BaconAndOtherBadHabits

Bacon Doesn't Live Here Anymore

2011-07-29T17:07:00.000-06:00

OHMYGOSHYOUHAVENOIDEAHOWEXCITEDIAM! I am as excited about the new website as this lady is about rainbow sponges:

I have been feeding my design team (also sometimes called a "boyfriend") bacon and other treats for months to keep his strength up while he lovingly slaved away on a new shiny website. And it's here!

So, kindly redirect your URL and bookmarks to the brand new http://baconandotherbadhabits.com and click one of the "subscribe options" in the upper right corner to subscribe by rss feed or by email. Recipes delivered straight to your email box? It's like a squiggly rainbow-sponge dream come true [see above video] but with more bacon!

Bacon Is Meat Candy When Candied

2011-07-11T16:39:00.000-06:00

Do you know what's better than bacon? Candied bacon. Do you know how you candy bacon? You add sugar of course! I mean, okay, I didn't say "Do you know what's better for you than bacon..." did I? No. And with the addition of cream cheese and pastry crust this isn't exactly the healthiest recipe I've ever posted here. So, let's suffice it to say that these are meant to be served/eaten as appetizers. Delicious candied-bacon pâtisserie appetizers!

Candied Bacon Pâtisserie
--4 slices of bacon
--4 TBSP un-packed brown sugar
--1 refrigerated pie crust rolled out into even thickness
--1/4 brick of low fat cream cheese or neufchâtel
--1/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes

Space the bacon slices on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle each piece with brown sugar and place in the oven at 350 degrees. Cook until bacon is golden brown. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Pour excess grease from pan into a jar or container (you never want to pour grease down the drain!).

When the bacon is cool enough to work with, use scissors to cut the bacon slices into 1/2" wide pieces.

Slice the pie crust into 20 squares. Place a pat of cream cheese on each square. Top with 2-3 sun-dried tomatoes and 1 piece of sliced candied bacon. Roll up the crust into a nice little package and place on to a new clean cookie sheet. (You don't want to re-use the bacon cookie sheet without wiping it down really well first. Otherwise the bottoms of your pastries will burn due to any remaining bacon grease on the pan. If you have a second cookie sheet it's usually easier just to use that).

Cook the pâtisseries at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving (else the cheese might burn your mouth!). Unlike revenge, this recipe is a dish best served warm.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 20 pâtisseries
Calories: 93 calories per pâtisserie

Pasta With A Pinch Of Pine Nuts

2011-07-06T15:35:00.001-06:00

Pine nuts (or pinon seeds) were once a hot trading commodity in Colorado and New Mexico. While times (and currencies) have changed, pine nuts still remain a pricey little taste of heaven. I buy mine in bulk to help curb costs and to allow me to have pine nuts to use at my disposal whenever I deem fit. When toasted, these nuts can be added to salads, pastas, or served as a snack.

Today's recipe is a summery pasta that also incorporates another bulk food fave--sun dried tomatoes--to a yogurt based cream-lite sauce. If you have a lemon handy, I also recommend adding just a little zest to each portion for a bright finish.

Chicken Spinach Pasta W/ Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Toasted Pine Nuts
--1 cup fettuccine or linguine noodles
--1/4 cup pine nuts
--cooking spray
--1 large chicken breast, sliced into strips
--salt and pepper to taste
--1 medium onion, sliced vertically into strips
--garlic, minced
--crushed red pepper
--1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
--1/4 cup plain yogurt
--1 tsp flour
--1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
--1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
--1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
--4 oz. grated parmesan cheese
--lemon zest (optional)

Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting oil and salt.

Spread the pine nuts out on a cookie sheet or metal baking pan. While the pasta cooks, roast at 250 degrees for 7 minutes before turning and continuing to toast. Do not let the pine nuts burn, you want them to be golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Season the chicken pieces with a smidge of salt and a healthy dose of black pepper. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray and cook the chicken for 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan when done. Re-coat the pan with cooking spray and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion begins to get translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and stir to combine.

In a bowl, combine the 1/2 and 1/2 and yogurt. Whisk in the flour. Add the mixture to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes before adding the spinach, basil, chicken, and cooked pasta. Cook until thoroughly heated and serve, sprinkled with toasted pine nuts, parmesan, and lemon zest.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 442 per serving (includes 1 oz. cheese)

Toasty Buns=Tasty Brunch

2011-07-03T13:07:00.000-06:00

Brioche is delicious, let's start there. I have a hard time imagining anything made from eggs and butter wouldn't be tasty, for obvious reasons. Some of the best French toasts I've ever had were made with brioche. But brioche is also hard to come by, unless you happen to live down the street from a boulangerie. So, I make my French toast with the poor-man's brioche––slider buns.

