265. SWEET & SOUR RED CABBAGE with SMOKED BACON

serves 6 to 8


8 slices smoked bacon, diced
1-2 pound head red cabbage, shredded
1 apple, diced
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons sugar
8 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Fry bacon in heavy frying pan until crisp; add cabbage, apple and water. Cover and steam slowly for 1 hour; stir often to prevent burning. Add sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar. Stir well. Serve warm.


courtesy of: Nueske Applewood-Smoked Meats, Rural Route #2, P.O. Box D, Wittenberg, WI 54499, 1-800-392-2266, Service: 1-800-720-1153

264. SAUTEED TROUT with BACON

makes 2 servings


2 whole trout, about 3/4 lb. each, gutted and split or filleted
4 slices of bacon
1 cup cornmeal
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Cook bacon in a skillet. When the bacon is nice and crisp, remove it to a warm oven, reserving bacon fat in skillet,

Rinse and dry the fish. Dredge the fish in cornmeal, place in the skillet, and raise the heat to high.

Season with salt and pepper, and cook on both sides until nicely browned and the interior turns white, 8 to 12 minutes. Garnish with the bacon slices and parsley and serve.


courtesy of: How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipe for Great Food, by Mark Bittman. New York: MacMillan, 1998. p. 307

263. RIGATONI with BACON and OLIVES

serves 4


6 slices bacon
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
8 ounces dried rigatoni (or other small pasta shape)
12 pitted & chopped cured black olives (such as Kalamata)
Small piece (1-2 oz.) Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped marjoram or thyme (optional)

In medium skillet, cook bacon until crisp (reserve drippings); blot, coarsely chop and set aside. In bacon drippings, sauté onion until soft and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, drain and transfer to warm serving platter or large shallow bowl. Toss pasta with bacon, onion and olives. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, toss again. Serve with shavings of fresh Parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired. Serve with a vinaigrette-dressed salad of orange wedges and romaine, and hard rolls.


courtesy of: Iowa Pork Producers Association, PO Box 71009, Clive, IA 50325, 515/225-7675 FAX: 515/225-0563

262. CHICKEN, BACON, and VEGETABLE SOUP with PARMESAN CROUTONS

serves 4


Reserved chicken carcass, defrosted
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
Reserved chicken, defrosted
Reserved vegetables, defrosted
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Reserved bacon strips, cut into 1-inch pieces

for Parmesan croutons
8 slices French Bread
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, add the chicken carcass, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and 12 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the carcass, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs. Add the chicken, vegetables, salt, and pepper and heat through for 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.

Parmesan croutons: Heat broiler. Sprinkle the cheese over the bread slices and broil until the cheese is bubbling. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the bacon pieces. Serve the croutons on the side.


courtesy of: Real Simple Solutions pamphlet / Real Simple Magazine, pp. 36-37

261. BLT on a STICK

serves 1


2 slices bacon
2 slices square white sandwich bread, crusts removed
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Black pepper in a mill
1 slice of iceberg lettuce, 4 inches by 4 inches by 1 1/2 inch thick
4 ripe cherry tomatoes, preferably Sweet 100s

Fry the bacon until it is just crisp and drain on a brown paper bag. Cut the ends of the bacon so that the slices are perfectly straight. Cut each piece into four 1-inch squares. Set aside.

Toast the bread until it is golden brown. Spread half the mayonnaise on both pieces of toast, and grind a little pepper on top. Set the lettuce on one piece of toast, and trim the edges to make an exact fit. Cut the toast with the lettuce into four equal squares. Cut the second piece of toast into squares of the same size.

Put one of the toast-and-lettuce squares on a toothpick, with the lettuce facing up. Add a piece of bacon, pressing it down onto the lettuce. Add a tomato, and another piece of bacon, and a second piece of tomato, mayonnaise side down. Repeat until four squares have been made. Serve immediately.


courtesy of: Gordon's House of Fine Eats, Florida Street, San Francisco, California / The BLT Cookbook, by Michele Anna Jordan. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. pp. 28-29

260. CRISPY BACON & CHEDDAR CAKES

makes about 12 cakes; serves 4


8 slices bacon
1½ cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
½ cup sour cream
1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice
2 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon dry mustard
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more if necessary (optional)


Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off fat into a bowl. Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel, and set aside.

