and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until rice is completely heated through, be sure to mix occasionally so the rice does not burn.

Add peas and corn, cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, mixing occasionally. Lower heat and add butter, allow to melt, and mix thoroughly. Add eggs, cooked shrimp, cooked bacon, and green onions and stir gently. Season with salt & pepper, as desired. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe source: Julie Tran Deily (@thelittlekitchn), The Little Kitchen, April 20, 2015

3802. GREEN CURRY and TARO STEM SOUP with BACON

serves four


2 oz. slab bacon, cut into 1⁄4-inch lardons

1⁄4 cup finely chopped cilantro stems and leaves

1 tbsp. prahok (or other Asian fish or shrimp paste)

6 kaffir lime leaves, thinly shredded

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3 small shallots, roughly chopped

2 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped

2 stalks lemongrass, inner cores thinly sliced

1 1⁄2 inches galangal, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tbsp. long-grain white rice

Kosher salt

2 (12-inch-long) taro stems or 4 oz. water spinach or Swiss chard stems, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 3-inch pieces

1⁄2 cup cooked white rice

1 tbsp. finely grated palm sugar or light brown sugar

1 tbsp. fish sauce

1⁄2 cup 1⁄2-inch cubed white sweet potato

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Thinly sliced long beans, mung bean sprouts, and thinly shredded basil leaves, for serving

Whole Vietnamese mint and sawtooth herb leaves, to garnish

In a small skillet, heat the bacon over medium and cook, stirring, until browned and crisp and its fat renders, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to cool and discard the fat. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the cilantro with the fish paste, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, shallots, chiles, lemongrass, and galangal and purée into a lightly chunky curry paste.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the uncooked rice over medium and cook, tossing occasionally, until lightly toasted, about 14 minutes. Transfer the rice to a spice grinder, let cool, and then process until finely ground. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the taro stems until tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, drain the stems and let cool. Squeeze the stems to drain all their water and transfer to a bowl along with the ground toasted rice, cooked rice, palm sugar, and fish sauce and stir until evenly combined. Add the sweet potato to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes; drain.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium. Scrape the curry paste into the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring, until reduced slightly, about 10 minutes. Transfer soup to a blender and purée until smooth. Pour the soup through a fine sieve back into the saucepan and keep warm.

To serve, divide the rice mixture among 4 serving bowls, mounding it in the center. Ladle the soup around and then top with the bacon, sweet potatoes, long beans, bean sprouts, and basil, and, if using, garnish with the Vietnamese mint and sawtooth herb leaves.

bacon recipe source: Sok Kimsan & Pol Kimsan, Saveur.com (@SAVEURMAG), December 14, 2015

3765. BAKED CHESTNUT and MUSHROOM RISOTTO with BACON

serves four

250g wild or good flavourful mushrooms

50g unsalted butter

1 onion peeled and finely chopped

150g diced unsmoked streaky bacon

1 tbsp olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

200g cooked peeled chestnuts halved

300g risotto rice

150ml white wine

1.2 litres chicken stock

To finish

25g unsalted butter

100g freshly grated parmesan plus extra to scatter

handful chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 400F/200C/180C fan/gas 6. Trim and clean the mushrooms and tear or slice them as necessary.

Melt 25g butter in a large cast-iron casserole over a medium heat and fry the onion and bacon for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden, stirring occasionally.

At the same time melt 25g butter with the olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and fry the mushrooms for a few minutes until lightly coloured, stirring frequently and seasoning them at the end. Add these to the onion and bacon.

Stir in the halved chestnuts and the rice and cook for a minute longer, then add the wine, stock and some black pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes until the juices are almost absorbed. 

To finish, stir in the remaining butter, the parmesan and parsley and taste for seasoning. Serve with extra parmesan scattered over.


bacon recipe source: Annie Bell, MailOnline (@MailOnline)/DailyMail, December 17, 2011

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

3683. BROWN RICE PILAF with STRING BEANS and BACON

makes six servings


1 lb (approx 2 cups) of brown rice

3 cups of unsalted broth of your choice

1 lb of bacon, chopped
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (canola, peanut or corn)
2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 large onion, minced

1 lb (approx 2 cups) of string beans, chopped
11⁄2 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

