3559. BEER, BACON and STEAK SOBA BOWLS

serves four


3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 lime, sliced
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 large daikon, trimmed and cut into matchsticks (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 pounds petite filet or flat-iron steaks
12 ounces soba or whole wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons high temperature/stir fry cooking oil
1/2 pound smoky black pepper bacon, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 bunches scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces on an angle
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup shelled edamame
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tamari
1 can Sapporo beer
4 cups beef stock (32 ounces)
shiso cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Heat the vinegar, lime slices, water, salt and sugar in a saucepot over medium heat until at a low boil and sugar and salt dissolves. Pour the brine over the daikon and reserve.

Place the meat in the freezer for a few minutes to firm it up for stability when thinly slicing.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook soba or spaghetti to al dente, according to the package directions.

Very thinly slice the beef against the grain.

Heat a large, round-bottom pot over high heat; add a little oil and brown and crisp the bacon. Remove to plate and spoon off all but 3 tablespoons fat. Add the beef in small batches to the hot drippings and stir fry it until brown and crispy at edges; remove to plate. Add the scallions to blister them, then add the garlic and edamame. Toss, then add the Worcestershire sauce and tamari; deglaze the pan with beer and reduce by half. Add the stock and simmer.

Divide the bacon, beef and noodles among bowls and top with soup. Garnish with the drained pickled daikon, shiso or cilantro leaves.

bacon recipe source: Rachael Ray, September 9, 2013

3552. PANCIT with BACON, SALMON and SHELLFISH

serves ~6


5-6 ounces of dried mung bean threads
dash of oil
12 oz. bacon, cut into strips
1-2 cups seafood mix (comes with shrimp, calamari, and mini scallops; frozen is fine)
5-7 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped or sliced
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon or so bouillon (vegetable, chicken, or beef)
3/4 cup water or broth (vegetable, chicken, or beef)
1-2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons fish sauce aka patis (optional)
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces dried canton noodles
1/2-1 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup of celery, chopped
1/2-1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup baby broccoli, chopped, stems and florets separated
1/2-1 cup snow peas or snap peas, left whole or cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups cabbage, shredded
3 scallions, thinly sliced + more for garnish
1/4 cup parsley, chopped (optional)
2 (4-6 oz each) salmon fillets, skin on (pan-sear when ready to eat)

Soak mung bean threads in hot water for about 30 minutes. While soaking the bean threads, you can cook the other components. After the 30 minutes or until softened, drain and set aside.

Cook the bacon in a bit of oil until crispy. Set aside and save the bacon fat.

Using a dash of bacon fat, cook the seafood mix in the same pan as you cooked the bacon. Be careful not to over cook. When done, set aside on a plate.

In the same pan, sauté the onion and garlic, adding a tablespoon more bacon fat or oil if needed. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Mix in bouillon and continue to sauté for about 5 minutes or until onions have softened.

On medium heat, add the water or broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Let it come to a boil. Put the dried canton noodles on top and let it absorb the liquid. Keep tilting the pan and gently pressing on the noodles so that they soften. This will take 3 minutes or so.

After the canton noodles have softened, add the mushrooms, celery, carrots, and broccoli stems. Mix and let cook for a couple of minutes. Add more broth or water if needed.

Add the softened mung bean threads in addition to the snap peas. Mix and cook for a couple more minutes. Turn the heat off and add the cooked bacon (save a handful for garnish), cooked seafood, cabbage, scallions and parsley. Mix well. Adjust seasoning, adding more salt & pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, or Worcestershire sauce if needed.

When ready to eat, make the pan-seared salmon. Let rest 5-10 minutes. Slice and add to the dish. Alternatively you can slice the raw salmon into bite sized pieces and stir-fry until brown on both sides and fully cooked. Garnish the dish with a little bacon, parsley, and scallions. Serve with calamansi, lemon, or lime.


bacon recipe source: David, food flavor fascination, June 13, 2013

3366. HONEY and BACON ONIGIRI

makes 4 onigiri 

1/2 batch of sushi rice* at room temperature (*see here)
1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 stalk green onions, finely chopped
2 slices cooked bacon, finely chopped
a pinch of chili flakes
kosher salt
sesame seeds
4 strips of seaweed

To make the filling, mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, green onion, bacon, and chili flakes. To mold the onigiri, refer to this handy guide. Sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds. If you are eating them immediately, wrap in seaweed and enjoy! If you are saving some for later, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Add the seaweed right before consumption so it is crunchy!


