Food Photo of the Day ~ Dill Pickle Poutine

 

Poutine is another favourite of ours that has more to do with the prep than cooking. I know I am not the first person to put chopped dill pickles on poutine in fact there is a poutinerie that has done so however at times when offered and visited, they have been sold out. So I decided to try a more modest approach, my version at home. I didn't fry the dill pickles, perhaps next time. They were quartered and roughly chopped and were an instant hit. Adding a fresh tangy sharp flavour to the savoury sautéed bacon and mushrooms, salty stretchy curds, pool of traditional seasoned gravy and slices of green onion, which I forgot and put on after the photo was taken. Very scrumptious for a unique blend of flavours with an added zing.     

Bean & Bacon Stew

 

This mega hearty stew is substantially satisfying in every way and its smoky autumnal heartiness can carry you through those frosty wintry months as well. Paired with a crusty roll or a slice of seeded multigrain bread this is an instant mealtime hit. 

Bean and Bacon Stew

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2 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound low salt bacon, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 large carrots, diced small

3 stalks of celery, diced small

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup flour

8 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 cans (15 oz, each) navy beans or great northern beans, drained

1 can (15oz) butter beans, drained 

2 bay leaves 

Place the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and warm over medium heat, add the bacon and cook for 7 minutes or until the bacon crisps. Carefully remove the bacon from the pot and set aside to drain on a plate with paper towel, to absorb most of the grease. Do not remove the bacon fat from the pot. Add the garlic, onion, carrots and celery and season with the salt and pepper, cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and onions translucent.

Add the tomato paste to the vegetable mixture, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for another 2 minutes, then gradually pour in the chicken stock all the while stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the bacon back to the pot, then add the drained beans and the bay leaves and bring the stew to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings according to taste. Remove and discard the bay leaves before serving.     

Potato Salad with Bacon

I have made this potato salad before however not with bacon and after finding a package of bacon in the freezer I decided to use it up. Combining it with a package of mini potatoes I had on hand and a few simple ingredients. This salad is a nice departure from leafy salads and a great way to use up some lingering bits from your freezer, fridge and pantry.        

Potato Salad with Bacon

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1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons grainy mustard

1 teaspoon vinegar

4 teaspoons white sugar

1/4 teaspoon paprika

3 green onion, sliced, optional

2 carrots, grated

salt and pepper to taste

1 bag multi-coloured mini baby potatoes

1 package of bacon, chopped and cooked

Place the mini potatoes into a large stockpot, cover with enough water. Bring the water with the potatoes to a boil and continue to boil until the potatoes until just tender. Carefully drain the water and set the potatoes aside to cool.

Open the package of bacon and place all slices on a clean cutting board. Roughly chop the bacon into bits. Heat the frying pan over medium high; add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp and chewy, or to your liking. Remove the cooked bacon bits, from the frying pan, to a plate lined with paper towel (kitchen towel) to drain.

In a large bowl stir to combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, grainy mustard, vinegar, sugar, paprika, green onion, if using, shredded carrots, salt and pepper. 

Once the mini potatoes are cooled cut them in half and place into a large bowl. Add the cooked bacon bits then add the mayonnaise mixture. Toss to coat. Cover and allow to rest in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. When serving sprinkle with dried onions, if you have any.   

Notes: Try... red onion, peas, corn, red pepper in addition to all the other ingredients or whatever you have on hand in your pantry to pull this salad together.
  

Food Photo of the Day ~ Poutine

Poutine, a French Canadian dish dating back to the 1950's. You can make your own chips (French fries) or use store bought; this is a great build your own dinner to warm up to. French fries sprinkled with local cheese curds, green onions, sautéd mushrooms, Canadian bacon all smothered with gravy is absolutely irresistible. This does not replace traditional poutine, of course, or even poutine served at a Poutinerie however this came pretty close and satisfied our poutine craving! 

Stay warm! - JD   

Oven Baked Bacon

I am finding that there may be a few ways on how to achieve the ultimate cooked bacon. My son had watched a video on how to cook bacon in the oven and was describing the method of such. I have cooked bacon in the oven before however never covered the tray. Covering does change things and although I did not use wire racks, supposedly like the video did, to allow the bacon grease to drip; I am fine with that because I am all about curbing ones cleaning and washing up. 