Pour rice and broth in a deep bowl and let it rest for an hour. Once that time has passed separate rice and broth using a sieve. Set both aside. In a skillet heat the vegetable oil over low heat. Cook the bacon, stirring regularly, until it has released most of the fat. Increase heat to medium and cook until the bacon has turned golden brown and crispy. Remove from he oil and place on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat. You may discard the fat. Heat the olive oil over low heat in a 3 quart cast aluminum or cast iron pot. Add onion and cook stirring until it turns out transparent. Add the string beans and rice, mix until they are coated with the oil. Add the broth and salt and increase heat to medium. Simmer until the liquid has evaporated, stirring often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom. Mix in the bacon, and parsley, and lower heat to minimum, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and stir, moving the rice from the bottom to the top. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste for doneness, rice should be firm but cooked-through. If needed, cover and simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve hot.


bacon recipe source: Clara Gonzalez (@aunt_clara), Aunt Clara's Kitchen, November 24, 2014

3670. XIACHAO NIUGAN JUN (MUSHROOMS with BACON, GREEN CHILES and SCALLIONS)

makes 2 servings 


2 tablespoons canola oil 
3 ounces thick slab bacon, cut into 1/8 inch matchsticks 
10 ounces matsutake mushrooms or 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced 
2 Thai green chili, stemmed thinly sliced 
4 scallions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
kosher salt, to taste
cooked rice, for serving

Heat oil in a 14 inch flat-bottomed wok or high-sided skillet over high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring often, until its fat renders and it is crisp (5 minutes).

Add mushrooms and chiles and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release their moisture and soften (4 minutes).

Add scallions and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (1 minute). Season with salt and divide between two shallow serving bowls; serve with rice.


bacon recipe source: Member #610488, Food.com; this recipe originated in Duan Jia Deng, a village in Yunnan Province, China

3637. TOMATO, ONION, AVOCADO and BACON RICE BOWL

makes 4 bowls


2¼ cups short grain rice (Japanese rice), cooked and kept hot
2 medium tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces (winter substitute: 1 small peach, 1 small mango, 1 roasted sweet red pepper, cut into ½-inch cubes)
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced
2 small avocados, pitted, peeled, cut into ½-inch chunks
12 slices bacon (7-8 ounces)
sea salt
¾ cup BBC (Basting & Cooking) Sauce (recipe below)
¼ cup chopped parsley

BBC Sauce (makes 2 cups):
1 cup mirin
½ cup sake
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup sugar
2 green onions
2 akatogarashi (Japanese dried red chile peppers)
or 1½ teaspoons red pepper flakes

BBC Sauce: Combine the mirin and sake in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Add the soy sauce, sugar, and green onions. Simmer gently for 8 minutes, covered. Remove from the heat to cool. Remove the green onions. Add the peppers. Store in a glass jar with a firm lid for up to 6 months in the refrigerator. This sauce can be used for a number of recipes—having it on hand makes for an efficient way to get a tasty meal on the table very quickly!

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon in a single layer, turning each slice once, and cook until crisp. Drain the bacon on kitchen paper to cool. Discard the fat from the skillet. Crumble the bacon slices into small (½-inch) pieces.

Wipe excess fat from the skillet leaving a thin layer of fat in the bottom. Return the skillet to the medium heat burner, then add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook until a bit wilted. Add the BBC Sauce. Stir well. Add the tomatoes (or pepper, peach, and mango cubes) and avocados. Cook to heat through.

Distribute the rice among 4 bowls. Place the onion, tomato, and avocado stir-fry over each bowl. Garnish with the bacon crumbles.


bacon recipe source: Tess's Japanese Kitchen, October 2, 2014; Hiroko's American Kitchen: Cooking with Japanese Flavors, by Hiroko Shimbo (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2012)

3627. PINEAPPLE-BACON FRIED RICE with PONZU SAUCE

serves two


2 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 tablespoon organic ponzu
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
oil

In wok or skillet, fry bacon until crisp, remove to paper towel. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from pan and saute onions, garlic and ginger. Add egg and scramble. Add rice, ponzu and bacon and toss until heated through.


bacon recipe source: TaMara, What's 4 Dinner Solutions, February 17, 2010

3579. BACON-CILANTRO FRIED RICE

serves four


4 eggs

8 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 bunch scallions sliced thinly, separate white and green
8 cups cooked jasmine rice, day old
1 tablespoon naturally brewed soy sauce
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Canola oil for cooking

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together until well-combined. In a large sauté pan over high heat coated with 1/4-inch of oil, gently lower the eggs in and season. Eggs will puff up and cook through very quickly; transfer eggs and oil to a paper towel-lined plate. In the same pan, cook the bacon. When bacon is almost fully cooked, add the garlic, ginger and scallion whites and stir-fry for 1 minute, until softened and fragrant. Add the rice, naturally brewed soy sauce and eggs and stir to heat through and break up the eggs. Check for flavor and season if necessary.  Toss in the cilantro and scallions greens and serve.