Stir together, cheese, sour cream, bell pepper, scallions, flour, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, cayenne, and egg yolks in a large bowl; set aside. In another large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold beaten egg whites into reserved batter.

Heat 2 tablespoons reserved fat (or vegetable oil) in skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 3 or 4, pour 2 tablespoons batter into skillet for each cake; cook, turning once, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes (add more fat or oil if skillet seems dry). Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with reserved bacon.


courtesy of: Martha Stewart Living Annual Recipes 2005, from the editors of Martha Stewart Living. New York: Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., 2004. p. 191.

259. GREEN BEANS with CINNAMON BACON

6 cans green beans (drain 3 cans)
1/2 lb. smoked bacon, cooked
1/4 cup sugar
bacon grease

Empty 3 cans with water and 3 cans, drained, into heavy skillet on medium high heat. Crumble cooked bacon and add to green beans. Add additional ingredients; stir and cover. Check frequently. Once liquid has come to a slow boil, reduce heat and cook slowly for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Reduce cooking time if you prefer that your beans not be "cooked down").


courtesy of: Harper’s Hams, PO BOX 122, 2955 U.S. Hwy 51 North, Clinton, KY 42031

258. BACON RINGS

yields 6 servings


12 slices bacon
12 eggs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dill
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6 large croissants
Hollandaise sauce for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray. In large skillet fry bacon until almost crisp. Drain bacon slices and quickly (while bacon is pliable) place in circle around inside edge of muffin cups. Break 1 egg into each cup. Sprinkle with garlic powder and dill. Top with cheese. Bake 12 to 20 minutes, depending on desired degree of doneness. Cut croissants in half and place bacon-wrapped egg on top drizzled with Hollandaise sauce.


courtesy of: Bears Inn Bed & Breakfast, 27425 Spruce Lane, Evergreen, Colorado 80439, 303-670-1205

257. ROASTED HAMILTON POUSSIN WRAPPED with BACON and STUFFED with POTATOES and SAGE

serves 4


1 lb. potatoes, peeled and quartered
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 poussin chickens, or Cornish game hens
1 handful of fresh sage, thyme or rosemary (all are good)
olive oil
about 12 cloves of garlic
12 strips of lean bacon
1 glass of dry white wine

Preheat your oven and an appropriately sized roasting pan to 425 degrees F. Boil your potatoes in salted water until nearly cooked. Drain and allow to cool, then put them in a bowl. Remove any fat from inside of each chicken cavity. Wash and pat dry with paper towels. Season the potatoes with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add your freshly torn herbs and enough olive oil just to coat, and toss. Then stuff your chickens with half your potatoes and herbs. Put them in the roasting pan with the garlic and the rest of the potatoes and cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. After this time the chicken should be looking as handsome as its inventor and the skin should be crisp and golden. If you are using Cornish game hens larger than poussins, you may need to cook them a bit longer. At this point lay your bacon snugly over the breast meat. Cook for around another 15 minutes.

Remove the chickens from the oven. Take them out of the pan and allow them to rest for 5 minutes while you make a quick gravy. I normally remove as much fat as possible from the pan before placing it on a burner over gentle heat. Splash a glass of white wine into it. Then boil and scrape away all the goodness from the sides of the pan. Simmer this for a couple of minutes. It's not a thick, robust gravy, just a tasty gesture. (A nice option at this point is to add a little cream to the gravy, which works really well.) Served with something nice and green like steamed spinach or chard, and the potatoes pulled out from inside the chickens, it all goes down a treat. Nice one, John.


courtesy of: The Naked Chef Takes Off, by Jamie Oliver. New York: Hyperion, 2000. p. 183 / Johnny Boy Hamilton

