Category Archives: Bacon is always awesome

Bacon is always awesome, Beefy McBeefy, Emily Favorite, Italian, Lengthy recipe but worth all the whisking, sweat and tears

Me With a Chance of Meatballs

10 Comments

Being given the honor of The Best Dish of the Year 2010 by Bon Appétit is not something to be taken lightly friends. But yes, the humble yet comforting and delicious meatball has been given this honor and if you think about, with its versatility, many uses in many cultures and plain awesomeness it’s no surprise. Let’s hear what the magazine has to say for itself.

“With a return to homey, comforting cooking this year, meatballs made it big, appearing on restaurant menus and kitchen tables everywhere. They’re affordable, easy to make and absolutely delicious – and have inspired cooks from all over the world. Discover just how good (and versatile) meatballs can be with these five wonderful recipes.”


As mentioned, I’m testing and tasting three cover recipes for an all-out recipe smackdown and this Spaghetti and Meatballs Alla’Amatriciana might have already won without me trying the other two (although the other two look lovely thank you very much). THIS WAS THE BOMB. First, take a look at step one to make the meatballs…you make a bacon paste. Bacon paste. I think I said “this is so awesome, I’m making BACON PASTE” about three times as the delicious applewood smoked bacon spun around in the food processor. Bacon paste.
One would think that with so much bacon, about 12 slices in all, you would just taste bacon. No, no people. This sucker was layers of lovely delicious flavor upon delicious flavor upon delicious flavor. I tested this recipe to its full potential and will have leftovers for days, lucky me huh? I would also like to point out the Pork Meatball Bahn Mi (I love Bahn Mis!) looks awesome and I’m going to have to try that next.
This recipe flowed nicely but note it is a lot of steps and lengthy in its process (hence why I was eating dinner at 8:00 p.m.) so I would recommend making this on a Sunday so you can eat the leftovers all week. The bit o’labor is worth it so seriously give this dish a try.
This might be my last post for a week and half or so since I’ve got an intense period of time coming up and won’t have the opportunity to cook. With that I leave you with two things. One: TEXAS FIGHT! Can you believe the game is tomorrow night? Let’s all focus our energy on super happy, positive burnt orange thoughts towards a Texas win in Pasadena. Ready….do it now! Second, if you got this far, you must love meatballs so what is your favorite meatball dish? Let’s vote (up to your right on this page 😉

Bacon is always awesome, Dessert, Emily Favorite

What Do You Get When You Combine a Figure Skater and Bacon?

4 Comments

No, not a greasy triple axel or savory Salchow, you get Bacon Corn Muffins with Savory Cream Cheese Frosting of course! As I mentioned in this post, I was trying out a few recipes to cook for my family for our Christmas appetizer smorgasbord and after seeing Brian Boitano make these on his show, What Would Brian Boitano Make, I decided I really, really wanted to give them a try. Y’all, these were a hit! My mom and big sis kept giving me lots of compliments on how great they tasted and I most certainly loved them too.

These were actually really simple to put together except I had to cook the bacon in the oven waaaay longer than the recipe calls for since my Mom’s oven sucks. Her birthday is coming up in January and I’m really hoping she gets a new one (Hint, hint Dad). Also, I didn’t have a piping bag so I just had to spoon the frosting on, and as my sister Gelana pointed out, please take them out of the muffin tins before you frost them…silly me.

I highly recommend these muffins and think it would be a new year’s eve party insta-hit as it is a crowd pleasing, fun and unique recipe. If you haven’t watched the four episodes Food Network has so far for What Would Brian Boitano Make, you should take the time, it has a lightness and sense of humor to it that so many Food Network shows are missing; I can’t wait to watch the new episodes in March 2010.