bacon recipe source: Ming Tsai (@chefmingtsai), Simply Ming, Season 5, Episode 501: Cilantro/Bacon

3572. OKRA PILAU (PILAF) with BACON

serves 4-6 as a side dish


4 slices of bacon (about 5 ounces), chopped
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cups okra, sliced into disks, 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick (fresh or frozen, thawed)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt (use less salt if using seasoned broth)
1 cup long-grain rice
1 3/4 cup chicken stock

Spread the chopped bacon out in a pot so it covers the bottom completely and turn the heat to medium. Fry it until it's crispy, then remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Drain off all but about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat.

Add the onion and green pepper and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the okra and turn the heat to high. Add the cayenne, salt and rice and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Stir in the chicken broth, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer and cook until the rice is done, about 20 minutes. Fluff up the rice with a fork and stir in the chopped bacon.


bacon recipe source: Elise Bauer, Simply Recipes (@simplyrecipes), October 3, 2012

3624. SPICY CHICKEN and BACON JAMBALAYA

makes four servings


1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken breasts, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 lb. bacon, sliced
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon hot chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup long grain rice
14 oz. can plum tomatoes
12 oz. chicken stock
Juice of half a lemon
Bunch of chopped parsley

Heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid and brown the chicken for 5-8 minutes until golden. Remove and set aside. Tip in the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Then add the pepper, garlic, bacon and Cajun seasoning, chilli powder and paprika and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir the chicken back in with the rice, add the tomatoes and stock. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender. At the last minute squeeze in the lemon and stir in the chopped parsley. 


bacon recipe source: Rob and Kellie, Hungry Escapades (@hungryescapades), August 14, 2013

3598. RICE PILAF with PEAS, MUSHROOMS and BACON

yields six servings


2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1½ cup rice
¼ cup spaghetti cut in 1 inch pieces
½ cup dry white wine
2½ cup chicken broth
salt
1 cup cooked or canned peas
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
7 oz mushrooms, sliced and sautéed in butter
1½ oz bacon, chopped and fried (may be replaced with ham or prosciutto)

Heat oil and butter in a saucepan and add onion. Saute onion until soft, approximately 5 to 8 minutes. 


Add rice and spaghetti and stir until rice is slightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
 Stir in wine and bring to a boil. Continue stirring until liquid has evaporated.

Stir in chicken broth and salt and reduce heat. Cover saucepan and cook for 18 to 20 minutes or until rice is cooked.
 Once rice is cooked, stir in bacon, peas and mushrooms. Correct seasoning.


bacon recipe source: Yanuq: La Cocina en el Peru

3579. BACON and ONION CONGEE

makes four servings 


8 slices uncooked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces 
1/2 medium onion, diced 
7 cups chicken stock 
1 cup raw long-grain white rice, rinsed 
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt 
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste 

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook bacon pieces until crisp then remove bacon and blot on paper towel. Set bacon aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon oil for the next step. Heat a large pot and add bacon oil. Add onion and cook till soft and slightly brown and crisp, but not burnt. Add chicken stock, rice and salt. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Stir occasionally so that the rice doesn't clump or burn at the bottom. Add the cooked bacon pieces, additional salt to taste and fresh cracked black pepper. Serve hot.


bacon recipe source: Todd Porter and Diane Cu, Food & Wine

3573. CHICKEN BURRITO BOWLS with BACON GUACAMOLE and SCALLION PESTO

makes four bowls


2 chicken breasts, diced into small cubes
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 pinch crushed red pepper
2 slices bacon
1 cup uncooked black rice
1 avocado
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
1 bunch scallions, white ends trimmed and discarded
3 tablespoons toasted pepitas
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tsp
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (and seeded for less heat)
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10 oz) can Mexi-corn, drained
1/2 cup crumbed cotija cheese
chives for garnish (optional)
2 cups baby spinach leaves
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the black rice in a rice cooker, or your favorite stove-top method.

In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, chili powder, coriander, garlic salt, crushed red pepper, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the spice mix over the diced chicken until coated all over. Set aside.

Render the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. When crispy, remove the bacon and place on paper towels to drain. Crumble with fingers. Taste one to make sure the pigs did it right.

Back in the skillet, drain all but about 2 tablespoons bacon fat. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and add the chicken. Sear the chicken until browned all over and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.

