Devils on Horseback

These are dates stuffed with spiced pears and wrapped in bacon.  I don't know how these got their name, but I love it.  Angels on horseback involve oysters, which just doesn't sound as appealing to me.  You could substitute all sorts of things for the pears if you don't have any or don't want them, such as walnuts or blue cheese.  With these, there's the slight spicy juiciness of the pear, the chewy sweetness of the date and the salty smokiness of the bacon.  People were drawn in by the bacon--and by the name--but the combination kept them going back for more.  The basic recipe is here.

Sweet Potato Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

Sweet potatoes on pizza?  Yeah, I know -- it sounds weird.  And it looks weird putting it together.  But it tastes really good, adding an almost creamy feel to your pizza. Caramelized onions weren't in the original recipe, which is here, but I like them, and because I was making a vegetarian version of this, I wanted a little extra flavor with the sweet potatoes.  I used Canadian bacon instead of regular bacon -- it was already cooked, but crisping it up in a pan first adds flavor and texture.  For cheese I used a combination of mozzarella and Comte.  It's hard to see the sweet potatoes under all the other toppings, but they're there (see below).

Honey-Black Pepper Bacon

My new favorite method of cooking bacon is to bake it. I love not having to hover over it, getting splattered by popping grease. Baking it with maple syrup makes it, literally, melt in your mouth. This time I used wildflower honey and cracked black pepper--sweet and spicy. The final result was a lighter flavor than the maple, but the sweetness with the pepper was very good. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Eggs Wrapped in Canadian Bacon

There's been a lot online lately about eggs baked in bacon. I decided to try baking the eggs in Canadian bacon--which has the advantage of already being cooked and is a little healthier, too. I placed two slices in ramekins--you could use a muffin tin for larger numbers of eggs--and then cracked an egg on top of each one. I then added a splash of cream, a little cheese, some fresh pepper (no salt needed with the bacon and cheese), and baked for 10-15 min. The eggs popped right out and were creamy and delicious. Super simple and really good.

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Sandwich Perfection

This is not just a sandwich. This is apples, d'Affinois, bacon, and avocado. Crunchy, sweet, creamy, salty, and smooth.  On challah, no less.

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Maple-Dijon Bacon and Creamy Eggs over Asparagus

Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite meals. I love breakfast foods--and rarely get the chance to eat them in the morning. I saw these recipes on "5 Ingredient Fix" as part of a larger brunch but didn't feel the need for more. The bacon is glazed with maple syrup and Dijon mustard, so it's sweet but not too, and it literally melts in your mouth when you eat it. Baking it in the oven makes it super easy.



The eggs are soft and creamy, fully cooked, though, and without using any cream. They're slow- and low-cooked, so the protein doesn't develop into large curds. I cooked the asparagus on the stove, vs in the oven per the recipe, but either way works just fine. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Linguine Carbonara

We had all sorts of grand plans for dinner last night--and watching cooking shows only added more ideas. However, it was a Friday evening, after a long week, and I had no desire to tackle a grocery store. When in doubt, pasta, right? Except that I didn't want plain pasta with things just added on top. The basic carbonara sauce isn't as heavy as some restaurants would have you think. There's no cream, and only two eggs for an entire pound of pasta. Bacon and cheese are featured, but it's all about balance, right? It's quick, easy, uses ingredients you probably already have, and, done right, is so very satisfying.
Pasta Carbonara
(four generous servings)

1 lb pasta (any shape works, but something that will hold the sauce is good)
1 c grated parmesan
2 eggs
12-16 oz bacon
olive oil (opt.)
freshly ground pepper 
parsley

1. Bring a large, salted, pot of water to a rolling boil and cook til done.  Just before the pasta is done, set aside up to a cup of the pasta water.
2. In the meantime, slice the bacon across the strips, so it's in fairly small pieces, and then saute in a large frying pan til crisp.  Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel.  At this point you can, as I did, pour off a some of the bacon fat from the pan and add in some olive oil, or you can just go with all bacon fat.
3. Mix together the eggs and the parmesan in a small bowl.  It will be very thick.
4. When the pasta is done, pull it out of the water and add it into the frying pan, tossing it to make sure it's thoroughly coated in oil.  Then add the egg/cheese mixture and, working quickly so the egg doesn't scramble, mix everything together.  Add the bacon back in to the pan, mix again, and season with pepper.  If the pasta seems very dry, add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up.  Add some fresh parsley, if desired, and serve immediately.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Farfalle Carbonara

Bacon sauteed til crispy, and then mixed with Parmesan and eggs til creamy and delicious. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas everyone! As has become our usual, and combined with the overcast, rainy day outside, our schedule was verrry relaxed--and full of good food. Brunch featured my mom's Christmas bread, or stollen, which she makes every year. We also had fresh scones (lemon-poppy seed and orange-cranberry choc. chip), creamy scrambled eggs, a variety of fruit (raspberries, strawberries, and pineapple), oven-baked bacon, and three kinds of cheese (Gouda, Manchego, and Jarlsberg). Needless to say, we were very well fed--sustenance for opening all the presents under the tree, perhaps? Many hours, and a few snacks, later we had dinner, including a small beef tenderloin, scalloped potatoes, baked tofu loaf for the vegetarians, asparagus, and a big salad. For dessert I made a tiramisu, which was creamy and coffee-y and delicious.

Hot Peach Bacon

Inspired by a recipe from Bobby Flay in the July issue of Food & Wine, I grilled hamburgers tonight. The lean ground beef (93% vs. the 80% that Bobby recommends) was lightly salted, peppered, and oiled and then topped with Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog goat cheese. On top of that, we had my take on Bobby's baked bacon--I used The Virginia Chutney Co.'s Hot Peach Chutney, instead of mango chutney, and it was just amazing. The chutney is sweet and a little bit spicy--but not hot--and I don't think anyone here would mind if I made bacon this way each and every time from now on. Along with the burgers we had rice pilaf, a big salad, and grilled baby zucchinis. Hot Peach Bacon Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay thick-cut bacon on a cookie sheet that was first lined with aluminum foil and then covered with parchment paper (much easier cleanup that way). Brush both sides of the bacon with hot peach chutney. Bake the bacon for 25-30 min., turning it once halfway through, and then drain on a rack set on top of more foil.