2974. FRENCH-STYLE BRAISED OCTOPUS with FENNEL and BACON BONES

serves as a main meal for 6


3 lb. baby octopus
10 garlic cloves
2 inches knob ginger, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup honey
3 medium-sized carrots
3 sticks of celery
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, extra
2 1/2 inch knob ginger, sliced
8 small salad onions, trimmed and cut into quarters
1 baby fennel bulb, finely sliced lengthways
5 oz. smoked bacon bones, sliced
1 tablespoon sea salt, extra
1/2 bunch thyme
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup red wine

To clean octopus, cut tentacles away from head below the beak. Cut away and discard the beak, then turn the body inside out. Remove ink sac and internal organs. Strip skin away from head and tentacles under running water. Rinse and drain well, then cut octopus in half.

Pound garlic, chopped ginger and salt with a pestle and mortar until crushed. Stir in vinegar and oil. Place octopus in a bowl and pour over garlic mixture and honey. Using your hands, mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, peel carrots, cut into quarters lengthways and slice. Cut celery sticks in half lengthways and slice. Heat extra oil in a large, heavy-based pan, add sliced ginger, carrots, celery, onions, fennel, bacon bones and extra salt.

Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until vegetables are lightly browned. Add thyme and sugar, increase heat again and cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 2 minutes.

Drain octopus from marinade; reserve marinade. Add octopus to pan and stir over high heat to sear octopus and seal in juices. Pour in reserved marinade, along with wine, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, covered, for about 45 minutes, or until octopus is tender.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kylie Kwong, ABC.net, Australia, November 19, 2003

2973. MANGO, BACON and STREAKY BACON SALAD

¼ cup of blanched almonds, chopped
A selection of salad greens
1 mango, peeled and diced
70 to 80 grams of feta, crumbled
4 rashers of streaky bacon
1 lemon
2 spring onions, finely sliced
Freshly ground black pepper

In a dry pan, toast the chopped almonds briefly until golden and remove from the heat. In the same pan fry the bacon rashers until crispy, drain on absorbent paper. Assemble the salad greens onto two plates, sharing the diced mango, feta and sliced spring onions between each plate. Chop or rip the warm bacon into bite sized pieces and scatter over the greens with the toasted almonds. Dress the salads with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Bron Marshall, March 21, 2006

2972. CHEESY ROTINI with BACON and PEAS

a box of quick-cooking rotini pasta
1 cup of your favorite shredded cheeses
1/4 cup of butter
4 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of skim milk
1 can of peas
8 strips of bacon
1 teaspoon of olive oil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

To make the cheese sauce, dice your butter and melt it in a saucepan, then stir in the flour and milk, whisking to ensure your sauce doesn't get lumpy. Add your cheese a little at a time, then let the sauce simmer for about twenty minutes.

While your roux is heating through, turn your broiler on low and line a cookie sheet with foil, then arrange the strips of bacon on the cookie sheet so no strip is overlapping. Slide the bacon under the broiler to cook while you work on your pasta.

Your quick-cooking rotini will take about three minutes to heat through in boiling water. While your pasta is cooking, warm your can of peas through in a separate pot. Drain the pasta, then set it aside.

Turn your broiler on high for one minute to get some extra crunch in your bacon, then remove bacon from heat. Dice bacon, then toss bacon and peas together and add to pasta. Use 1 teaspoon of olive oil if the pasta is sticking to pot.

Drizzle your cheese roux over the tossed pasta, stir, and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Jennifer King, Examiner.com, January 3, 2012

2971. BACON GUACAMOLE DEVILED EGGS

makes 6 servings 


6 eggs, boiled, cooled, peeled, and cut in half
1 large avocado, mashed
2 tablespoons bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tablespoon jalapeno, finely diced
1 tablespoon red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons diced tomato
1 tablespoon lime juice (~1/2 lime)
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
pinch chili powder (for garnish)

Scoop the yolks out of the egg halves, mash them, mix with the avocado, bacon, jalapeno, onion, tomato, lime juice and cilantro and season with salt, pepper and cayenne.