Quite simply preheat the oven to 400ºF, take a baking tray and line the bottom and sides with aluminum foil. Place the bacon on the prepared baking tray. Cover with more aluminum foil and place the tray in the oven and allow to cook for 15 to 25 minutes or until crispy, checking after 10 minutes and turning once. Cooking time depends on how many slices you are baking and how you like your bacon cooked. Remove bacon slices that are cooked sooner to drain on a plate lined with kitchen towel (paper towel).  

I found that this is an easier way to cook bacon as there was little clean up and no greasy mess. Just allow the grease to cool then careful roll the foil, from the baking tray into a ball and place in the garbage. This also allows one to utilize the stove top, get on with prep work, wash dishes or do something else while the bacon is in the oven.  


Hope everyone is having a good week. - JD     

Dublin Coddle

I searched through many recipes for a Dublin Coddle and I found that although there may be similarities there are also slight variations. I made my recipe true to the meat and veg form however the method is where I tweaked it. Opting for a bit of less time and less clean up. This traditional Irish dish is absolutely tasty, one of my favourites! 

Dublin Coddle

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6 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 leeks, sliced into rounds

1 onion, sliced into thin rounds

1 pound chicken sausages

1 pound thick smoked bacon, cut into cubes

salt

fresh black pepper

thyme, fresh or dried

3 cups low sodium chicken stock

fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 375ºF

In a large frypan cook the sausages, according to package or on medium/high heat for 17 to 19 minutes, turning half way through cooking time, until browned and an internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC) has been reach. Remove from frypan and drain on a plated lined with paper towel (kitchen towel).

Using the same fry pan, add the chopped bacon and cook over medium/high heat until just crisp. Drain on a plate lined with paper towel (kitchen towel). Remove and reserve  some of the bacon fat, if there is an excessive amount, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan, add the sliced onions and sliced leeks to the pan. Sauté for a few minutes then add the chopped potatoes. Gently sauté the onion, leeks and potatoes until they have slightly softened. Add a little more bacon fat if necessary. 

Take a large casserole dish and spray with cooking oil. Spoon the potato vegetable mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish. Sprinkle salt over top, grind some fresh black  pepper over top and sprinkle with thyme. Arrange the cooked bacon over the potato mixture. Cut the cooked sausages in half and arrange on top of the bacon. Pour the stock over everything. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and bake in the preheated oven for about  45 to 55 minutes, until bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley on top. Serve with soda bread.     

 

Slow Cooker Highland Beef Stew

A very rich and hearty beef stew that is great on it's own or served with tatties and neeps (potatoes and turnips). Although I served it with a round of Bannock, that did just nicely.      

Slow Cooker Highland Beef Stew

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1 1/2 kg stewing beef, cut into 2inch/5cm pieces

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

2 bay leaves

2 x 440ml cans of dark Stout, preferably Scottish

100g smoked streaky bacon, roughly chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 cups brown mushrooms, chopped

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup Port 
frozen peas, optional
chopped parsley for garnish  

Place the beef, garlic and bay leaves in a large non metallic bowl and pour the Stout over top. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for a least an hour or overnight. 

Transfer the meat to the slow cooker. Keep the remaining marinade and set aside. Add the chopped onions, chopped mushrooms and chopped bacon. Sprinkle the flour over top and give everything a toss. Pour the Port over the meat and vegetable mixture and then pour the reserved marinade over top of everything. Give a gentle stir. 

Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or High for 3 to 5 hours

Add the frozen peas in the last half hour of the cooking time. And serve with fresh chopped parsley. 

Notes: Slow cookers vary so cooking times may vary. If you find that the stew's sauce is not thick enough you can mix a bit of cornstarch with water and add that to thicken the sauce when the stew is done. If you can not find a dark Scottish Stout then use Guinness or any other dark Stout. If you do not want to use Port then red wine may be substituted.   

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD

Food Photo of the Day ~ Crispy Bacon

I remember reading an article, a few months ago, on how to make bacon more crispy when cooking. The article state, that adding just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan while the bacon cooks would result in a more crisper slice of bacon. No complicated ingredient or specialized pan... just add a bit of water. Simple. 

So the next time I was cooking bacon I thought I would test this culinary tip and sure enough I got nice crispy bacon. Nothing blackened or burnt. I am glad I gave this tip a try and now I am passing it on to you, to try, if you wish.  

Hope everyone is having a lovely week. Plenty of sunshine here in E-town with temperatures on the rise.  - JD  

Bacon ~ A Love Story

This condensed cookbook is resourceful and fun and is written by bacon blogger and enthusiast, Heather Lauer. She explores the increasing popularity of bacon with historical and fun facts. Bacon sales have increased over the years and, according to this book, Google has over 50 million results for bacon! 