And now, the South Park song that started it all.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qt9MeW80N4]

Bacon is always awesome, Cheesy Cheese, Fruit, Global Flavor, Sandwich

The Duke of Windsor Sandwich and Other Tales

1 Comment

Cooking magazines during the holiday season are a double-edged sword for me. While I love all of the holiday recipes, it’s also two months of issues so focused on holiday meals that the everyday meal recipes – aka the ones I use most – get pushed to the back burner. This light everyday meal coverage does give me time to turn to a few of my beloved cookbooks. One is my
Neiman Marcus cookbook and probably the one that I turn to the most. Given to me as a Christmas gift from my best friend since college The Boo, this cookbook is surprisingly filled with easy-to-make salads, soups, sandwiches, entrees and the store’s ever-famous Popovers. Thanks Boo! :)


One recipe that I love from this cookbook is the Duke of Windsor Sandwich. Originally created for a visit to Neiman Marcus by Edward, the Duke of Windsor, this sandwich is one of the strangest combinations for a sandwich I have encountered and one of the most delicious. Get this, it’s turkey, mango chutney, cheddar cheese spread and pineapple on bread. Isn’t that an odd sounding combination but oddly delicious sounding at the same time?

For the Big 12 Championship game last night I wanted something decadent, delicious and comforting that I could enjoy during what I thought was going to be a nice competitive football game, you know we would for sure win but still Nebraska would show up and give us a good game. However, I was not expecting to be questioning my faith and fanhood in the Longhorns or hurling pillows at my TV or offering the football gods my left big toe if we could just win. WHAT WAS THAT LONGHORNS? Sorry, I digress, thank goodness I had this sandwich to help me during what was one of the most stressful Longhorn football games ever. EVER. EVER.

I followed this recipe just like it calls for except, and I know you won’t be surprised, I added two strips of crispy Center Cut Bacon to this sandwich and it was an awesome addition. How could it not be? Seriously, try this sandwich, it is so unique and delicious I really think you are going to like it. And my recommendation to the Longhorns – pull yourself together!

The Duke of Windsor Sandwich
Neiman Marcus Cookbook (2003)
Serves 4

2 cans (8 ounces each) pineapple rings (8 rings), drained
8 slices of egg bread, brioche, sourdough, or your favorite bread (I used whole wheat but I can see this being really good on sourdough too)
½ cup of processed Cheddar cheese spread (such as Wispride brand), softened
4 tablespoons store-bought mango chutney (such as Major Grey’s brand)
1 pound smoked turkey breast, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray (or lightly oil it) and place the pineapple rings on the sheet. Transfer to the oven and roast for about 20 minutes or until the rings are well dried and beginning to brown slightly. Remove from the oven and set aside to let cool; keep the oven turned on.

Place the slices of bread on a clean work surface. Spread about two tablespoons of the cheese spread on four of the slices and one tablespoon of the chutney on the other four slices. Top the slices with the cheese spread and about 2 ounces of the sliced turkey, and then two roasted pineapple rings, and then another two ounces of turkey (and two slices of cooked bacon if you desire). Take the slices spread with the chutney and “close” the sandwiches, pressing gently to “seal” them.

Using a griddle, large sauté pan, or skillet, heat two tablespoons of the melted butter. Carefully place two of the sandwiches onto the griddle or into the pan and cook over medium heat for about three minutes per side or until golden brown. Transfer the sandwiches to an ungreased baking sheet and repeat for the remaining sandwiches. Bake in the oven for about four minutes, until the cheese is melted and the turkey and pineapple are warmed through. Cut the sandwiches and transfer to serving plates.

Bacon is always awesome, Dose of Veggies, Fruit, Pork-a-licious, Potato, Southern, Spicy

An Oldie But a Goodie

1 Comment

I’ve mentioned a few times that out of all of the cooking magazine issues I keep, it is usually the holiday issues. Not only am I a 5-year old trapped in a 29-year old body when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, I love the food so much it is almost painful for me when the holidays are over. (You should see me when I have to take down my holiday decorations, there might be tears involved).
I was thumbing through my old Cooking Light 2007 and 2008 December issues last week and as if I was looking through an old photo album of loved ones, I kept sighing and pointing to certain recipes saying internally, “I remember the time I made that, how delicious and I need to retest and see if it is Cooking Inside the Lines worthy!” Now, you can imagine the grumblings that occurred internally too when I found three delicious looking recipes from the 2008 issue that I had not tried. Quel horreur!