Place a tablespoon of the mixture back into the holes left by the yolks in the eggs and serve garnished with extra bacon and a pinch of chili powder.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kevin Lynch, Closet Cooking, March 25, 2013

2970. SALAMI, BACON and SPINACH HASH

yields four servings


8 ounces apple-smoked bacon (5 to 6 slices), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 medium russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cups baby spinach leaves
5 ounces dry salami, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Zest of 1/2 medium orange
4 large eggs, at room temperature

 

Cook the bacon over medium-high heat in a 12-inch nonstick skillet, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Add the potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the pan juices. Cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crisp, about 25 minutes. Remove the potatoes using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Add the oil, onion, bell pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, salami, nutmeg, orange zest, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Cook until the spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir in the bacon and potatoes.

Make 4 indentations in the hash and break an egg into each. Cook until the eggs are cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes.

 

 

bacon recipe courtesy of: Giada De Laurentiis, "LA Hot Spots: Breakfast," Giada at Home, Food Network

2969. SPAGHETTI POMODORO with BACON and BASIL

serves four


32 oz of canned tomatoes, hand-crushed and seeds removed
8 garlic cloves, sliced thin
10 basil leaves, hand-torn to small pieces
2 oz olive oil
1 oz extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. bacon
1 lb. dry spaghetti pasta

In a large pot, heat up the olive oil and brown the garlic. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Fold in the basil and extra virgin olive oil and set aside. Place bacon in baking trays and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan and transfer to some paper towel to drain the fat. Bring a large pot of water to boil with a few pinches of salt. Drop the spaghetti in the pot and boil until al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl. Pour the warm pomodoro sauce over and crumble the bacon on top.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chef Jorge Montes, Roho Kitchen, 8338 W State Road 84, Davie, Florida; Money Talks News, March 7, 2013

2968. EGGPLANT with BACON MISO

makes four servings


1 slice thick-cut bacon, finely chopped
1/3 cup white miso
3 tablespoons mirin
4 Japanese or Chinese eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for baking sheet
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425°. Cook bacon in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in miso and mirin.

Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Using the tip of a paring knife, score cut sides in a crosshatch pattern. Brush cut sides with 2 tablespoons oil, dividing evenly, then spread scant 1 tablespoon bacon-miso mixture over each half. Place on an oiled rimmed baking sheet.

Roast eggplant until tender and lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Top with scallions.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Nobuo at Teeter House, 622 E Adams Street, Phoenix, Arizona; Bon Appétit, June 2013

2967. PEANUT BUTTER BACON CHALLAH

1 package bacon

1 1/2 packages active dry yeast (1 1/2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup bacon grease

5 large eggs

1 tablespoon table salt

3/4 cups peanut butter

7 1/2 to 8 cups all-purpose flour

 

Cook the bacon in a flat pan, placing the bacon so that they are not overlapping, over medium heat. This may mean you cook the bacon in batches. Reserve the bacon grease. Cool and crumble the bacon. Set aside. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water. Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Add peanut butter. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour. Knead crumbled bacon into the challah, before forming the loaves. Take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Braid the challah loaf. (Watch video). Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between. Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Let bread rise one hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. Bake in middle of oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Cool loaves on a rack.

 

 

bacon recipe courtesy of: Sherlonya, Proper Noun: Sherlonya, April 19, 2013; adapted from Deb Perelman, Smitten Kitchen, September 26, 2008

2966. SMOKED EEL and BACON SALAD

serves four


1 small salad frisee
A squeeze of lemon juice and a tiny splash of light olive oil to dress the above

salt and pepper

200 grams smoked eel fillets, sliced lengthways as thinly as possible

8 rashers of smoked, streaky bacon, grilled until crisp
1 heaped tablespoon finely chopped chives

For the beurre blanc

2 shallots, very finely chopped

4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

4 tablespoons white wine

4 tablespoons water

250 grams very cold, fine quality unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

salt and freshly ground white pepper

Make the beurre blanc: using a small stainless steel or enameled pan, combine shallots, vinegar, wine and water. Reduce over a very moderate heat until almost no liquid is left. Then, reduce the heat to as low as possible and add the butter one chunk at a time (using a small whisk), until it is all incorporated. It should look like light, slightly jellied custard. Season and keep somewhere warm (but not actually on the heat).

