spork me

Bacon, Thyme and Mushroom Stuffing

We’re now two steps removed from the original recipe I based last years stuffing recipe off of. I forgot how different the types of things you can get in New York are, but this is ‘same same but different’. Crispy salty meat, mushrooms, and herbs.

Ingredients:

10 cooked American bacon strips, broken into pieces
1 big loaf of ciabatta, cut into half in cubes
1 cup of chicken stock
3 tablespoons chopped dried chanterelle mushrooms, soaked in the stock
2 cups chopped baby bella mushrooms
2 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped thyme
2 sticks of butter
Salt and pepper

Melt a stick of butter, and soften the onions in it. Add the carrots, celery, and baby bella mushrooms. Cook until soft and season with the thyme, salt and pepper. Melt in the other stick of butter, then add the bread and toss to coat. Pour over the stock with the dried mushrooms. Mix well, add the bacon, and stir through. Pop into a casserole dish, and bake for 20-30 minutes at 200C / 375F.

Balsamic and Pomegranate Short Ribs with Bacon, Mushroom and Sun-Dried Tomato Trofil

One of the best things I’ve made. The ribs fell apart, they were so tender, and the pasta kept really well for leftovers.

Ingredients (short ribs):

1 cup diced onion
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 sprigs rosemary
Salt, pepper, and olive oil
Approximately 6 short ribs, in 2 rows

Season the rows of ribs with salt and pepper, and brown well in the olive oil. Remove the ribs and add the onions, sauté for 3 minutes, scraping up the brown bits from the pan, and then add the brown sugar. Cook for 3 minutes more. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, and add the ribs back in. Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours.

Remove the ribs and place under a heavy pan or plate in the fridge for at least 2 hours to press (or overnight). Strain and refrigerate the liquid.

To finish, remove the layer of fat from the top of the liquid, and reduce until you have a thick sauce. Slice the ribs apart into individual pieces and grill for 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve with a drizzle of sauce.

Ingredients (trofil):

1/4 cup chopped raw bacon
1/2 cup diced onion
1.5 cups sliced oyster mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes
1/2 bunch of fresh thyme leaves
Olive oil, salt, pepper
Parmesan to serve
2 cups cooked trofil or other pasta

Sauté the bacon and onion in a bit of olive oil. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and mushrooms once the onion has turned translucent, and cook for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and toss with the freshly cooked pasta. Top with Parmesan to serve.

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

This would have to be one of my “signature dishes” if I had to choose; I’ve been using the same recipe for years and it’s always amazing. For the cheese, use any kinds you’d like, but I really suggest using one smoked cheese. It’s great for leftovers as well!

Ingredients:

1 big bag of pasta, boiled and drained
300g bacon, fried and chopped
4 tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
3 cups of milk
3 cups of grated cheese (2-3 different kinds)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter and saute onions until soft. Mix in the flour well, and then add the milk, stirring constantly. Once warm, add the 3 cups of cheese, as well as the rosemary, and stir until combine. Season well with salt and pepper, and cook until it’s thick enough to stick to a spoon. In a baking dish, mix well with the pasta and bacon, top with parmesan and breadcrumbs, and bake for 20-30 minutes at 200C / 375F until golden on top.

Bacon and Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo of bacon, fried until crispy
1 kilo of potatoes, boiled
7-8 scallions, diced
2 cups of grated cheddar
1 stick of butter
1-2 cups of milk
Salt and pepper

Mash, adding milk as you go to get the right consistency, and then bake at 200C / 375F for 20-30 minutes.

Thyme Poached Eggs with Bacon and Ciabatta

I found this excellent recipe for ciabatta bread (I made it into a loaf instead of pizza), the only change is that I added another half cup of flour or so since it was too watery and didn’t look like the photos. Great recipe, very soft fluffy bread and it only took a couple hours to make and it very simple on a Sunday morning.

For the eggs, I poached them in cellophane (using a bowl, crack an egg into the center of the cellophane, add a sprig of thyme, and scrunch up the top). Boil for about 3-5 minutes until the whites are cooked. Serve with fresh slices of ciabatta and bacon.

Bacon and Shitake Mushroom Risoni

I made this quickly tonight for lunch tomorrow to use up the leftover bacon in the fridge. It was a bit difficult to put it away and not eat it tonight, but I cooked a ridiculous amount of food, so that’s just how it was.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped bacon
1 cup chopped shitake mushrooms
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp verjuice or white wine
Salt, pepper, and fresh thyme
Grated parmesan
3/4 cup risoni or orzo pasta

Boil water for the pasta.

Cook bacon on high heat in the olive oil. Add mushrooms, verjuice/wine, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook pasta and toss into the mixture. Top with parmesan.

Served with roasted parsnips and packed right up in a Tupperware to reheat tomorrow.

Homemade Bread with Poached Eggs, Bacon and Avocado

Breakfast is the best. Nothing tricky here, it’s exactly what the title suggests, but damn it’s good.

Um. Wow. That was epic. Wouldn’t change a thing, really big flavor and would go great over some rice for lunch tomorrow… what little is left, that is.

Served with an artichoke, end cut off and steamed for 15 minutes, before cut in half and pan seared to get some of it a bit crispy. Also made another version of the salad I made for lunch to appease my arteries.

Slow Cooked Beef Bourguignon

Another day at home. As soon as Touched By An Angel came on TV I knew I was in trouble, so I made an appointment to get my “hair did” and decided to pop something in the slow cooker that mostly resembles a beef bourguignon. Of course, I didn’t have all the ingredients so I made a few substitutions… and easy one to put together for 20 minutes before work.

Ingredients:

1 kilo chuck steak, diced in 1-2 inch cubes, fat trimmed
200g bacon, roughly chopped
1 onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, diced
1 portobello mushroom, sliced (or whole button mushrooms)
A couple dried porcini mushrooms, diced (they’ll rehydrate in the slow cooker)
Half punnet of diced cherry tomatoes (or a tablespoon of tomato paste)
Salt and pepper
About 10 sage leaves
A few tablespoons olive oil, or 100g butter
2/3 bottle red wine
Dash of Worcester

Brown the beef, onions, bacon, garlic, and sage in the butter or olive oil in a hot pan. Add salt and pepper to taste, then put that and the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker for 8 hours.