2629. MARROW with BACON, ONIONS and GOAT CHEESE

serves four


1 medium-sized marrow
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
4 rashers of rindless, streaky bacon, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
150-160 grams soft goat's cheese

 Cut the marrow into four lengthways, leaving the skin on, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice the marrow into half-inch pieces and lay them on a tray. Scatter liberally with salt and leave for 30 minutes, then drain off any liquid and dry the slices on a clean tea towel. Meanwhile, heat a couple of tablespoons of the olive oil in a saucepan and gently cook the onion, garlic and bacon for 4-5 minutes, stirring every so often until soft. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan (you may need to do this in two batches), season the marrow with pepper and sauté the pieces on a high heat for 5-6 minutes, or until they are nicely coloured and tender. If they are colouring too much, turn the heat down. Once the marrow is tender, mix in the onion mixture and re-season if necessary. Then transfer to an ovenproof dish. Break up the goat's cheese, scatter it on top and place under a pre-heated grill for a few minutes until the cheese melts.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Mark Hix, The Independent (Independent Print Limited, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF), September 16, 2006

2628. BACON-WRAPPED ENOKI BBQ

makes four servings


4 clusters of enoki mushrooms (each about 1 ounce)
4 slices of bacon (about 4 ounces)
4 pieces of butcher’s string (each 6 inches long)

Cut most of the spongy base off each cluster of enokis, leaving enough intact to hold the mushrooms together. Wrap each cluster crosswise with a slice of bacon, tying it in place with a piece of butcher’s string. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to medium-high. Leave one section of the grill fire-free for a safety zone. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the enokis on the hot grate and grill them until the bacon and mushrooms are browned on all sides, 2-3 minutes per side, 8-12 minutes in all, turning with tongs. If the dripping bacon fat causes flare-ups, move the enokis to another section of the grill.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Planet Barbecue!: 309 Recipes, 60 Countries, by Steven Raichlen. Workman Publishing Company, 2010

2627. BAKED SEA BREAM with BACON, TOMATOES and CORIANDER

serves four


4 large potatoes, about 1kg/2lb. 4 oz.
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
pinch dried chilli flakes
pinch saffron
1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped
4 whole sea bream, cleaned and gutted
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for greasing
juice 2 limes
125ml white wine
handful sundried tomatoes
handful pine nuts, toasted
4 thin slices smoked streaky bacon  

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Slice the potatoes thinly, put in a large saucepan and cover with cold salted water. Bring to the boil and drain, then lay onto the base of a lightly oiled large baking tray. Scatter over the garlic, chilli, saffron and a little of the coriander. 

Slash the fish through the flesh down to the bone - this allows it to cook evenly and quicker than normal. Season and rub with the olive oil. Lay the fish on the potatoes and top with the lime juice, wine, tomatoes and pine nuts. Lay the pancetta slices over the fish and bake for 20-25 mins or until the fish is cooked through. Check by pulling out one of the fins on the back, it should come away easily. Serve the fish scattered with the remaining coriander.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Matt Tebbutt, Good Food magazine, July 2010

2626. SILVER BEET, POTATO and BACON CHUNKY FRITTATA

serves two


2 large cooked potatoes
4 eggs
4 lean bacon rashers, diced
60 grams feta cheese, crumbled
1 onion, finely diced

1 bunch (about 200 grams) silver beet, stalks removed and finely chopped

Briefly cook the silver beet in the microwave for 1 minute, or blanch it in boiling water for 2 minutes then cool under cold water. Slice the potatoes into thick slices. Beat the eggs together and set aside. In a wide-bottomed ovenproof pan, fry the onion and bacon until soft in a little oil. Add the potatoes to the pan, toss to combine, then spread the silver beet out over the top of everything in the pan. Pour the egg mixture over the top of everything and tip the pan so the mixture is evenly distributed. Cook the frittata over a moderate heat until the egg is set. Sprinkle the feta over the top and place under a hot grill for 5 minutes, until the top is browned and the cheese melted. Serve immediately with your favourite salsa.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Niki Bezzant, Healthy Food Guide, PO Box 47177, Ponsonby, Auckland 1144, New Zealand, October 2005