bacon recipe source: Molly Yeh, My name is Yeh, November 2013

3173. ROASTED MAITAKE MUSHROOMS with BACON

serves four


2 whole maitake mushrooms, about 4 ounces each

½ bunch mustard greens, cleaned, stems removed and sliced thin
2 cloves chopped garlic
2½ cups roasted chicken stock
¼ cup white wine
3 pieces smoked bacon, diced
1 tablespoon tamari
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Brown the bacon until crispy, add 2 cups of chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes; strain out the bacon and skim off the fat, add the Tamari and cider vinegar. Can be made 1 day ahead of time, store in the refrigerator.

Sweat the garlic in the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat, about 1 minute, add the mustard greens and the white wine, cook until almost dry. Add the ½ cup of chicken stock and butter and cook until greens are tender and liquid has cooked out. Keep warm.

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat, season the mushrooms with salt and black pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil to the pan, sear the mushrooms cut side down until browned turn over and place the pan in a preheated 350° oven for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through.

Reheat broth while mushrooms are in the oven.

Place the cooked greens in the bottom of 4 bowl, add the cooked mushroom and ladle the broth over each mushroom, serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, 500 Pythian Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95409

2852. BROCCOLI BACON STIR FRY with MAPLE and TAMARI

1 teaspoon veggie oil
6 oz. bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 3/4 teaspoons cane sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon tamari
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced OR 1 tablespoon minced from jar
12 oz. broccoli, florets and stalks cut into 1/4-inch pieces
12 oz. cauliflower, florets and stalks cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Place a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil and sliced bacon to the pan and stir-fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle the sugar over the bacon and toss. Immediately and carefully add 1/4 teaspoon tamari and continue to stir-fry until the bacon is glazed, about 30 seconds. Transfer the bacon to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add the garlic and a pinch of salt to the drippings in the pan and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then, add the cauliflower and broccoli pieces and cook until tender and crisp on the edges, perhaps 2 to 3 minutes.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the vegetables and toss to coat. Add 1 more tablespoon tamari and the candied bacon to the pot and stir thoroughly.

When the pan starts to look dry, reduce the heat to a simmer and finish off by stirring in the 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup. Cook for approximately 1 minute and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Allaina, 3 Munching Monkeys, May 7, 2011

2765. STAR ANISE BACON SOUP

serves 3-4


1-2 tablespoons butter
12 oz. bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 - 1 cup onions
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 bag cole slaw veggie mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
5-6 dried star anise stars
2 cups or more other vegetables and/or mushrooms
salt or tamari to taste, if desired

To a large soup pot on high heat, add butter, bacon, onions, garlic powder, and ginger. Stir continuously until onions sizzle and turn translucent. Add cole slaw mix, black pepper, star anise stars, and continue to stir for about 2 more minutes. Add water and other vegetables, and cook an additional 10-15 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender. Pick out star anise stars, and serve hot.




bacon recipe courtesy of: Primal Kitchen: A Family Grokumentary, November 22, 2010

2636. BACON-MIZUNA FRITTATA

serves 4-6


1/2 pound bacon, diced
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
several handfuls mizuna, tough stems trimmed
1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
3 tablespoons wheat-free tamari or coconut aminos
6-8 egg
fresh ground pepper
toasted sesame oil (optional)

Preheat broiler. Set large ovenproof  skillet over medium-high heat and add bacon. When fat begins to render, add mushrooms. Sauté until bacon is crisp and mushrooms are cooked through. Stir in mizuna and green onions until mizuna begins to wilt, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, stirring until fragrant, about another minute. Pour in tamari/aminos, stirring to combine. Meanwhile whisk eggs and pepper together in a medium bowl, then pour over the bacon-mizuna mixture. Turn heat down to medium. When edges of frittata are dry, pop the pan into the oven, about 6 inches from the broiler. Keep an eye on it, but it should take around 5 minutes to lightly brown the top and firm up the rest of the eggs. To serve, slice into wedges and drizzle with sesame oil, if desired.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Paleo Periodical, February 16, 2012

2487. NAVY BEAN SOUP with BACON

serves 12


1 pound dried navy beans, soaked overnight
1 ham bone
6 slices bacon, diced
12 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 pound potatoes, cooked and cubed
1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cups chopped celery
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon oregano

Drain beans, place in pot and add 12 cups of stock, bay leaf, tamari and thyme, along with the ham bone. Bring to a boil and simmer 30 – 40 minutes, till beans are tender.