I have to say I planned the timing out pretty well and everything came together very easily, even towards the end of cooking which can sometimes get pretty insane. The Pork Chops were pretty darn awesome. I really liked the Colonial Corn Pudding a lot. Instead of oyster crackers I used multi-grain saltine crackers and they tasted great in the dish. The baked potatoes were good but I think I used too much chipotle that overpowered the other flavors a bit.

Finally, the cobbler. I found some quince at Whole Foods Market the other day and because when cooked it can lend an apple flavor to dishes, I decided to use these instead. This was my first time working with quince and I have to say me likey. Quince is a tough little bugger so it’s best to poach or cook for long periods of time to bring the full flavors out and soften it up. I poached the cut-up quince for 45 minutes before placing in my cast-iron Dutch oven to finish the cobbler recipe. It was delicious! I loved this topping and the quince did take on an apple flavor but had a more firm texture than an apple would have.

I think this meal was a perfect comfort dinner for a rainy night here in Austin. Give them a try!
Bacon is always awesome, Eggs, Quick and Delicious

My Kind of Eggs Benedict

Leave a comment

I love sauces. In fact, any kind of sauce is a friend of mine and welcome in my tummy. If I had a sauce friendship meter however, hollandaise would register to be around a two or three. It’s always been OK to me but a little too rich or “much” in my opinion. I feel the same way about alfredo sauce, it’s good but whoa nelly after a few bites.
So when I came across this lightened Eggs Benedict recipe in the November issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray I thought I give her a try. Now, they don’t show an original or basic Eggs Benedict recipe to compare but the before vs after comparison of nutritional information was eye-opening, plus if it’s a lighter in flavor hollandaise sauce then I’m all for it.
Eggs Benedict before –
Calories: 731 (once on the lips, a lifetime on the hips)
Saturated Fat: 30 g (ewwww!)
Dietary Fiber: 1g (sad)
Carbs 28 g (ugh)
Eggs Benedict after –
Calories: 271 (better)
Saturated Fat: 6.5 g (much much better)
Dietary Fiber: 3.5 g (I approve)
Carbs: 19 g (yay)I really liked this recipe, especially the sauce. It was light and flavorful, probably because the amount of butter was cut and chicken broth was used instead. I also used a low-sodium version even though the recipe didn’t call for it. The crisp asparagus, a best friend of hollandaise, was also perfect and light for breakfast.

I cut this down for just one person but I’m really happy I have all of the ingredients to make this a few more times this week for breakfast because it was so quick to make and delicious. I think next time I’m going to add some fresh chives on top to give it an herb-y kick. I can’t find the recipe online so I thought I would share here in case you would like to give her a try too.

Every Day with Rachael Ray
Eggs Benedict
Serves 4
Prep 10 min
Cook 20 min
1 pound of asparagus
4 ounces of turkey Canadian Bacon
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of flour
1/2 cup of chicken broth (low sodium if you prefer)
4 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
2 whole wheat English muffins, split and toasted
1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. Fill a large, deep skillet with enough salted water to reach a depth of 1 inch and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes; drain. Reserve the skillet.
2. Heat the reserved skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey bacon and cook, turning, until browned about 3 minutes. Transfer the bacon and asparagus to an ovenproof dish and place in the oven to keep warm; reserve skillet.
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook whisking for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the 2 egg yolks, 1 at a time. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Strain the sauce into a bowl.
4. Fill the reserved skillet with enough water to reach a depth of 1 inch and bring to a boil. Crack the 4 whole eggs into the skillet and poach for 2 minutes for soft-set.
5. Place an English muffin half on each of the 4 plates. Divide the bacon among the muffins and top each with asparagus, a poached egg and some sauce. Season with pepper.
Bacon is always awesome, Cheesy Cheese, Mexican