2625. MATCHA QUICHE with BACON and SPINACH

serves four


4 slices bacon 
5 oz. potato 
1 oz. spinach 
3 1/2 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 tablespoon oil
2 eggs
80 ml milk
80 ml fresh cream
a little salt
a little pepper
10 g Parmesan cheese

 

Dough:  

2 teaspoons matcha powder 

150 grams flour

80 grams butter

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons cold water

 

To make the dough, mix the flour, matcha powder and the butter and knead. Add the egg yolk and cold water and mix. Spread the dough out (Step 1) into a mold about 15 cm. in diameter. Cut the bacon slices into 8 equal portions. Peel the potato; slice them. Cut off the stems of the spinach and wash. Cut into 3 cm. long pieces. Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat and fry the bacon strips and potato slices. Mix the eggs, fresh cream, milk, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl. Put the bacon strips and potato slices (Step 4) into the pan (Step 2). Pour the liquid mixture (Step 5) into the pan and spread the spinach and the shredded Mozzarela cheese over it. Bake in the oven 30 to 40 minutes.

 

 

bacon recipe courtesy of: Manami Imai and Kenji Imai, J-Simple Recipes: Enjoy cooking Japanese food!

2624. BACON TEMPURA SALAD with YOGURT and HONEY DRESSING

yields four servings


250 grams of bacon, cut into three-inch lengths
tempura batter
about 2 cups of vegetable oil for deep frying

For the salad:
a small head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 cucumber (peeled or unpeeled), thinly sliced
4 to 6 plump and juicy tomatoes, thinly sliced

For the yogurt and honey dressing:
1 large clove of garlic, grated
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of plain yogurt
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons of honey
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon of chopped parsley

Make the dressing. Stir together the olive oil, yogurt and garlic until smooth. Add the lemon juice, honey and some salt and pepper. Taste. Add more salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the parsley.

Heat the cooking oil until fine wisps of smoke start to appear. Dip each strip of bacon in the batter and fry, a few pieces at a time, until golden and crisp. Drain on a stack of paper towels.

Time to assemble the salad. Line a large plate with the shredded lettuce. Scatter the cucumber and tomato slices on top. Pile the bacon tempura on top of the vegetables.

Drizzle some of the yogurt and honey dressing over the bacon tempura and vegetables. Serve the rest on the side.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Connie Veneracion, CASA Veneracion, November 2, 2011

2623. PAN-FRIED ASPARAGUS ENOKI BACON ROLL

asparagus; thin
enoki mushrooms
bacon
ume-shiso

Cut asparagus and enoki to roughly the same length as the bacon. Pan-fry asparagus until 90% cooked. Smash ume-shiso and smear it generously on one end of the bacon slice. Top it with asparagus & enoki and roll it all! Pan-fry the rolls.

NOTES: 1) You can add a bit of tubed ume-shiso paste if you don't have enough umes. 2) If you're using bacon, don't add the ume-shiso paste as it will be way too salty.


bacon recipe courtesy of: grazingrace (member), for Nibbledish

2622. CORN RISOTTO garnished with BACON and ANCHOVY SAGE LEAF BITE

serves six

6 cups chicken stock

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup Chardonnay

2 ears of fresh corn, cut from cob

3 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped

3 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper, to taste

4 strips of bacon, cooked crispy, chopped

Romano cheese, grated

Bring chicken stock to boil in saucepan and keep simmering while cooking risotto. In another sauce pan, heat up olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions until translucent. Add rice and stir until opaque. About 1 minute. Add wine to rice, stir until absorbed. Add chicken broth one ladle at a time. After each ladle is absorbed, add another. Stir constantly. I prefer to have the rest of the bottle of Chardonnay next to me, keeping my wine glass filled during my risotto stirring. My favorite way to make risotto. When you have about 1 cup of chicken stock left, add remaining stock, corn, and sage. When absorbed, finished with butter, salt, and pepper. Add cheese if you please Note: be careful with salt, if you are going to add bacon, cheese, and/or sage bites. Serve and garnish with bacon and Anchovy Sage Bite (recipe below).