Separate frisee into thin leaves and dress with the lemon juice, oil and seasoning. Arrange evenly on the plate as a base for the salad.

Arrange the eel strips on top, the bacon bits around the edge and then spoon the beurre blanc ‘in and around’. Garnish with the chopped chives.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Week in Week Out: 52 Seasonal Stories, by Simon Hopkinson. Quadrille Publishing Ltd, 2007; Helen Graves, Food Stories, March 2009

2965. AGNOLOTTI with BACON, MUSHROOM and TOMATO SAUCE

375 grams package fresh agnolotti pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
125 gram package short cut bacon, chopped
150g-200g mushrooms, sliced
500 gram jar tomato pasta sauce
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
grated parmesan cheese, to serve

Cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling water according to packet directions.  Drain. Heat oil in a frying pan and cook bacon until golden.  Add mushrooms to bacon and cook until mushrooms are soft. Return pasta to saucepan.  Add bacon, mushrooms and pasta sauce. Stir pasta over a low heat until heated through. Serve pasta with parmesan cheese.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Jenny Fanshaw, Recipe Solutions, August 24, 2011

2964. TRIPE with ONIONS and BACON

makes six servings


2 lb. tripe, rinsed, cut into 2-inch squares
4 thick slices bacon, diced
8 medium-sized onions, sliced
1/2 cup flour
5 cups milk
1 cup parsley sprigs, plus 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 celery rib, chopped
1 small thyme sprig
2-inch lemon peel
1 bay leaf
ground black pepper, to taste
grated nutmeg
salt, to taste

Put the bacon in a heavy pan and cook it over low heat until the fat begins to melt. Add the onions, cover the pan and cook them gently until they are transparent. Stir in the flour and cook the mixture for a minute, stirring well. Gradually add the milk, bring it slowly to a boil and stir until the sauce is thick about two minutes. Add the tripe to the pan. Tie the parsley sprigs or stems, celery, thyme, lemon peel and bay leaf into a bouquet garni, and add it to the tripe. Season the sauce to taste with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. Cover the pan and simmer over very low heat until the tripe is tender—about two hours. Serve the tripe at once, sprinkled with the chopped parsley.


bacon recipe courtesy of: ifood.tv

2963. POACHED FEIJOAS with FRENCH TOAST and CRISPY BACON

serves four


500 grams feijoas (8 small or 4 large)
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup green ginger wine
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla pod
6 whole cloves
6 julienned strips of lemon peel
1/4 cup brown sugar
French toast (recipe below)
bacon

French Toast
4 eggs
pinch of salt
1 cup milk
8 slices of white bread
butter

Break eggs into a wide shallow bowl, add salt and milk and whisk together. Heat a flat fry pan over medium heat and coat with butter. Place the bread slices in the egg mixture and allow to soak both sides. Place in fry pan and cook on each side until golden brown. Grill or fry bacon rashers until crispy.

Peel the feijoas, leaving flower end intact. Cut across bottom so that the fruits sit upright in saucepan. Mix all remaining ingredients together and pour over the fruit. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes until fruit softened. Remove fruit and set aside with half of the poaching syrup. Continue to simmer the remaining syrup until it has reduced by half and thickened. Serve the poached feijoas alongside French toast and crispy bacon with a small dish of the reduced syrup.


bacon recipe courtesy of: New World Supermarket, Foodstuffs Limited, PO Box 5401, Wellington, New Zealand

2962. SMOKED TROUT, WATERCRESS, CRISPY BACON and GRIBICHE SANDWICH

sandwich bread, sliced and buttered
watercress or rocket
streaky bacon, 2 rashers per person, cooked until crisp
smoked trout
salt and freshly ground black pepper
gribiche sauce (recipe below)

Gribiche

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped chervil leaves
2 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons capers, finely chopped
3 tablespoons gherkins, finely diced

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until needed.

