Potato, Cod and Bacon Chowder

Dinner tonight... a different spin on chowder:

https://food52.com/recipes/33207-potato-cod-and-bacon-chowder

Easy Bean and Bacon Soup

It's getting colder and colder so more soups are on the menu.  Here's and easy bean and bacon one...


Makes almost 4 quarts

3/4 pound dry Great Northern white beans
6 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped 
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbl sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
7 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the beans overnight in water.  Drain and rinse and then cover them in fresh water and simmer them until done, about 45 minutes.
Saute the diced bacon in a Dutch oven or soup pot until the fat is rendered and the bacon just starts to crisp.
Place the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a food processor and process until everything is finely chopped.
Add the vegetable mixture along with the paprika and crushed red pepper to the pot of bacon and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the beans and chicken broth to the pot, bring up to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes.
Remove about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the beans to a shallow bowl and mash them thoroughly with a fork.  Return the mixture to the pot and simmer the soup for about 10 more minutes.  Taste and add salt and pepper if you like.

Braised Green Beans with Bacon

I don't know when this happened, but recently I began liking my green beans more "cooked" than crisp...maybe it's the cold weather or maybe it's my age...but I truly am enjoying them more with a longer cook. This side dish for two or three pairs them with bacon. Double or triple everything up if you need to serve more.

2 strips diced bacon
1 Tbl butter
1 diced shallot (a large one)
1 large clove garlic, minced
12 ounces fresh or frozen green beans(thawed) and cut if very long
1/2 cup water plus more if needed
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pan saute the bacon in the butter until the bacon just starts to crisp.  Add the shallot and garlic and saute until they soften.
Add the green beans and water, bring up to a simmer and simmer, partially covered for 20 to 30 minutes.  Add more water if necessary.  The beans are soft and may need some salt and pepper to taste.

Home Grown Potatoes

Yes...we grew potatoes in garbage bags this year.  Yesterday we dug into the first bag (once the foliage turned brown) and ended up with about 15 very small redskins, basically enough for one meal. See them in the first photo right out of the ground and in the second, cleaned up a bit.  I cut the larger ones so that all of them were pretty uniform in size and then steamed them until fork tender.  Once steamed, I cooked up a few pieces of bacon and then left the drippings in the pan, sauteed the potatoes adding salt and pepper and then sprinkled them with crumbled bacon and sliced green onions(also from the garden). A yummy experiment!!

A Bowl of Beans and Bacon...German Style

I don't know why, but I can't load any pics on to a post right now so I'm directing you to Food52 to see a recipe for a warm bean and bacon side I made earlier this week.  We really liked it! (I'll keep trying to get photos up in the meantime)

See the recipe here:
http://food52.com/recipes/21841-a-bowl-of-beans-and-bacon-german-style 

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Pudding (with Bakon?!?!)

Last week Food52 linked to an article entitled "Mushrooms Turn Bacon: A Vegan's Delight" and I was fascinated.  Mushrooms that taste like bacon?...That can't be!  I did some research and found a video that used Shitake mushrooms in place of the hard to find Trumpets that the article referred to.  I made them and found them pretty satisfying and so added them to this bread pudding.

Serves 6 to 8

For the Bakon?!?! 

8 ounces Shitake mushrooms
3 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
Remove the stems from the mushrooms and discard or reserve for stock
Slice the caps in about 1/3 inch slices
Place the mushroom slices in a bowl, add the oil and salt and toss thoroughly.  Place on a baking sheet and roast in a 350F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

For the pudding:

6 cups cubed bread cut from a stale baguette (approximately 18" long)
1 large sweet onion, peeled, halved and then thinly sliced
5 Tbl butter, divided
8 ounces sliced mixed mushrooms (I used Baby Bella, Shitake and Oyster)
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
4 eggs
2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
The previously made Bakon?!?! pieces torn up a little
2 cups shredded Fontina cheese (about 6 ounces) divided
A very well buttered 9x13 inch baking dish