Anchovy Sage Bite: anchovy; sage leaf; rice flour; pepper; 1 egg, slightly beaten; canola oil

Mash anchovies in dish. Approx. 1/2 anchovy per sage leaf. You can make one or a dozen. Spread on one side of leaf. Roll leaf in rice flour with pepper. Shake off excess. Dip leaf in beaten egg. Place egged leaf in canola oil that has been heating in a sauce pan. Brown, drain and serve. I like to use them for garnish.

bacon recipe courtesy of:  Food52.com

2621. SWEET BACON MUSUBI

yield dependent on how small or large you make each


3 cups steamed white rice
½ teaspoon salt
2 strips of raw bacon
1 tablespoon sugar
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
nori seaweed sheets cut into 2 ½ x 5 inch strips

Finely chop the strips of bacon. Fry them in a hot skillet. When halfway done, pour out some of the fat and then sprinkle on the brown sugar. Cook until the bacon is crisp and caramelized. Scoop out the sugary bits of bacon with a slotted spoon and place them into the hot rice. Sprinkle in the toasted sesame seeds, salt and sliced green onion. Fluff well to distribute the ingredients evenly into the rice.

Moisten a musubi mold or rice bowl with water. Wet your hands with water, too. Place about 3/4 cup of the rice mixture into the mold or bowl. If using the mold, press down the lid (moisten the lid, too to prevent the rice from sticking to it). If using the bowl, make quick up and down movements with the bowl to pack the rice together; then dump the rice into one palm and form the rice into a triangle by pressing it as though you were forming a snowball, only squeeze gently to form three sides. If using a mold, take the rice out of the mold and firmly press with damp hands to reinforce the triangle shape. Wrap a nori strip around the front and back of the triangle.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chidori Phillips, BellaOnline: The Voice of Women

2620. BEEMSTER VEAL PINWHEELS with BACON in PORT SAUCE

serves four


8 slices of Beemster cheese
4 uncoated veal schnitzels
freshly ground salt and pepper
8 strips of bacon
8 sage or basil leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil or liquid margarine
1 garlic clove, peeled
½ cup ruby port
¾ cup beef stock or meat bouillon
2 tablespoons cold butter, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Arrange the veal schnitzels side by side. If necessary, use a mallet to flatten. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top each schnitzel with 2 strips of bacon and 2 slices of cheese, and lastly a sage or basil leaf. Roll the schnitzels and the filling tightly, securing with a cocktail toothpick. Heat the olive oil or liquid margarine in a pan and fry the veal pinwheels until brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and place in a casserole dish and bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes. Add the port to the meat juices in the pan and add the stock or bouillon. Reduce the mixture by 1/3. To thicken the sauce, first remove from the heat and add bits of butter, stirring vigorously. Delicious with peapods and mashed potatoes.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Beemster: Premium Gourmet Dutch Cheese, Finica International Food Specialties LTD, 5942 Ambler Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 2N3 CANADA

2619. BACON and CANE SYRUP PECAN PIE

serves 8-10; yields one 9-inch pie 


For the pie dough

all-purpose flour granulated sugar kosher salt butter egg yolks pure vanilla extract brown sugar cream

7-1/2 oz. (1-2/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 oz. (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
5 to 7 tablespoons ice water 

 

For the filling
8 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup cane syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup crumbled cooked bacon (3 or 4 strips)

Make the pie dough: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the largest pieces are about the size of corn kernels, 8 to 12 one-second pulses. Drizzle 5 Tbs. of the ice water over the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture becomes a moist, crumbly-looking dough that holds together when squeezed in your hand, 4 to 6 pulses. If the dough is still dry, add another tablespoon or two of ice water and test again.

