bacon

Wayward Wedge Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Wayward Wedge Salad!  I get so excited when I come across bleu cheese at the Farmers Market!  Recently, I was fortunate enough to lay my hands on a nice creamy chunk of Amish Bleu Cheese. And rather than nibble the entire portion away, I thought I better do something healthy with it. Does anyone else struggle with an internal tug-of-war?

WAYWARD WEDGE SALAD

Ingredients:

1 head iceberg lettuce

6 slices bacon, precooked

2 eggs, hard cooked and chopped

Blue cheese crumbles

Blue cheese dressing

2 Campari tomatoes on the vine, quartered

Instructions:

Chill 4 salad plates in refrigerator. Cook bacon until crisp; let cool and crumble. Set aside. Quarter and core lettuce. Place one wedge on each chilled plate. Top with dressing, bacon, tomatoes, and chopped egg. Garnish with cheese crumbles. Serve immediately. 

Caramel-Bacon Spice Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Caramel-Bacon Spice Cake! For the sweet and savory child inside all of us, this recipe takes the cake. It is a combination of salty, sugary, and spicy…in every bite. Your mouth will think you’re at the circus being stimulated by all the contrasting flavors! Amazingly, they come together with moist results. Hop on board and take a ride with this incredible treat. 

CARAMEL-BACON SPICE CAKE

Ingredients for Cake:

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon all spice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/3 cup butter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl beat eggs, milk, and vanilla until blended. Set aside. Using a mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. On low speed, slowly alternate the egg mixture and the dry mixture until well blended. Pour batter into a greased 9″x13″ pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a pick comes out clean. 

Bacon-Caramel Frosting:

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

2 ounces bacon bits 

In a medium saucepan, mix brown sugar, milk, and butter. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Let cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and beat until creamy. It should be thick enough to spread on the cake. Top with crisp, crumbled bacon. 

Open Face BLT

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Open Face BLT! If you’re looking for something to serve instead of cheese and crackers or hamburger sliders for your next gathering, think about offering these appealing handhelds. Slathered with custard-like mayo that boasts of a creamy rich taste, which seals in juicy tomatoes and hearty mixed greens, to create a platform that screams, “Eat Me!” With less bread and half the bacon per serving, it naturally becomes a guilt-free option for everyone to try. 

OPEN FACE BLT

Ingredients: 

2 slices multiple-grain bread, toasted

2 tablespoons mayonnaise 

1 Roma tomato, sliced

1/2 cup mixed salad greens

2 strips of hickory smoked bacon, cooked crisp and cut in half

Instructions: 

To assemble ingredients, cut the toasted multigrain bread into halves; arrange on a plate. Slather the mayonnaise over each piece of toast. Divide the tomato slices equally between them. Layer the mixed salad greens over the tomato slices. Top with crispy bacon halves. Now they’re ready to serve. 

New England Soup Pasta

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: New England Soup Pasta! I just want to put this out there…..I’m a very forgiving person. That being said, IF you are in a crunch for time, and IF you have a favorite brand of New England Clam Chowder, I promise to look the other way for you to use a store-bought version of soup in lieu of making it from scratch. No judgment. Then proceed with the shell pasta portion for a fabulous meal that may cause you to scratch your head and mumble, “Why have I never thought of this amazing meal before?” See? Forgiven. 

NEW ENGLAND SOUP PASTA

Ingredients: 

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon flour

6.5 ounce minced clams, canned

8 ounce bottled clam juice

8 ounce package, shell pasta, small size 

1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced

1 rib celery, diced

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup light cream

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

Crumbled bacon, for garnish

Fresh tarragon, for garnish

Instructions: 

Warm butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and kosher salt. Cook and stir until onions soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour; cook and stir until it turns into a roux. Drain clams, reserving the juice. Set aside the clams. Pour reserve clam juice and bottled clam juice into the skillet. Whisk to scrape bits from the bottom of the skillet. Raise heat to medium-high, then reduce to a simmer. While the clam sauce is thickening, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add shell pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta Al dente, approximately 7-8 minutes. Meanwhile, add diced potatoes, diced celery, and cayenne pepper to the simmering clam sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the reserved clams, light cream, and I tablespoon olive oil. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Fold in grated Parmesan cheese. Drain pasta; ladle into individual serving bowls. Top with clam sauce-soup. Garnish with crumbled bacon and fresh tarragon. Serve warm. 

Jack Daniel’s Baked Beans

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Jack Daniel’s Baked Beans! The following is a quick tutorial on alcohol in food, should you be interested. Alcohol can benefit the taste of food by releasing flavor molecules throughout the dish. If meat is included, tenderizing will occur. However, contrary to popular opinion, alcohol does not completely evaporate. It does lessen if the contents are stirred throughout the baking process. Always inform dinner guests if a dish contains residual alcohol. Medications can react differently. Also, those who avoid alcohol due to pregnancy or recovery should be aware. A non-alcoholic substitute option for this recipe would be apple juice, apple cider, or vanilla extract. 