To assemble: Place the buttered bread on a clean surface or chopping board. To each slice add a layer of watercress then two rashers of the crisp bacon. Top with chunks of smoked trout then spoon over some dollops of the gribiche. Season with salt and black pepper and finish the sandwiches with another slice of bread.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Al Brown, Cuisine, #118, PO Box 6341, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141, Auckland 1021, New Zealand

2961. BACON-ASPARAGUS STRATA

makes twelve servings 


nonstick cooking spray 
8 strips bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and chopped 
1 9 ounce package frozen cut asparagus, thawed and well-drained 
3/4 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped 
12 slices dry white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 8 cups) 
3 cups shredded Swiss cheese (12 ounces) 
8 eggs 
3 cups milk 
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard or 3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl combine bacon, asparagus, and red peppers. Place half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the bacon mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining bread cubes, bacon mixture, and cheese. In a large bowl, beat eggs with a rotary beater or whisk. Beat or whisk in milk, mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper. Carefully pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture in dish. Using the back of a spoon, gently press down on layers to moisten all of the bread. Cover dish with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake, uncovered, for 50 to 60 minutes or until puffed, golden, and set. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Better Homes and Gardens, Test Kitchen

2960. VENISON STEAKS with BACON POTATO CAKES and CASSIS

serves six


½ onion, diced

½ carrot, diced
25 grams butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups beef stock
1 sprig each parsley, thyme and rosemary
1 small bayleaf
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups blackcurrants (frozen are fine)
¼ cup creme de cassis

Venison steaks
6 Denver leg-cut venison steaks
4 tablespoons olive oil

Bacon potato cakes
3 large agria or other starchy potatoes
100 grams butter
2 rashers bacon, finely diced
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, bruised

Cassis sauce: In a saucepan cook the onion and carrot in the butter for 2-3 minutes until the onion softens. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in beef stock, parsley, thyme, rosemary, bayleaf and pepper. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Strain. Simmer the blackcurrants in the creme de cassis for about 10 minutes until they have softened and released their juice. Add the blackcurrants and juice to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has the consistency of pouring cream. Strain and season with salt and pepper.

Venison steaks: Remove venison from the fridge. Season meat with salt, pepper and the olive oil and leave covered for 30 minutes before cooking. Heat a frying pan until searingly hot and add the steaks. Cook for about 3 minutes, then turn. Cook second side for another 3 minutes. Set aside on a plate, covered for 5 minutes, before serving. This resting time will ensure the venison is lovely and tender.

Bacon potato cakes: Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. Thinly slice about 1-1½ potatoes. Cook these slices in half the butter until they are golden on both sides. Line 6 heavily buttered 12cm flan tins with an overlapping layer of the cooked potato slices. Mash the remaining potatoes. Pan-fry the diced bacon until crispy and beat into the potatoes with the remaining butter, egg yolk and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Fill the flan tins with the mashed potato. Bake at 220ºC for 10 minutes. Turn out on to the centre of each plate as a base for the venison steaks.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Allyson Gofton, c/o PO Box 18350, Glen Innes, Auckland, New Zealand

2959. CHANTERELLE MUSHROOM, LEEK and BACON TART

serves 2-3


For the filling:
6 pieces of bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
½ medium leek, thinly sliced
1 to 1½ pounds fresh Chanterelle mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs, i.e. thyme and oregano
salt & pepper

For the crust:
1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
4 oz. cream cheese
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon very cold water
1½ teaspoon cider vinegar

Make the crust: Place the flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Whirl briefly to combine. Add the cream cheese, egg yolks, water, and cider vinegar and process until a smooth dough forms. Remove the dough from the processor, wrap with plastic, and refrigerate the dough for ½ hour.

Make the filling: Saute the bacon in a medium pan until it is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Set aside. Pour off most of the bacon fat from the pan and add the leeks. Sprinkle the leeks with a little salt, then cook them on low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft. Remove the leeks from the pan and set aside. Add the chanterelles to the pan, add the fresh herbs and saute the mushrooms until they have released their juices and are tender. If the pan is too dry, add a tablespoon of butter or olive oil. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out the dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12″ round. Place the dough on an ungreased baking sheet or pizza stone. Spread the leeks, bacon and mushrooms over the tart – leaving a one inch border around the edge. Cover the filling with shredded Gruyere. Then fold the edge over the mushroom mixture and cheese, crimping the edge to make it fit.