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Gently gather and press the dough into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Let the dough sit at room temperature to soften slightly (it should be firm but not rock hard), 5 to 20 minutes, depending on how long it was chilled. Roll the dough on a lightly floured work surface with a lightly floured rolling pin until it’s about 13 inches wide and 1/8 inch thick. Roll from the center of the dough to the edges and try to use as few passes as possible to avoid overworking the dough. After every few passes, run an offset spatula or a bench knife under the dough to be sure it isn’t sticking, and give the dough a quarter turn. Reflour the work surface and rolling pin only as needed—excess flour makes the crust tough.

Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate by rolling it around the rolling pin and unrolling it into the plate. You can also fold the dough in half and unfold it into the plate. To fit the dough into the plate, gently lift the edges to create enough slack to line the sides without stretching the dough. Trim off all but 3/4 inch of the overhang. Roll the dough under itself to build up the edge of the crust. Crimp the edge of the crust with your fingers. With the tines of a fork, prick the crust all over. Chill for up to 1 hour in the refrigerator or about 30 minutes in the freezer.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Line the piecrust with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and weights. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking until the bottom looks dry and the edges are golden, 5 to 7 minutes more. Cool on a rack while you prepare the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and put a large, rimmed baking sheet on the oven rack.

Make the filling: Put the egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl set on a kitchen towel and add the vanilla. Combine the sugar, butter, cane syrup, cream, and salt in a 1-quart sauce-pan. Heat over medium heat just until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot but not boiling, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisking vigorously and constantly, very slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into the yolks. Strain through a fine strainer set over a 1-quart measuring cup.

Fill and bake the pie: Tip: Pour the filling over the pecans in a slow, spiral motion; if you go too fast, the pecans may move, leaving gaps in the finished pie.

 Spread the pecans evenly in the piecrust. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon evenly over the pecans. Slowly pour the filling over the pecans. Put the pie on the baking sheet and bake until the center of the pie is slightly firm to the touch and the filling doesn’t wobble when the pie is nudged, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.


bacon recipe courtesy of: David Guas, Fine Cooking, Issue 113, pp. 49-53, September 1, 2011

2618. CRISPY SALAD with MIMOLETTE SHAVINGS and BACON

6 rashers streaky bacon

8 thin slices French bread
a little olive oil
100 grams/4 oz. Mimolette cheese
1 (150 grams) bag spinach, rocket and watercress salad
3 tablespoons French dressing

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Place the bacon on a small baking tray. Lay the bread on a baking sheet and drizzle over a little olive oil. Bake the bacon and bread for 8 mins or until crisp. Cool the bacon then snip into bite sized pieces. Use a potato peeler to thinly pare the Mimolette into shavings. Empty the leaves into a salad bowl, add the cheese, bacon and dressing and toss to mix. Place two croutons on four plates, then top with the salad.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Vive le Cheese, CNIEL (the Interprofessional Centre for the Dairy Economy) & FranceAgriMer |  French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

2617. FRESH YAKISOBA with BACON and VEGETABLES

serves 4-6 people


5-6 slices of bacon
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 large onion, sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, sliced
2-3 green peppers, sliced (add color by using red & yellow)
3 scallions, finely sliced
Salt & Pepper
½ Chinese cabbage or 1 small cabbage head, shredded or torn
3 packages precooked soba noodles
Soy sauce
Mirin (sweet rice wine) (optional)

In a large skillet, at med-high heat cook bacon until brown but still soft. Remove chop into bite size pieces. Set aside. In the same pan (along with the cooked bacon oil) add 1 tsp sesame oil and
onions, sauté for 2-3 mins. Add garlic sauté together. Add carrots, onion, and green bell peppers in the skillet and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Sauté some more, sprinkle salt & pepper. Toss and mix well. Add cabbage, then soba noodles continue to fold and mix together. Drizzle a little sesame oil, add 3-5 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons mirin on top. Mix more. Add bacon pieces then taste until perfection. Add more soy sauce and other sauces and seasoning if needed. Serve hot with rice & chopsticks.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Jackie Allen, President & CEO, Allen International Inc. / International Learning Center, Iwakuni, Japan, June 2012