In a large saute pan, melt 2 Tbl of the butter, add the sliced onions and cook over medium heat until lightly caramelized.  This will take about 15 minutes.  Place in a small bowl to cool.
In the same pan, melt the remaining 3 Tbl butter, add the sliced mushrooms, garlic and thyme and over high heat saute until the mushrooms brown up.
Whisk the eggs, half and half and black pepper together and add to the bread cubes. Stir in the onions, mushrooms, 1 cup of the fontina and the Bakon?!?!.
Pour the mixture into the well buttered baking dish, top with the remaining Fontina and cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
Bake the pudding in a pre heated 350F oven for 40 to 45 minutes.  Let rest for about 10 minutes before cutting.
 
 
 

Fresh Tomato, Herb and Bacon Pizza

I was home alone and since I've been trying out my not so adept pizza making skills, I decided to give it another try.  This one turned out pretty good !

Makes one 12 inch pizza

For the crust:
2 cups bread flour
3/4 cup warm water (100 to 105F)
2 1/4 tsp granulated active yeast
2tsp salt
1  1/2 tsp sugar
1 Tbl olive oil

Stir the yeast into the warm water and let sit about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, sugar and olive oil.
Stir the liquids into the 2 cups of flour in a large mixing bowl.  Knead the dough right in the bowl for about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough into another mixing bowl lightly coated with olive oil.  Turn the dough so that all of the dough is coated with the oil.  Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and park on the counter for a few hours. (Make the dough early in the day...the longer it sits, the better it develops)

For the topping and baking:
2 Tbl olive oil
1 clove finely minced garlic
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 large tomato peeled, seeded and finely diced
4 large basil leaves, finely sliced
1 Tbl fresh oregano, minced
2 slices almost crisp cooked bacon chopped into small pieces
The pizza dough
A few ounces fresh mozzarella thinly sliced

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for a minute or two until fragrant(don't burn the garlic!)
Add the finely diced tomato and heat for a few minutes until the tomato gets a little gooey.  Take off the heat and stir in the basil and oregano.

Crank the oven up as high as it will go (mine goes to 525F)

Sprinkle a few pinches of corn meal onto a baking sheet.
Roll the dough out into a 12 to 13 inch circle and then place on the cornmeal dusted baking sheet.  Fold up the edges a bit.
Spread the tomato mixture over the dough and add the bacon pieces all over.  Top with the sliced mozzarella.
Bake in that screaming hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.  Let sit a few minutes before slicing.

A Dilly of a Chopped Salad

I made this salad a few weeks ago when the weather started getting really warm.  The cream dilled bacon dressing adds a nice dimension to a simple chopped salad.  Tonight I'm making it again but adding some leftover grilled chicken to it.  A totally complete meal for a very hot day!


6 slices crisp cooked bacon, reserving a tablespoon of the rendered bacon fat
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup homemade or food quality commercial ayo
1 clove garlic, mashed or put through a garlic press
1/2 cup fresh minced dill
2 Tbl milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 large heart romaine lettuce, chopped
1/3 of an English cucumber, thinly sliced and then each slice halved
2 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, chopped
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 cups chopped cooked chicken(optional)


Combine the sour cream, mayo, fresh dill, salt, pepper and milk.  Crumble 2 slices of the bacon very finely and add to the dressing along with the tablespoon of rendered bacon fat.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, combine the chopped lettuce, cucumbers and onion.  Chop the bacon and eggs and add them to the mix.  Gently fold in the blue cheese.  Serve with the dilled bacon dressing.
Add 2 cups chopped cooked chicken to make this a hearty dinner salad!

A Tomato Sandwich Worthy of a Little Bacon

I love tomatoes and mayo on toast and I really love BLTs but only have them twice a year, once at the beginning of tomato season when the tomatoes are at their best and then again at the end of the season when I know they'll soon be gone.  We'll have them with plain mayo or avocado mayo, depending on our mood.  This sandwich satisfies that BLT craving even when the tomatoes are not quite at their peak.