Bake the tart until it is golden brown, approximately 25-30 minutes. Cut into four wedges and serve warm.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Mary Miller, A Passionate Plate, October 3, 2011

2958. GRILLED CHESE-and-BACON SANDWICHES with CHEESE CURDS

makes four servings 


1/2 beef bouillon cube (about 1 teaspoon) 
1/4 cup mayonnaise 
2 teaspoons Sriracha 
salt and freshly ground pepper 
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
1 medium onion, thinly sliced 
2 teaspoons cider vinegar 
12 slices of bacon 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 
8 slices of white sandwich bread 
1/2 pound sharp cheddar, cut into 4 slices 
3 ounces cheddar cheese curds (1 cup) 

In a small bowl, mash the bouillon cube into 2 teaspoons of hot water until dissolved. Whisk in the mayonnaise and Sriracha and season with salt and pepper. 

In a medium skillet, heat the oil. Add the onion, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. 

Meanwhile, in another skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp, 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels. 

Set a griddle over 2 burners and turn the heat to moderate. Butter the bread slices on 1 side. Spread the other side of 4 bread slices with the spicy mayonnaise and top with the onion, cheddar, cheese curds and bacon. Close the sandwiches buttered side out and griddle over moderately low heat until crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve. 


bacon recipe courtesy of: Frédéric Morin, Food & Wine, October 2011

2957. SPINACH and LYCHEE SALAD with BACON and WATER CHESTNUTS

yields four servings


For Dressing:

1/3 cup vinaigrette
2 tablespoons syrup from canned lychees
1 scallion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

For Salad:

1 (9-ounce) package baby spinach
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and liquid reserved
1/2 (20-ounce) can lychees in syrup, juice reserved
1/4 cup real bacon crumbles
2 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered

 

In a jar or sealable container, combine vinaigrette and 2 tablespoons reserved lychee juice, scallion, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds. Shake vigorously; set aside. Add spinach and water chestnuts to a large bowl. Add dressing and toss. Top with lychees, bacon bits, and eggs. 

 

 

bacon recipe courtesy of: Sandra Lee, "Asian Flavor," Semi-Homemade Cooking, Food Network, 2008 

2956. SWEET CORN BEIGNETS with BACON-SUGAR DUST

yields four dozen

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast 

1 cup warm 2% milk (110° to 115°) 

1-1/4 cups fresh or frozen corn, thawed 

1/4 cup sugar 

2 eggs 

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups confectioners' sugar

6 cooked bacon strips

Oil for deep-fat frying

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add the corn, sugar, eggs, butter, salt, vanilla and 4-1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky). Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine confectioners' sugar and bacon. Process until combined; set aside. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 16-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Cut into 2-in. squares.  In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry squares, a few at a time, until golden brown, about 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Dust with bacon-sugar mixture. Serve warm.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Country Woman, February/March 2012, page 45

2955. TORTELLINI with RICOTTA, SPINACH and BACON

serves four


250 grams tortellini
2 rashers lean back bacon
25 grams walnuts pieces
zest ½ lemon, juice of 1
1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan, plus extra for serving
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for serving
100 grams bag salad spinach
2 tablespoons ricotta

Heat the grill. Boil the pasta according to pack instructions, then tip into a colander and cool under gently running water. Meanwhile, grill the bacon on a baking tray until golden and crisp at the edges. When almost ready, tip the walnuts onto the tray to toast a little. Snip the bacon into strips.

Mix the lemon zest and juice, Parmesan and oil in a large bowl. Season with pepper, then tip in the spinach, tortellini, bacon and walnuts. Toss well, add the ricotta in small blobs, then gently toss. Season to taste, then serve with a drizzle more oil and more Parmesan, if you like.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Jane Hornby, Good Food Magazine, Building 800, Guillat Avenue, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne ME9 8GU