2616. RED BEAN, CHORIZO and BACON STEW

100 grams dried beans
60 grams bacon
50 grams chorizo sausage
1 onion
1 carrot
1 leek
olive oil
salt

Place the beans, diced bacon, chopped onion, carrot and leek and a few drops of olive oil into a saucepan season with salt. Cover with water and bring to the boil and then simmer for about an hour and a half before adding the chopped chorizo. Continue boiling until the beans are well cooked (this depends on the variety of red beans you are using). This should be at least an hour and 40 minutes.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Euroresidentes.com, Spain

2615. COFFEE BACON SANDWICHES

makes 8 pieces of bacon and enough spread 4 sandwiches 

For the Bacon:

8 slices uncooked bacon

1/4 cup freshly ground coffee

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon water

For the Spread:

4 ounces goat cheese

4 medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the Sandwich:

fresh baby spinach leaves

crusty, toasted bread

Lay cascading bacon slices atop one another so that the fat is on top.  Place bacon on top of a piece of plastic wrap or brown butcher paper. In a small bowl, stir together ground coffee, chili powder, brown sugar, molasses, and water. Spread the mixture on top of the bacon slices, pressing with the back of a spoon. The coffee topping will only be on the top, fatted rim of the bacon. Wrap the bacon and coffee in the plastic wrap or butcher paper and place in the fridge. You may want to put the mixture in a large sealable back to prevent any leaking. Let sit for 2 hours of overnight. When ready to bake, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pay separate bacon slices on the paper in a single layer. If you prefer, you can wipe some of the ground coffee marinade off before baking. The majority of the coffee will only be on the top layer of the bacon slice. Bake until browned and crisp, 14 to 17 minutes, or until bacon has reached your desired crispiness. Remove from the oven, allow to drain on a piece of paper towel and assemble goat cheese spread. To make the Spread: In a medium bowl, place goat cheese, pitted dates, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and red pepper flakes. Use a fork to mash the ingredients together. Mash until well incorporated. Add a touch more lemon juice or olive oil to reach your desired consistency. Spread goat cheese mixture on buttered and toasted bread. Top with coffee bacon and fresh spinach. Serve immediately.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes by Joy Wilson. Hyperion, 2012 | Joy the Baker, March 1, 2012

2614. CASSAVA and BACON HASH

1 medium-large (approximately 1 pound) cassava root (yuca, manioc)
1 small onion, diced
4 strips of organic, nitrate/nitrite free bacon, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Peel the cassava with a potato peeler and dice into small (1/2 inch) pieces. Place diced cassava in a pan of cold water and bring to a simmer, cooking until not quite done and still firm, 3-4 minutes. Strain and set aside. Cook the diced bacon on medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. Strain the bacon out of the pan and reserve. Cook the diced onion in the bacon fat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the partially cooked cassava, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the pan and sauté until fully cooked and browned on the outside. Approximately 10 minutes. (Add a little bit of water if the mixture sticks too much.) Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Lea, Paleo Spirit, February 13, 2012

2613. BUCATINI with BACON, TOMATO and GREEN ONIONS

serves four


salt
1 pound bucatini
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling, plus a tablespoon
8 slices smoky bacon, chopped
3-4 spring Vidalia onions with a few inches of green tops intact, very thinly sliced or 2 leeks, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced then washed and dried
4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped or 1 jalapeno or red Fresno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 pints ripe cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
black pepper
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls, chopped
a handful of basil leaves, torn or shredded
a generous handful of grated pecorino, plus some to pass at table