Angel Nachos

2 Comments

You know you know them, and loathe them. The food devil on your left and food angel on your right. As you know from this blog, I love satisfying both, especially if it’s in a dish like NACHOS! I’ve made my love for anything Tex-Mex or Mexican food evident here as well. Enchiladas, tacos, refried beans and chips and salsa make me weak in the knees and fat in the hips. When I was perusing the October issue of Cooking Light, I stopped and beheld this Pork and Pinto Bean Nachos recipe. “How perfect!” I thought to myself, “not only is it College Gameday, a perfect day for nachos, but I can enjoy these and not feel too guilty.”
After watching the number two Texas Longhorns own UTEP on Saturday, and see Colt McCoy FINALLY be the talented quarterback that we all know he is, I floated on my cloud #9 into the kitchen and started on these nachos. First, the juicy pork was a perfect, healthy protein choice for these nachos. Second, the beans, dear goodness. I loved the silky pinto beans with the added spice of the chipotle in adobo sauce, lime juice and bacon…I repeat bacon. Finally, the fresh, delicious salsa of tomatoes, crunchy jicama and creamy avocado was perfect. Obviously, since this is just for one person I paired it down for just me and it was the perfect size and serving for a healthy spin on nachos.
On a side note, my Fellow Foodie Blogger’s Tour (FFBT) fell with a sad ker-plunk due to well, life getting in the way. I was set to test two recipes on my final day, one from my lady in food crime and fellow foodie team member Jodi from Tasty Touring and Nicole from Feast Your Eyes, who I have never met but I love her blog! I will revisit the FFBT soon and I promise to test the recipes I wanted to try toute suite. In the meantime ladies, thanks for the continued inspiration.
Bacon is always awesome, Cheesy Cheese, Dose of Veggies, Eggs

What’s for Dinner? Martha Stewart Living Recipes

Leave a comment

All recipes from September 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living

Egg-in-the-Hole Toasts with Ricotta
Prep Time: 5 min.
Total Time: 30 min.

4 slices rustic bread (1 inch thick)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil for brushing, plus more for drizzling
8 ounces (1 cup) fresh ricotta cheese
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 ounces (1/4 cup) shave Parmesan Cheese, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Tear out middle of each bread slice to form a 1 1/2-inch hole, reserving torn pieces. Arrange sliced in a baking dish. Tear bread from middles into smaller pieces. Brush slices on both sides and pieces all over with oil, and sprinkle pieces around slices. Bake until toasted and golden, about 12 minutes. Leave oven on.

2. Mix ricotta with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Season with pepper, and fold in thyme. Spread mixture onto slices, avoiding the hold in each slice, and drizzle with oil.

3. Break 1 egg into each hole, and season with salt. Bake until egg whites are set, about 12 minutes. Top each slice with Parmesan, and garnish with toasted bread pieces.

Celery and Cucumber Salad with Herbs
Prep Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 15 min.

6 celery stalks, thinly sliced crosswise
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss together celery, cucumber, parsley, mint, and oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Bacon with Citrus Glaze
Prep Time: 5 min.
Total Time: 40 min.

8 slices of slab bacon (1/4 inch thick) or regular bacon
2 navel oranges
1 tablespoon or honey (I used honey)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay bacon on a baking sheet. Juice oranges into a small saucepan, and add cane syrup. Cook over medium heat until glaze is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes.

2. Brush some glaze over the bacon, and bake for 10 minutes. Brush with more glaze. Continue to bake until golden about 15 minutes more (10 minutes if using regular bacon). Brush bacon with remaining glaze, and transfer to parchment-or-paper towel lined plate to drain before serving.

Bacon is always awesome, Burger, Cheesy Cheese

Beer-and-Beef Chili Sliders on Bacon Biscuits with Tomatillo Ketchup

Leave a comment

Everyday with Rachael Ray
August/September 2009

2 poblano chiles
2 slices of bacon, chopped
One 8-ounce box Jiffy buttermilk biscuit mix
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of chives
1/4 cup of yellow mustard
2 tablespoons of honey
6 tomatillos – peeled, rinsed and chopped
1 small red onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and Pepper
3/4 pound ground beef chuck
3/4 pound ground beef sirloin
1/2 cup beer
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons grill seasoning
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon grated peel plus the juice of one lime
Shredded lettuce, for serving

Preheat the broiler. Arrange the chiles on a broiler pan and broil, turning occasionally, until blackened all over about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Peel and discard the stems and seeds.