256. BREADED BREAKFAST BACON

yields 6 servings


12 thick bacon slices
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup fine breadcrumbs, plain or Italian

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place bacon slices in single layer on baking sheet with rim. Bake 10 minutes and drain off fat. In long, shallow bowl, whisk egg with water. Add mustard and Worcestershire sauce and mix well. Place crumbs on wax paper. Remove bacon from baking sheet and coat each piece on both sides with egg mixture, then crumbs. Return to baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 15 minutes longer. Drain on paper towels.


courtesy of: Sea Quest Bed & Breakfast, 95354 Highway 101, Yachats, Oregon 97498, seaquest@newportnet.com

255. MUSHROOM and BACON RAGOUT with PASTA

makes 6 servings


4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small onion, finely chopped
Two 10-oz. packages cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
Two 10-oz. packages white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 cup chopped freshly parsley
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
3/4 lb. spaghetti
Shaved Parmesan, for garnish (optional)

In a large 5-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid (that will be used later), cook the bacon over medium heat, uncovered, stirring until crispy, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel to drain. Set aside.

Add onion; stir until golden, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms; cover. Cook until juices have evaporated, about 20 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, thyme and 2 cups water until combined; cover. Cook until sauce has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in parsley and vinegar. Add bacon, reserving some for garnish, if desired.

Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot.

To serve, toss pasta with ragout. Garnish with reserved bacon and shaved Parmesan, if desired.


courtesy of: Missoulian, Montana Life: Foods. Associated Press. Wednesday, January 11, 2006, p. C2

254. BACON and SQUASH CASSEROLE

serves 6


1 pound bacon
2 tablespoons butter
4 pounds summer squash
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper

In a heavy skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove and drain. Peel the squash, remove seeds and fibers, and cut into 3 inch pieces. Cook the squash in boiling salted water for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Remove and drain squash. Sauté the squash over medium heat in the butter. Stir in salt and a few grindings of pepper. Remove from heat and mix in eggs and cream. Crumble the bacon and stir 1/2 of it into the squash mixture. Spoon into a souffle dish and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the top with the remaining crumbled bacon.


courtesy of: North Carolina Pork Council, Raleigh, North Carolina

253. ROAST PIGEON with BACON

1 pigeon
1 lemon
2 slices fat bacon
parsley
1 cup red wine (or cider, beer, orange juice, tomato juice, stock)
water
salt and pepper

Cook bacon until crisp, and then remove it until time to serve it alongside, over, or even under the little bird. See that the bird is well plucked, and rub her thoroughly with a cut lemon and the seasoning. Push the parsley into the belly. Braise well in the hot fat.

Add the liquid, put on the lid quickly, and cook slowly for about 20 minutes, basting two or three times. If you are going to eat the bird cold, put into a covered dish so that it will not dry out. [And if hot, make a pretty slice of toast for each bird, butter it well (or spread it with a bit of good pate de fois for Party!), and place the bird upon it. Swirl about one cup of dry good wine and 2 tablespoonfuls butter in the pan, for 4 birds, and spoon this over each one immediately, and serve.]


courtesy of: “How to Make A Pigeon Cry,” How to Cook a Wolf, by M.F.K. Fisher, 1942.

252. BACON BUTTER

makes ½ to 2/3 cup


½ cup butter, softened
¾ teaspoon prepared mustard
4 slices of bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

Cream butter till light. Blend in mustard and bacon.


courtesy of: Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Better Homes and Gardens. Des Moines, Iowa: Meredith Press (date unknown). p. 310.

251. ARUGULA SALAD with FRESH FIGS, GORGONZOLA, and BACON

serves 6


3 slices of bacon, cut in half crosswise
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 shallot, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup virgin olive oil
12 small fresh figs
6 oz. Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
1 large bunch arugula, tough stems removed, washed and dried well, about 6 cups
1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced


Cook the bacon in a skillet over low heat until crispy, turning it occasionally to brown it on both sides. Drain the bacon on paper towels.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard, and shallot, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk the olive oil in a steady stream until it’s all incorporated and an emulsion forms.