JACK DANIEL’S BAKED BEANS

Ingredients: 

28-ounce can pork and beans

6 pieces bacon, baked and crumbled

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon ketchup

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons Jack Daniel’s whiskey

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine pork and beans, crumbled bacon, chopped onion, honey, ketchup, brown sugar, Jack Daniel’s whiskey, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir until completely combined. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole dish. Bake one hour, uncovered. Serve. 

Wholesome Waffle BBLT

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Wholesome Waffle BBLT! You’ve never tried a waffle sandwich before? Me, either. Since I had some Belgian waffles in the freezer from the last time we pulled out the waffle iron, I thought today would be a great day to transform a classic BLT sandwich into something wonderful. The waffle dough keeps the sandwich soft and chewy, rounding off and eliminating the sharp edges of toast. The extra B, you ask? It’s for the subtle hint of bleu cheese; Bacon-Bleu-Lettuce-Tomato!

WHOLESOME WAFFLE BBLT

Ingredients:

1 Belgian waffle, quartered

6 slices black pepper bacon, cooked crisp

Romaine lettuce leaves

Sliced tomatoes

1 tablespoon Bleu cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Instructions:

Warm waffle wedges on low heat in a skillet brushed with a little butter. Do not let burn. Remove from heat. In a small bowl mix mayonnaise, yogurt, and Bleu cheese crumbles. To assemble sandwich, spread the mayonnaise blend on one waffle. Next, layer tomato, lettuce, and bacon. Top with another waffle. Secure the stack with a toothpick. 

Sombrero Bread Bowl

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Sombrero Bread Bowl!  OMG, this is the best kept secret!  Go to your nearby Bakery and choose a savory artisan bread, small loaf. I chose Rosemary Olive Oil. From there, the biggest challenge is waiting for your mouth-watering seasoned creation to come out of the oven!  Repeat after me, “All good things come to those who wait!” You can thank me later. 

SOMBRERO BREAD BOWL

Ingredients:

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

1/2 cup ranch salad dressing

1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 green onions

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

14.5-ounce round loaf of artisan loaf

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300°. In medium bowl, blend Neufchâtel cheese, ranch dressing, cheddar cheese, red pepper flakes, and bacon until well mixed. Stir in onion snips. Cut off top of bread bowl. Hollow out insides. These may be used for dipping later. Fill center cavity with creamy mixture. Replace top. Wrap entire loaf in foil. Bake for 90 minutes. Peel back foil to expose bread bowl. Bake 30 minutes longer. Serve warm with bread cubes, multi-colored tortilla chips, and green onions. Enjoy!

Loco Moco

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Loco Moco! Living up to its name, this breakfast food is actually one of Hawaii’s local favorites. The serving size is so generous you might think it’s way too much for breakfast. I didn’t eat the rest of the day after trying it at a local restaurant there. However, when you prepare it at home, you have more control over serving sizes as well as the time of day for this meal. Basically, it is composed of four layers. The bottom is fried rice, the middle is a beef patty, the next is an egg over easy. And the top layer is a ladle of gravy. Don’t knock it till you try it!

LOCO MOCO

Ingredients for Rice Layer:

1 cup prepared brown rice

1 strips bacon, crisp and crumbled 

1 beef patty, crumbed*

2 ounces smoked sausage, 

cut-up

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons onion, cut-up

*Hawaiians favor SPAM. 

Instructions for Rice Layer:

In large skillet add sesame oil and sauté onions. Add remaining ingredients. Stir fry to blend flavors. Set aside. 

Ingredients for Beef Patty Layer:

4 1/4-pound beef patties 

1 can beef consommé 

Dash of pepper

Instructions for Beef Patty Layer:

Cook beef in consommé until tender. I did this the day before in my slow-cooker. It’s worth the effort! Save the broth for turning into gravy. 

Ingredients for Egg Layer:

4 fresh eggs

Instructions for Egg Layer:

Cook on stove to make eggs over-easy (or sunny-side up) so the yolks are still runny. 

Ingredients for Gravy Layer:

1 cup beef consommé*

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

*Add water if necessary to make one cup of liquid. 

Instructions for Gravy Layer:

Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour to the butter and stir to make a roux. Cook over medium-low heat until the flour is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the consommé juices and stir until thickened. 

Now serve by assembling the layers in a shallow bowl: rice, beef, egg, and gravy. Loco Moco!

Green Pepper Dip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Green Pepper Dip!  Nothing says “presentation” like a vegetable dip served in a green pepper. If you don’t believe me, try this for your next gathering. People practically “oooh” and “aaah” when you enter the room with it. The best part is a subtle flavor of the pepper blends into the dip. Hint: Do your homework at the produce aisle. Make sure you buy a pepper that will sit straight on the serving dish. 

GREEN PEPPER DIP

Ingredients:

1 Large Green Bell Pepper 

1 cup mayonnaise 

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon dill weed

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

Instructions:

Cut top off green pepper. Carefully scoop out all seeds and the four ribs. Rinse and pat dry. Combine all remaining ingredients. Mix well. Gently fill the pepper with dip, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least one hour. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Serve with crudités and crackers.