While the chiles are broiling, in a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Drain, reserving about two tablespoons of the bacon fat; crumble the bacon.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Preheat a grill or a grill pan to medium-high. In a large bowl, combine the biscuit mix with 1/2 cup of water and whisk until dough forms. Mix in the cheese, chives, mustard, honey, bacon and reserved bacon fat. Spoon 8 equal mounds of the biscuit dough onto a baking sheet and bake until golden, 10 minutes. Let cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack and let cool completely; split.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the tomatillos, onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions and tomatillos are softened, 8-10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the beef, beer, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, grill seasoning, paprika, cumin, coriander and oregano. Shape into eight patties, about 1 1/2 inch thick. Add to the grill and cook, turning once, for 5 minutes for medium-rare.

Using a food processor, puree the tomatillo mixture, chiles, cilantro, lime peel and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

Top each biscuit bottom with a little shredded lettuce, a beef patty, some tomatillo ketchup and a biscuit top; secure with a toothpick.

Bacon is always awesome, Beefy McBeefy, Burger, Cheesy Cheese, Emily Favorite

Coffee-Rubbed Cheeseburgers with Texas BBQ Sauce

2 Comments

Just by reading the name of this recipe, this burger from Bon Appetit has a lot going for it. (1) it has the word Texas in it (2) it has BBQ sauce (3) we know there is some sort of cheese.

I had a feeling this was going to be delicious when I made the very simple to make homemade BBQ sauce first. I seriously will use this recipe anytime something calls for BBQ sauce as this was such a spicy, well-balanced and beautiful homemade recipe I don’t see the point of buying bottled again.
The coffee rub, which is a blend of fresh ground coffee, sea salt, pepper, dried oregano, ground coriander and brown sugar, smelled heavenly when I was putting it together so you can imagine the magic that happened once you sprinkled on the burger patties and grilled.
I couldn’t find regular potato bread buns and when I checked with the bakery they only had large potato bread dinner rolls. “Screw it” I thought, “I will just make sliders, nothing is getting between me and this burger!”
Combine the amazing BBQ sauce, coffee-rubbed beef patty, thinly sliced smoked Gouda, applewood-smoked bacon with fresh tomato and red onion and you’ve got a burger that is INCREDIBLE. I really enjoyed this burger and it will certainly be on my permanent menu rotation. I’m loving all of these burger recipes, keep them coming!
Bacon is always awesome, Beefy McBeefy, Burger, Cheesy Cheese, Dose of Veggies, Emily Favorite

The Burger That Made Me Say “Yay!”

Leave a comment

Oh yum people, oh yum. This Cheddar BLT Burger with Tarragon Russian Dressing is on the cover of the June issue Food & Wine magazine. Doesn’t it look like the Heidi Klum of cheeseburgers? Not only was this so good, but it was pretty simple to make. It has a simple Russian-style dressing with fresh tarragon, bacon, onion, tomato, cheddar cheese and the patties are equal parts ground beef chuck and sirloin. One thing you do differently is brush the patties with unsalted butter while they cook. WHY have I not thought of this before? As you know I don’t have a grill but cooked them instead on a grill pan on the stove until the patty was slightly pink inside. This was by far one of the easiest to to make and best-in-flavor burgers I have made in a long time, if not ever!

On the side I enjoyed this simple Heirloom Tomato Salad with Garlic Oil from Martha Stewart Living. Heirloom tomatoes and their unique shapes and colors just make me so happy when I get to enjoy them. When you have something this good and flavorful you need to make sure the rest of the ingredients are simple and do not overpower. This recipe with it’s garlic-infused olive oil, fresh chives and basil were delicious with the heirloom tomatoes I was able to find at the market. As a side note, I enjoyed reading this article from Food & Wine about a husband and wife team who grow heirloom tomato varieties. Do you like a Green Zebra or Arkansas Traveler better?