In a small sauce pan, bring the teaspoon oil to a medium heat. Add the jalapeno and sizzle for a minute. Add the black beans and corn; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low while you finish the rest of the meal. Stir once in a while.

In a food processor, combine the scallions, garlic, toasted pepitas, 2 tablespoons, lime juice and a pinch of salt. With the motor running, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a thin stream until you get a nice pesto consistency.

In a small bowl, combine the avocado, bacon crumbles, the remaining tablespoons of lime juice and a small pinch of salt. Mash until you get a guacamole of the most unearthly caliber.

Finally, place a small heaping of black rice in the bottom of each bowl. Top with baby spinach leaves, cooked chicken, a few spoonfuls of the black bean/corn mixture, a healthy dollop of the bacon guacamole and the scallion pesto. Garnish with a little bit of the crumbled cotija cheese.


bacon recipe source: Bev Weidner, Bev Cooks (@bevcooks), December 12, 2012

3565. KABOCHA BACON PARMESAN RISOTTO

serves 4 (or 2 gluttons)


1/2 kabocha, seeded
6-8 slices of bacon, depending on your love of bacon
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4-1 cup finely chopped white onion
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
1 cup of rice
3.5 cups chicken broth
1/2-3/4 cup white wine
1/2-3/4 cup of grated parmesan regianno cheese (depending on how cheesy you like it)

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Cut up the kabocha into 1-inch chunks. Put it in some aluminum foil, and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake in the oven for about 50 minutes. At the same time, fry up the bacon. To make it extra crispy, throw it into the oven for a couple of minutes next to the pumpkin, but make sure not to burn it. Cut up the bacon into bits, according to your bacon bit size preferences. Once finished, take the kabocha out and carefully (it’s hot!) remove the green skins. Mash up the kabocha with a potato masher, cover, and set aside. Do this earlier in the day to shave an hour off your dinnertime cook time. In a frying pan, cook the onions in the olive oil on low-medium heat for about 5 minutes (until translucent). Add in the garlic and cook for about a minute on low heat. Add the rice and stir constantly until it becomes translucent as well (4-5 minutes). Slowly, add in about a cup of broth and some of the wine. Stir constantly so the rice doesn’t burn on the bottom. When it starts to look like most of the water has been absorbed, add in another cup of broth and more wine. Repeat. And then do it again. Once the broth has been all used up, taste the rice to see if it’s cooked. If it isn’t, add in more water until the rice is ready. Stir in the mashed pumpkin, bacon bits, and cheese until good and gooey. Suddenly, it’s risotto!


bacon recipe source: Recipes from Honshu, September 23, 2013

3502. SABAW NG MONGGO (MUNG BEAN SOUP with BACON)

1 cup monggo or mung beans (dried)
8-10 bacon strips
2 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole onion, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled, sliced in slivers
8-10 cups soup stock (vegetable or chicken)
1 tablespoons patis (Filipino fish sauce)
2 cups coarsely shredded bok choy or Chinese cabbage
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
boiled white rice, for serving

In a medium bowl, pre-soak the monggo/mung beans in water for about 30 minutes. The water should be enough to cover the beans.

Transfer the water and mung beans to a medium stock pot. Have enough liquid to cover the beans (add more water or else vegetable or chicken soup stock if desired). Over medium high heat, bring this to a boil, then adjust the heat to a low. Simmer and cook for about 45 to 50 minutes till monggo is soft. Add more water if liquid evaporates. The beans should soften while immersed in liquid. Stir the mung beans every now and then so they do not stick to the bottom of the stock pot. Some beans may even pop open in the process. When soft and cooked, set aside till ready to saute.

Pre-cook the bacon strips for 8 to 10 minutes in a skillet over medium heat. When cooked, drain bacon strips on parchment paper or paper towels to remove excess oil.

Use a different medium stock pot. Over medium high heat, add the vegetable or corn oil. (Or you may use the bacon drippings if desired).  Saute the garlic, onions and fresh ginger. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes till onions soften. Add the tomatoes and patis (fish sauce). Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes till tomatoes soften.

Add the boiled monggo together with the liquid. Add more soup stock (vegetable or chicken) to the stock pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes for flavors to blend. Toss in the chopped bok choy pieces and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Season with salt and black pepper.

Crumble the cooked bacon and sprinkle it on top of the monggo. Serve with boiled white rice.


bacon recipe source: Elizabeth Quirino (@Mango_Queen), Asian in America: January 16, 2014