Makes about 2 cups of aioli for many sandwiches

For the Bacon-Avocado Aioli

3 slices bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled and rendered fat reserved
1 room temperature egg
1 large clove garlic
1 medium avocado
Juice of half a lemon
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Process the bacon, egg, garlic, lemon juice and avocado in the bowl of a mini food processor until smooth.  Add the vegetable oil and the rendered bacon fat through the holes on the lid slowly while continuing to process until very smooth and thick.  Refrigerate for about an hour to thicken a bit more.

For the Sandwich

The Bacon-Avocado Aioli
Toasted slices of a good rustic Italian bread
The best tomatoes you can find, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Salt and pepper

Slather as much of the aioli as you like on a slice of the toast.  Top with a few slices of tomato and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  I like these open face but if you like, slather a second piece of toast with more of the aioli and place on top.

Grilled Scallion and Spinach Salad with a Scallion Dressing

Here's a nice twist on a spinach salad...lots on oniony flavor with grilled green onions.

For the dressing:
6 large green onions, white and light green parts only
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Refrigerate until ready for use.

For the salad:

12 loosely packed cups fresh baby spinach leaves
20 green onions (most of the dark tops removed)
Olive oil for grilling the onions
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup of your favorite blue cheese, crumbled

Make a few cuts on the green onion bulbs to create a little flower like appearance once they're grilled.
Toss the green onions in a little olive oil and then preheat a grill pan until it's smokin' hot.  Grill the onion until they get a nice little char and soften a bit.
Cut the onions into one inch pieces saving the bulb for garnishing the finished salad.
Toss the spinach, bacon, blue cheese and straight green onion pieces together.  garnish  the top of the salad with those pretty onion "flowers".  Serve with the sweet onion dressing.

Asparagus and Bacon Stir Fry

Okay...this is just too easy and so good!  Take advantage while we're still getting beautiful fresh asparagus.


One bunch (about 3/4 to 1 pound) fresh asparagus cut into one to one and a half inch pieces
2 slices bacon cut into small pieces
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saute pan cook the bacon pieces until they are 3/4 of the way to crisp.  Add the asparagus pieces and stir fry for about 3 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Good hot or at room temperature!

Note:  I think this would be great tossed with a little fresh pasta..think I'll try it soon.

Gingered & Curried Butternut and Potato Soup

Pam's at it again...and this time she created a butternut squash soup that sounds heavenly!  She served it up with a crusty Farm Bread from Zingermans!

8 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
6 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 large chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger
3 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
7 cups chicken broth
1 entire bulb roasted garlic
1/2 pound bacon

Fry the bacon until very crispy, crumble and set aside
Preheat the oven to 450F

Cut the top off the bulb of garlic, drizzle with olive oil and wrap tightly in foil.
Place it on a baking sheet with the cubed squash.
With the squash on the baking sheet, drizzle with 4 teaspoons of olive oil and toss to coat well.  Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Test for tenderness; cook 5 to 10 minutes longer if necessary.  Set aside with the roasted garlic.

Put the remaining oil and butter in a soup pot.  Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes or until translucent.  Stir in the ginger, curry, salt and pepper.  Cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in the potatoes and saute for 2 more minutes. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Add the roasted squash, squeeze in the garlic and stir.  Puree in batches in a blender or with an immersion blender.  If it seems too thick add a little milk or more chicken broth.  To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with bacon.  Don't forget the crusty bread!!

A Simple Lentil Soup for Mom

My mom loved to cook...and she really loved to eat!  And she was so tiny - 5'1" and about 110 pounds most of the time. I remember when my kids were small we'd go to a local Italian family restaurant and she'd eat a huge plate of pasta and then grab 2 or 3 slices of pizza off the table. She also made a lot of soup for us when we were growing up, one of which was Lentil and Bacon.  I never appreciated it back then, but have grown to enjoy it now.  Now this isn't exactly her recipe...but it's close ( she'd put a lot of bacon in hers).  
I lost my mom 25 years ago today...boy do I miss her...

