serves six as a side dish, 2-3 as a main course
1 1/2 lb. curly kale (or cavolo nero, or savoy or other winter cabbage)
2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
6 oz. bacon, finely chopped
6 oz. peeled, cooked chestnuts, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Remove the tough stalks from the kale or other greens and coarsely shred the leaves. Cook the kale in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 3 or 4 minutes, until tender, then drain well and let stand to steam off excess moisture.
Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan, add the oil, then the bacon, and fry over medium heat until it is just starting to become crisp. Toss the chestnuts into the pan, stirring well so they absorb the hot bacon fat. Add the kale, along with the butter and some salt and pepper. Toss well and serve right away.
bacon recipe courtesy of: River Cottage Every Day by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2009; page 302
1 lb. bacon
12 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 large, sweet red pepper, diced
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1-2 scallions, cut into rings
Cook the couscous according the package directions.
Wipe mushrooms down with a damp cloth to get any dirt off them. Snap off the stems. Discard them if you like, or chop them up and saute them along with the caps. Slice the mushroom caps into thin-ish pieces. Set them aside.
Remove the seeds and ribs from your red pepper. Cut into strips, then cut into small dice. Set aside (separately from the mushrooms).
Slice bacon into pieces. Cut the pieces a little larger than you want them to actually be in the salad. Remember, bacon shrinks when it cooks. Put the bacon in a large, non-stick pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Give it a stir to spread it out. After a minute or two, it should start to fry and let off all sorts of glorious bacon fat. Fry until it gets nice and crispy. When it’s done, transfer the bacon to a bowl with a slotted spoon. You’ll have a fair amount of bacon fat left in your pan. Pour all but a few tablespoons out.
Toss your sliced mushrooms into the pan with the bacon fat. Set the pan over medium-high heat. Give them a stir to coat with fat. Sprinkle on a little kosher salt and some freshly cracked black pepper. Cook like this for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Scrape them out of the pan into the bowl with your cooked bacon.
Put couscous in a large bowl. Toss in the cooked bacon and mushrooms. Give a stir to mix them into the couscous.
Add the diced red pepper, minced parsley, and scallions. Stir to mix well. Give the couscous a taste. Toss in a little kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, if you like.
Serve as a side dish, or a lighter main dish.
bacon recipe courtesy of: Jessie Cross, The Hungry Mouse, July 8, 2009
12 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 large, sweet red pepper, diced
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1-2 scallions, cut into rings
Cook the couscous according the package directions.
Wipe mushrooms down with a damp cloth to get any dirt off them. Snap off the stems. Discard them if you like, or chop them up and saute them along with the caps. Slice the mushroom caps into thin-ish pieces. Set them aside.
Remove the seeds and ribs from your red pepper. Cut into strips, then cut into small dice. Set aside (separately from the mushrooms).
Slice bacon into pieces. Cut the pieces a little larger than you want them to actually be in the salad. Remember, bacon shrinks when it cooks. Put the bacon in a large, non-stick pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Give it a stir to spread it out. After a minute or two, it should start to fry and let off all sorts of glorious bacon fat. Fry until it gets nice and crispy. When it’s done, transfer the bacon to a bowl with a slotted spoon. You’ll have a fair amount of bacon fat left in your pan. Pour all but a few tablespoons out.
Toss your sliced mushrooms into the pan with the bacon fat. Set the pan over medium-high heat. Give them a stir to coat with fat. Sprinkle on a little kosher salt and some freshly cracked black pepper. Cook like this for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Scrape them out of the pan into the bowl with your cooked bacon.
Put couscous in a large bowl. Toss in the cooked bacon and mushrooms. Give a stir to mix them into the couscous.
Add the diced red pepper, minced parsley, and scallions. Stir to mix well. Give the couscous a taste. Toss in a little kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, if you like.
Serve as a side dish, or a lighter main dish.
bacon recipe courtesy of: Jessie Cross, The Hungry Mouse, July 8, 2009