Mix potatoes with 1/2 cup milk and set aside.

Cook bacon, remove and set aside, then saute vegetables, garlic and parsley in three tablespoons of drippings. If there are not enough drippings, add a bit of oil or butter. After they’ve softened, add to beans, and simmer, one hour or so.

Remove about one cup of beans, mash and return to the pot, along with the mashed potato mixture.

Remove bone and any chunks of meat, shred and return meat to the pot.

Cook about 10 more minutes to thicken.

Garnish with the bacon.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Frugal Hausfrau's Blog

2272. SOBA NOODLES with BACON and SWISS CHARD

6 oz Soba noodles
4 oz bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2” slices
thinly sliced leeks about 1/4 cup (substitute with red onion)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 large bunch of Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped, about 3 cups
1 tablespoon tamari sauce/light soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the soba noodles according to the directions on the packet. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Rinse well with cold water and drain and keep aside.

In a large heavy pan, cook bacon for about 6 minutes until crisp. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour out all but 2 tbsp of bacon fat from the pan. Add onion or leek to the pan and saute over medium heat for about 6 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and Swiss chard and season with salt and pepper. Add the reserved liquid to the pan and toss till the chard is tender and wilted. Add the tamari sauce and cook for one more minute.

Add the cooked noodles and toasted sesame oil to the pan and toss to coat. Garnish with chives or green onions and serve hot.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Live to Eat, May 4, 2008

1841. CORAL TROUT with ASIAN-STYLE CABBAGE, FENNEL and BACON

serves four


4 x 200 grams coral trout or snapper fillets with skin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari
3 rindless bacon rashers, fat trimmed, cut into thin matchsticks
1 baby fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1/4 savoy cabbage, thinly shredded
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons honey
Spring onion, sliced on an angle, to serve

Preheat oven to 180°C. Score the fish skin to prevent fish from curling, then season. Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Cook fish, skinside down, for 3-4 minutes until crisp. Place skin-side up on a lightly oiled baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon tamari. Bake for 5 minutes or until just cooked.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tbs oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Cook bacon and fennel for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until bacon starts to crisp. Add cabbage and cumin and cook for 2-3 minutes until cabbage starts to wilt. Add honey and remaining tamari and stir to combine. Divide cabbage among plates, top with fish and drizzle with any pan juices. Garnish with spring onion and serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Valli Little, delicious., March 2008, page 80

25. APPLEWOOD-SMOKED BACON-WRAPPED SCALLOPS with TAMARI GLAZE

makes 24 skewers


TAMARI GLAZE:
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

8 strips applewood-smoked bacon, stacked and cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces (see note)
24 medium sea scallops (about 1 lb), or 12 large sea scallops, cut in half vertically
1 heaping tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
freshly ground pepper to taste
24 sturdy 3-inch rosemary sprigs (strip the leaves from the bottom inch of each sprig)

TO MAKE THE TAMARI GLAZE: Combine the tamari, maple syrup, and lime juice in a small saucepan. Boil over medium heat, whisking frequently, until thick, syrupy, and reduced by half, 5-7 minutes. Keep a very close eye on this, to avoid burning. Remove from heat.

TO ASSEMBLE: Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay several pieces of bacon at a time, vertically, on a work surface. Place a scallop flat-side down on the base of each bacon strip and place 3 or 4 rosemary leaves on top of each scallop. Wrap with the bacon and place seam-side down on the prepared pan. Repeat the process until all of the scallops have been wrapped. Liberally season each bacon-wrapped scallop with peppers.

Broil the scallops about 5 inches from the heat source until the bacon is partially crisp and brown around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep a close eye on the scallops to avoid burning the bacon, as each oven cooks differently.) Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Brush the scallops with tamari glaze and skewer each one, from the top, with a rosemary sprig. Serve hot.

DO-AHEAD TIPS: The scallops can be wrapped with bacon and refrigerated, uncooked, up to 1 day in advance. Cook and serve as directed.

NOTE: The bacon should be cut according to the size of the scallops. It should barely overlap each scallop or scallop half. Try wrapping 1 strip of bacon around a scallop to measure the correct length of bacon (about 3-4 inches) before cutting all the bacon strip.


courtesy of: Skewer It by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford. San Francisco: Chronicle, 2000, p. 30