Whether we love or loathe bacon, it has become more common place in our households and daily life. No longer a breakfast staple but a hot culinary commodity that has evolved. Traditionally, bacon is pork however over the years and the flux in eating habits has created some interesting versions such as: turkey bacon, tofu bacon, beef bacon and duck bacon. Yes, duck bacon! Pork, turkey, and tofu, are the most recognized. 

There are two parts to this book which read like a paperback : Bacon 101 and The Bacon Diet, together they consists of 10 chapters and approximately 20 recipes. This cookbook is sure to inspire and quite possibly sway you into the throws of Baconmania. Like bacon brownies, candied bacon ice cream, bacon wrapped corn on the cob and bacon wrapped water chestnuts dipped in honey. I am going to share the recipe for Hungarian Rice because it is an easy and simple dish that can be adapted to your culinary desires. Like adding mushrooms using turkey or tofu bacon, or shaking in a bit of paprika; it is a bit universal with possibilities. There is a back story for this recipe which I am including as well from the book. 

To find out more about Heather Lauer and Bacon Unwrapped click *here*

"This recipe comes courtesy of a Bacon Unwrapped reader named Steph: "Our standby bacon-based entrée is what my husband calls Hungarian Rice." "This dish is perfect example of how the use of bacon and a few simple ingredients can make an incredibly delicious entrée." 

Hungarian Rice

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Serves 4 to 6 

1 pound sliced bacon (your favourite)

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

4 cups cooked rice (your choice)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed and drained

salt and pepper

1. In a large cast-iron skillet or other heavy skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and place it on a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the bacon grease in the skillet. Once the bacon has cooled enough to touch, chop it coarsely.

2. Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and cook over medium heat just enough to bring to the flavour. Add the rice and heat, stirring to get the drippings and garlic mixed in well. Add the bacon and peas. Continue cooking until the peas are heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. 

Hope everyone is having a good week so far. A bit warmer temperatures which is welcoming before we head back to cold. - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Nachos

The cold weather has struck again so a round of epic nachos were in order. Crispy bacon, refried beans, corn, black beans, freshly diced tomatoes, and of course, melted sharp cheddar cheese. Topped with chopped lettuce and sprinkled with a chili pepper and lime seasoning salt. These were happily served... and devoured with salsa, sour cream, and a homemade guacamole dip. Perfect for sharing!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD    

Broccoli Salad

The ingredients are few, which lends to bending the recipe rules with this one. Adding a few other ingredients to compliment this simple yet delicious salad may be considered. However the crisp broccoli, smoky bacon, and cheese do not go a miss and would certainly be lovely served over a jacket potato. Nonetheless this makes for a very satisfying side salad. 

Broccoli Salad 

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Serves 4 - 6

2 bunches broccoli, washed and chopped into smaller florets

1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

10-12 strips bacon, cut into pieces and fried

For the Dressing:

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3/4 cup light mayonnaise

1/3 cup white sugar

4 tablespoons white vinegar

In a large bowl combine the broccoli florets, cheese, shallot and cooked bacon.

In another bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Pour over the broccoli mixture and toss to coat. Chill for a few hours then serve. 

Notes: Try using different cheese, and or a different vinegar. Add dried cranberries or chunks of grilled chicken, a handful of spinach. Diced red pepper. Add a teaspoon of curry powder to the dressing or a squirt of Sriracha for some heat.

Hope everyone is having a good week so far. - JD 

Red Cabbage with Mushrooms, Nuts, & Bacon

Cabbage is an ingredient in Irish cuisine and rightfully so. With the many colours comes different flavours; and this recipe has red cabbage lightly braised with bacon, mushrooms, and hazelnuts. With the prep work aside this dish is not complicated to create and makes for a lovely side dish.

Red Cabbage with Mushrooms, Nuts, & Bacon

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Serves 4

1/2 large red cabbage

2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil

6 thin bacon strips, cut into bite-size pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons thyme leaves

2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped cremini mushrooms 

1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

grated zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 cup meat stock

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

pat of lightly salted butter

Substitutions: meat stock for a low sodium stock such as chicken or vegetable stock.

Quarter the cabbage lengthwise and discard the tough core in the centre. Slice the leaves widthwise into ribbons.

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish or deep skillet over medium - high heat. Cook the bacon for about 5 minutes, until crisp.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and thyme, and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Add the mushrooms and cabbage, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until starting to soften. 