Makes a small pot - about 2 quarts

2 strips bacon, diced
1 Tbl olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced into rounds
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbl tomato paste
6 to 8 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup dried lentils
1 cup chopped parsley

In about a 4 quart soup pot cook the bacon in the olive oil until it starts to crisp up.
Add the celery, onions and carrot and saute until the onion begins to soften.
Add the minced garlic and cook until you can smell the garlic.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook that another minute.
Add the lentil, chicken broth, bay leaf and thyme.
Bring up to a boil and then simmer 30 to 40 minutes until the lentils have cooked through.  Stir in the parsley.
Note:  As with most soups, this one tastes best if made early in the day or even the day before serving.

Meatloaf 101

This is a basic meatloaf recipe....my mom's meatloaf recipe, plain, simple and covered with bacon.

1 pound ground beef chuck
1 pound ground beef sirloin
1 pound ground pork
1 cup diced onion
1 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup ketchup
2 eggs
1 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
8 slices bacon

In a large mixing bowl using clean hands, mix all ingredients except the bacon together until well combined. Refrigerate the mixture for about 2 hours.
Shape the mixture into a large loaf and place in a parchment lined baking pan about 9x13 inches. (Parchment for easy clean up)
Place the bacon strips around and on top of the loaf.
Bake, uncovered for about and hour and a half at 350F or until internal temperature reaches 160F.

Pancetta and Mushroom Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Here's a nice little roast for about 4 people..I served it with a garden pea risotto..if you don't have pancetta, feel free to use bacon.


For the stuffing:
1 Tbl olive oil
3 ounces sliced pancetta cut into a fine dice
2 cups diced mushrooms (your choice)
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup Marsala wine


In a large saute pan, cook the pancetta in the olive oil until almost crisp.  Add the mushrooms and garlic and continue to cook until the mushrooms brown a bit.
Stir in the bread crumbs, parsley, basil salt and pepper until all is combined. Moisten with the Marsala and set aside while you prep the tenderloin.


Putting it together:
1 pork tenderloin, about 1  1/2 pounds, butterflied lengthwise and the pounded with a meat mallet to form a rectangle about 6 by 12 inches
1/2 tsp porcini powder (dried porcini mushrooms, pulverised)
1/2 tsp ground fennel seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Olive oil for rubbing the roast
The previously made stuffing


Spread the stuffing mixture lengthwise down the center of the butterflied tenderloin and then roll the roast and tie with butcher string to secure.
Rub the entire roll with olive oil and the combine the porcini powder, ground fennel, salt and pepper and rub that over the roast.
In a large non stick saute pan, sear the roast on all sides until well browned.
Roast in a preheated 350F oven in an open roaster for 40 to 45 minutes.  Let rest for about 10 minutes before removing the string and slicing.

Roasted Garlic and Bacon Brushed Standing Beef Rib Roast

I know I haven't posted much this past week, but for good reason...my brother was in town from Baton Rouge and so most of my cooking revolved around some of his favorites which you've seen on this site.  For his farewell dinner, however, I gussied up a standing beef rib roast.  Yum!

For the roasted garlic and bacon paste:
3 heads of garlic, top third cut off, drizzled with a Tbl of olive oil, wrapped loosely in foil and roasted at 350F for an hour.
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/3 cup bacon fat, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
Squeeze the roasted garlic out of their skins and place them in a mini food processor with the rest of the ingredients.  Process until smooth and set aside.

For the roast and pan sauce:
5 pounds standing beef rib roast, cradled if possible, and at room temperature
10 fresh button or baby Bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 Tbl butter
3 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 cups beef broth
1  1/2 cups dry red wine
A couple of Tbl butter for finishing the pan sauce
The roasted garlic and bacon paste