Heat the broiler.

Cut the figs in half lengthwise. Make a little indentation with your thumb, and press some blue cheese into the indentation. Put the stuffed figs, cheese side up, on a nonstick baking sheet. Broil until the figs are warmed through and the cheese begins to melt, 1 to 2 minutes.

Toss the arugula and onion together in a bowl. Add just enough dressing to coat lightly, reserving at least one tablespoon of the dressing. Divide the greens among six plates. Use a spatula to remove the figs from the baking sheet and divide the figs among the plates. Drizzle the salads with the remaining vinaigrette. Top each salad with a piece of bacon and serve immediately.


courtesy of: Bistro Cooking At Home, by Gordon Hamersley. New York: Broadway Books, 2003, p. 38.

250. PORCINI and BACON SAUCE

addendum to recipe #239

makes about 2¼ cups


2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
1/4 pound sliced bacon, chopped
9 garlic cloves, sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
3 cups dry red wine
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
1 large fresh rosemary sprig
Reserved roasting pan with juices
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled butter, diced


Place porcini mushrooms in small bowl; add 2 cups boiling water. Let soak until mushrooms soften, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Strain, reserving mushrooms and liquid separately.

Sauté bacon in large saucepan over medium heat until golden. Add garlic and shallots; sauté 3 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms; sauté 8 minutes. Transfer half of mushrooms to bowl; reserve.

Add drained porcini and wine to pan. Boil 15 minutes. Mix in all broth. Add porcini liquid, leaving sediment behind. Return mixture to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until mixture is reduced to 5 cups, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Skim fat from top; add rosemary. Simmer 3 minutes; discard rosemary. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover mushroom-wine mixture and reserved mushrooms separately; chill.)

Place reserved roasting pan over 2 burners. Add mushroom-wine mixture and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Strain back into same saucepan, pressing out all liquid. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Mix in reserved mushrooms from bowl. Whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper.


courtesy of: Bruce Aidells and Nancy Oakes / Bon Appétit, December 2005

249. BACON-WRAPPED VEAL TENDERLOIN with CREAMY BLACK-EYED PEAS, SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS, and WARM FRISEE

makes 6 servings

6 five-ounce portions veal tenderloin (veal chop with bone cut off is cheaper but more fatty and not quite as tender)
8 slices smoked bacon
olive oil as needed
1 yellow onion, minced
1 large carrot, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
6 cups frozen black-eyed peas or 3 cups dried black-eyed peas
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
2 cups heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/8 cup fresh tarragon, picked
zest of one lemon
1/2 head frisée lettuce, washed and picked


Take six pieces of veal tenderloin and six pieces of the smoked bacon and wrap the outside of the meat with the bacon. Secure the bacon around the veal by tying the butcher's twine around the bacon. Reserve the veal for later cooking.

In a medium saucepot over moderate heat, add approximately 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the olive oil is lightly smoking, add the remaining 2 pieces of sliced bacon, onion, carrot, and celery. Lightly sauté until the onions become translucent.

Once the onions are translucent, add the black-eyed peas and lightly toast them for about 3 minutes. Add the 1/2 cup of white wine and reduce it until it has evaporated.

Add the water, bay leaf, and thyme and bring to a simmer. (Its very important not to boil the beans, boiling will cause the beans to break apart.) Simmer the beans until tender, about 1 1/2 hours or more (for the dried ones).

Once the beans are tender, strain them through the colander, saving the liquid, and cool. Discard the bay leaf and thyme.

Take the remaining bean cooking liquid and place it in a small sauce pot and reduce by half. Once reduced, add the heavy cream and reduce another half. (The bean cooking liquid makes the sauce for the dish.)

Season the reserved veal with salt and pepper to taste and sear in a medium sauté pan on high heat. Once all sides are seared, reduce heat to low and cook to desired temperature, about 6 minutes to a side for medium. Turn once after searing. Reserve.