Stir in the nuts, lemon zest, sea salt, pepper, and sugar, and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Pour in the vinegar and stock, cover, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.

Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the parsley and a pat of butter just before serving.

Breakfast Burrito

This morning my son wanted to make us breakfast and he decided on the breakfast burrito. Which consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, refried beans, salsa, green onion and shredded cheddar cheese. He did everything himself except cook the bacon and the side of hash brown patties, myself and his stepdad prepared those. I was on hand as his kitchen assistant and only cleared the unwanted items away. The burritos were very tasty and filling! 

Hats off to the Sunday chef... the elusive kitchen cape crusader is pictured here. Prepping and assembling and much sighing because I was taking his photo. 

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! - JD  

Bacon Marmalade

Was really intrigued when we saw this on the shelf. Two worlds are colliding in a very savoury way. If you need a quick bacon fix then this might do. I did slather it on toast and it was quite nice. To me, seems that it would work better with cheese and crackers, waffles and meats. 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD

Free For All Friday Night Dinners

Usually the other days of the week, for dinner, are planned with thought however I wanted to make Friday's free from that. So I invented Free for All Fridays. It is a way of having something more casual for dinner with not too much planning or fuss. This time my son, the elusive kitchen crusader, made the suggestion of beans on toast. Simple however his version pictured here has baked beans drizzled with Canadian maple syrup, topped with cooked streaky bacon, and melted cheese on top. Stodgy goodness worth every bite. Beans on toast is one of those meals that it is what it is and it is how you make it. 

Enjoy the weekend everyone! - JD   

Soup's On!

And how did the White Cheddar Mashed Potato soup, from the Get Cooking cookbook, fair? ...Great! The recipe was easy and what made it even more easy was the fact that I already had some leftover roasted potatoes from Sunday's dinner so I used them. I also added chopped bacon after I had sautéed the onions for the required time. Letting the bacon cook firm but not crispy. I dressed it with a dash of freshly cracked pepper, crushed red chilies and shards of grated white cheddar cheese. It was a very substantial soup that went well with the delicate Basa fish. 

If you would like the recipe for this soup just go to the recipes or cookbooks section located on the right hand side of my blog. 

Enjoy! - JW  

Breakfast and Cricket

Over the past few days we have been watching the last of the England vs. India test matches in Cricket. They have been very exciting and finished with England winning, today! Here are the breakfast I made and served during the past few matches.  

Scones with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, and a pot of Earl Grey tea.   

Pancakes, bacon, breakfast sausage with watermelon, and blackberries and a pot of Royal Assam tea.

English crumpets, deviled eggs, and bacon with a pot of Darjeeling tea.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! - JW  

Maple Bacon Seasoning

This seasoning was one that came as a suggestion from a friend. The smell is smoky with just a distinct touch of sweetness. Inhaling the aroma for the first time my senses tingled reminiscent of a good curry. Fenugreek is used to flavour some maple syrups and is also used in Indian cooking. So my thoughts reminding me of Asian food was not far off.

I went on a bit of a hunt for this seasoning and found it only at two places. Save On More and Walmart here in E-town. I first sprinkled it on popcorn. Very savoury and a bit salty. So I added a bit of white cheddar popcorn seasoning to tame the saltiness. It was quite flavourful popcorn.  

My second attempt with the Maple Bacon seasoning had me adding some to the chicken burgers I made over the weekend. I did not add an exact amount. Shaking enough into the raw meat until I felt I had the right amount of seasoning. As the burgers cooked the smell throughout the house was wonderful. As you can probably guess from the picture, they tasted very delicious!   

  

Maple Bacon Potato Chips

Nowadays, if it does not have maple or bacon never mind maple and bacon then it just isn't right. Put maple in or on anything and most, if not all Canadians will be happy. I pour maple syrup over just about anything edible. The smokier the better. I thought ketchup potato chips were the bomb... well next to curry potato chips of course. However these had me at MAPLE!  

Have a good weekend everyone! - JW     

Maple Bacon Chocolate

Who doesn't like chocolate... and who doesn't like bacon? The pairing of these two seems like a step in the right direction. Maple and bacon I completely understand. I have been known to drizzle maple syrup inside my bacon butty. Maple, bacon and chocolate can go either way. For myself, this gourmet chocolate bar tasted like a creamy milk chocolate with tiny crunchy bits that didn't taste much like bacon. Perhaps I should have bought the potato chip chocolate bar. To find out more about Chuao chocolatiers click *here*  Hope you all are having a good weekend! - JW