In a 9 by 13 inch open roasting pan place the shallots, 1/2 cup beef broth and 1/2 cup of the wine and stir.  Place the roast over the mixture, bones facing down.
Brush the top and sides of the roast with the roasted garlic and bacon paste.
Place the roast, uncovered in a 450F preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Lower the oven temp to 350F and continue to roast for one hour.  At this point add 1/2 cup broth and 1/2 cup wine to the bottom of the pan.  Continue to roast until the internal temp reaches about 125F to 130F for medium rare.  Depending on your oven this could take another 15 to 30 minutes.
While the beef is roasting, saute the mushrooms in the 3 Tbl butter until nicely browned.
When the roast is done, place it on a cutting board, tented with foil and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
While the roast rests, place the roasting pan over 2 burners on your stove.  There should be nicely browned shallots sitting on the bottom.  Add the sauteed mushrooms, crumbled bacon and the remaining wine and broth and simmer, whisking as you go until the sauce has reduced a bit.  Whisk in the 2 Tbl butter for a super rich sauce and serve over the sliced beef.

Potato Mash with Leek Confit and Bacon

I love leek, potato and bacon in soups and decided to make a little casserole using those ingredients.  The leek confit is a Molly Wizenburg recipe but with bacon fat substituted for butter.

Makes 4 servings

For the leek confit:
4 leeks, white and pale green parts only, quartered lengthwise and the cut crosswise in quarter inch pieces.
2 Tbl bacon fat
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
In a medium sauce pan with a lid, melt the bacon fat, add the leeks, water and salt and cook covered on medium low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove the lid and cook a few more minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Set aside.

For the casserole:
3 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
Chicken broth to cover the potatoes in a medium sauce pan
1/4 cup light cream (or a little more if necessary)
2 Tbl bacon fat
1 Tbl butter
1/4 tsp white pepper
The leek confit

Boil the potatoes in the chicken broth until fork tender.  Drain, reserving about 1/4 cup of the broth.
Mash the potatoes (I put them through a ricer)
W arm the cream, broth, butter, white pepper and bacon fat and mix into the potatoes.  Add more cream if the mixture seems dry.
Stir in 3 Tbl of the leek confit and spread the mixture into a buttered small shallow baking dish. ( about 9 x 11 inches)
Top with the remaining leek confit and bake for about 40 minutes in a 325F pre heated oven,  uncovered.(You can prepare up to this point early in the day and bake later)
Once out of the oven, sprinkle with the crumbled bacon and serve.

The Wedge

Here's a different take on the Machus Salad I wrote about many months ago...some of the same ingredients served on a lettuce wedge.  A little retro. but the dressing isn't as heavy as the traditional heavy blue cheese laden wedge.

For the dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
4 Tbl granulated sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Place all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake, shake shake.

For the wedge:
1 pint small cherry or grape tomatoes
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup diced red onion
3/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
10 to 15 parsley leaves (flat leaf)
The dressing
4 wedges iceberg lettuce

Halve the tomatoes and gently stir in the bacon, blue cheese, onion and parsley.
Gently toss the salad with about 1/2 of the dressing.
Place 1/4 of the tomato salad over each lettuce wedge.  Add more dressing if you like.
 

Seafood Cobb Salad

Instead of a regular Cobb Salad, substitute seafood for the chicken.  I used shrimp and lobster and added green beans, boiled eggs , bacon,avocado, and tomatoes over a bed of lettuce.  Blue cheese dressing finishes it off. A little decadent, but worth it!

Potato and bacon frittata

Frittatas are fun and easy to make for a crowd for brunch because they can be served warm, at room temperature, or even cold. You can make a few different varieties...with meat or vegetables or even cooked pasta! I made this one with bacon, onions and potatoes but feel free to use your imagination...endless possibilities!  I made this one in a 9 inch oven proof skillet:

2 slices bacon
1 medium onion, diced
4 baby redskin potatoes, skins on and sliced thinly
1 Tbl butter
6 eggs, beaten with 2 Tbl milk
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the bacon in the skillet and remove and crumble. Leave about a tablespoon of the drippings in the pan and add the onions and potatoes.  Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are cooked, about 10 minutes (I covered the pan during the last 5 minutes).  Add the beaten eggs, milk, bacon , salt and pepper and continue to cook using a spatula around the edges to let the mixture ooze from the center. Once the mixture is almost cooked place in a pre-heated 350F oven for about ten minutes until the center is set. Cut into wedges to serve.