In a medium sauté pan on high, heat a small amount of olive oil until lightly smoking. Add the shiitake mushrooms and sauté until soft. Add balsamic vinegar to the mushrooms and reserve.

Take the cooked black-eyed peas and sauce mixture and place in a medium sauté pan. Heat on low heat, then add the garlic, red bell pepper, tarragon leaves, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to desired taste and reserve.

Lightly warm very briefly the frisée greens in a medium sauté pan with a small amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Do just before serving or it will wilt. Reserve.

Assembly: Place the black-eyed pea mixture in the center of the plate with a small amount of liquid with the beans, being careful not to flood the plate with sauce. Then place the shiitake mushrooms on top of the beans. Next place the veal tenderloin atop the shiitakes and garnish the veal with the warm frisée greens.

Note: For ease of your preparation, the beans and the sauce may be made a day ahead and refrigerated until needed.


courtesy of: Dallas Wine and Food Festival / Texas Monthly, April 2002

248. HERB-BASTED CHICKEN with PEARL BARLEY, BACON, and ROOT VEGETABLE PILAF

makes 4 servings


Pilaf
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed, drained
6 ounces bacon, diced
1 shallot, minced
1 1/4 cups 1/4- to 1/3-inch cubes peeled root vegetables (such as celery root, carrot, turnip, rutabaga, and/or butternut squash)
Pinch of sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Chicken
6 tablespoons canola oil
4 large chicken breast halves with skin and bones
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary


For pilaf:
Bring 2 cups water and salt to boil in medium saucepan. Mix in barley. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until barley is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain barley.

Sauté bacon in large pot over medium heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pot. Add shallot; stir 30 seconds. Add cubed vegetables and sugar; sauté 6 minutes. Add barley, lemon juice, and herbs; stir 2 minutes. Mix in bacon; season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Cover and place in oven to rewarm while chicken roasts, adding water by tablespoonfuls to moisten if dry.)

For chicken:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken, skin side down, in skillet. Cook until skin browns, about 7 minutes. Add butter and herbs to skillet; stir to blend. Turn chicken skin side up. Place skillet in oven; roast chicken until cooked through, basting occasionally with herb butter, about 20 minutes.

Divide pilaf among 4 plates; top with chicken. Spoon pan juices over.


courtesy of: Bon Appétit, January 2006

247. SWISS MUSTARD EGGS and BACON

1 English Muffin, toasted
3 eggs
1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
1 tablespoon grated parmesan
2 strips bacon
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Mix eggs with milk, mustard, and pepper, using wire whisk. Cook bacon till crisp, crumble and set aside. Spread muffin with butter and toast under broiler. Melt 1/2 tbls butter in skillet. Add egg mixture and scramble. When almost done add Swiss cheese and bacon. Cook till cheese melts. Place muffin on plate, spoon eggs onto both halves, sprinkle with the parmesan. Garnish plate with quartered tomato.


courtesy of: Amber House Bed & Breakfast, 1315 22nd Street, Sacramento, California 95816, 916-444-8085

246. TANGY BACON TORTILLA ROLL-UPS

makes 4 dozen roll-ups


1 lb. sliced bacon
6 flour tortillas
1 package (8 oz.) light cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons Chinese-style mustard
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon creamed horseradish
1/2 lb. spinach, washed and stems removed
4 medium tomatoes


In a large skillet, fry 4-6 strips of bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towel to drain. Repeat until all bacon is fried. Crumble.

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mustard and horseradish. Spread an equal amount of cream cheese mixture onto one side of each tortilla. Cover 3/4 of each tortilla with spinach leaves and tomato slices leaving 1/4 of each tortilla with cream cheese mixture exposed.

Divide bacon equally on each tortilla. Roll up tightly beginning with side covered with spinach and ending with cream cheese mixture. Wrap individually with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, cut into 1 inch slices.


courtesy of: Jones Dairy Farm, 800 Jones Avenue, P.O. Box 808, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0808, 800-563-1004