Heat a large pot of water to a boil for bucatini, season water with salt then cook pasta to al dente. In a deep skillet or Dutch oven with tight fitting lid heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat, add bacon and cook to crisp, remove with slotted spoon and reserve on a paper towel covered plate. Drain off some fat if pan has more than a couple of tablespoons of drippings. Add spring sliced Vidalia onions or leeks, garlic and hot pepper and sauté 2-3 minutes then add tomatoes and stir to combine, cover pan. Shake pan occasionally and cook until tomatoes begin to burst, 6-8 minutes. Uncover pot and mash up tomatoes with wooden spoon, add wine and stir a 1-2 minutes. Season the sauce with some salt and black pepper to taste, then reduce the heat to low. When pasta is ready, add a ladle of starchy water to sauce along with parsley, bacon and bucatini, toss 1-2 minutes with an extra tablespoon olive oil. Turn off heat and toss in basil and cheese, serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Rachael Ray, Rachael Ray Show, April 15, 2010

2612. MUSHROOMS, BACON and SWISS CHARD with GEMELLI

makes eight servings 


2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 thick-cut smoked bacon, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 fresh thyme sprigs 
1 package (340 g) mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup sodium-reduced chicken broth
1 bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and leaves cut in thirds
3/4 cup whipping cream
4 cups gemelli pasta
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat; cook bacon until crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain all but 1 tbsp fat from pan. Add onion and thyme; cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in mushrooms and half each of the salt and pepper; cook until mushrooms are browned and no liquid remains, about 5 minutes.

Stir in wine, scraping up browned bits. Add chicken broth and Swiss chard; cook until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Stir in cream and remaining salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs.

Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and add to mushroom mixture, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss in half of the Parmesan cheese and enough of the cooking liquid to coat. Top with remaining cheese.

 

 

bacon recipe courtesy of: Soo Kim and The Test Kitchen, Canadian Living Magazine, March 2011

2611. CAULIFLOWER, CHEDDAR and APPLEWOOD-SMOKED BACON BISQUE

yields ten servings

5 slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 ribs celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 heads cauliflower, cut up into small flowerets

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1" cubes

1 cup half-and-half, fat free

salt and white pepper, to taste

truffle oil, for garnish

Saute bacon in large, heavy saucepan over medium heat until browned. Add onion, celery, and garlic. Cover and sweat vegetables until soft, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add cauliflower, chicken broth and cheese and stir to loosen up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until cauliflower is tenderuntil , about 30 minutes. Let cool about 20 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in blender, returning to same saucepan. Add half and half and bring soup to a simmer over medium low heat. If soup is too thick, thin with more chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with truffle oil for a garnish.

bacon recipe courtesy of: primethyme (member), BakeSpace.com

2610. RED BEAN and BACON SOUP

makes about 12 cups, serving 6 to 8 1/2 pound lean bacon (about 8 slices), cut into 1/2-inches pieces 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion 2 large garlic cloves 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cuminseed 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste 1 1/2 cups chopped celery 1 1/2 cups chopped carrot 1 pound red beans such as kidney or pinto, soaked in enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches overnight or quick-soaked (procedure follows) and drained 4 cups chicken broth plus, if desired, additional for thinning the soup a 28-ounce can Italian tomatoes, drained, reserving the juice, and chopped 1/2 cup medium-dry Sherry chopped scallion greens as an accompaniment sour cream as an accompaniment In a heavy kettle cook the bacon over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp, transfer it to paper towels to drain, and reserve it. Pour off all but 1/4 cup of the fat and in the remaining fat cook the onion, the garlic, the bay leaf, the chili powder, the cuminseed, and the cayenne, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the celery, the carrot, the beans, 4 cups of the broth, and 2 cups water and simmer the soup, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Add the tomatoes with the reserved juice and simmer the soup, covered, for 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and force the soup in batches through a food mill into a large saucepan. Stir in the Sherry, salt and pepper to taste, and the additional broth or water to thin the soup to the desired consistency, simmer the soup for 5 minutes, and serve it with the reserved bacon, the scallion greens, and the sour cream. To quick-soak dried beans: In a colander rinse the beans under cold water and discard any discolored ones. In a kettle combine the beans with enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches, bring the water to a boil, and boil the beans for 2 minutes. Remove the kettle from the heat and let the beans soak, covered, for 1 hour. bacon recipe courtesy of: Gourmet, March 1991