I know, you're thinking how intrepid that is and I'm blushing just thinking about all the compliments your internal monologue is surely bestowing upon me. Thank you! But speaking seriously, the only thing that goes better with tiny buns than sliders is surely french toast slathered with fresh fruit compote. Plus, slider buns are about 100 calories each, so split it half... Well, screw the math: Let's make brunch!

Brioche-style French Toast with Compote
--3 slider buns, tops and bottoms separated so you have 6 pieces of toast
--2 eggs
--1/4 tsp cinnamon
--1 tsp butter
--1 ripe pear, cored and chopped into chunks
--1 cup blackberries
--1 TBSP honey
--1 tsp maple syrup*

[*Please note, Aunt Jemima, not maple syrup. Maple syrup is delicious and comes from trees (yum, trees). If it doesn't say "Maple Syrup" on the label then it's made out of corn syrup. Corn syrup, while also delicious, is not the same as maple syrup. Okay, tirade over.]

Crack the eggs into a bowl and use a fork to whisk them into an egg wash (but not an over-beaten egg mess). Add the cinnamon to the eggs and stir one more time to spread the spice out a bit. Dredge each bun piece in the egg mix, soaking for about one minute total per bun piece.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the buns and cook until each side is golden brown.

While the toast cooks, add the pears and blackberries to a smaller skillet. Heat on medium-low heat. You do not need to add any oil to the pan as the juice from the fruits will both lubricate the pan and slowly carmelize. Add the honey and maple syrup and stir to combine. Stir the fruit regularly so that it begins to soften and is warmed throughout.

Serve the toast topped with the compote and enjoy! The compote creates a lovely syrup, don't you think?

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 378 per serving

This Casserole Is All Growed Up, Just Like You

2011-06-15T14:51:00.000-06:00

Broccoli cheese casserole is one of those truly brilliant comfort foods; mostly because its covered in cheese. I think for most of us it was a sneaky yet tasty way for our parents to try and get us to eat broccoli as kids. Unfortunately, most recipes for the dish aren't very healthy.

Think of this recipe as the broccoli cheese casserole for grown ups. There's still cheese. (I wouldn't do that to you, take away your beloved cheese. That would be cruel.) I've added cauliflower for extra fiber and tons of Vitamin C. Both cauliflower and broccoli are cruciferous (and you know how I feel about cruciferous veggies what with their awesome antioxidants and cancer-fighting skills). The addition of curry adds another layer of flavor to do a little Bhangra dance in your mouth.

And, as if you needed another reason, boys really seem to like eating this casserole. At least every boy I've ever fed it to...

Curried Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese Casserole
--1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
--curry powder
--paprika
--black pepper
--olive oil (you will need 2 TBSP total, but exact measurements for each step of the process are below)
--1 cup Jasmine rice
--pinch of salt
--garlic, minced
--small onion, chopped fine
--1 small head of broccoli, chopped into florets
--1 cup + 1/2 cup vegetable (to keep vegetarian) or chicken broth (to add even more delicious flavor)
--4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
--4 oz. mild or medium cheddar cheese, cubed
--1 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
--1 oz. mild or medium cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the cauliflower florets in a food storage bag or Tupperware with lid. Add 1 TBSP of olive oil and the curry powder, paprika, and black pepper (generous shakes of the spices or about 1 TSP each to coat the cauliflower pieces). Shake it up until the cauliflower is evenly coated with the spice mixture. Place in an oven proof dish and roast in the oven while the rice cooks (about 20 minutes or so).

Cook the Jasmine rice according to package directions, adding 1/2 TBSP olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 1/2 TBSP olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Sauté the onions and garlic for several minutes, stirring often. Add the broccoli florets and sauté for several more minutes, again stirring regularly.

Remove the cauliflower from the oven and add it to the skillet. Stir to combine with the other veggies. Add the cooked rice to the pan and stir in with 1 cup of chicken broth and the cubed cheeses. Remove from heat. The cheeses will begin to melt into the mixture.

Transfer into a large baking dish and add the remaining 1/2 cup of broth to the dish. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and bake the casserole for a half hour. It will be so damn tasty.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 70 minutes (and worth every second)
Serves: 6
Calories: 381 per serving

A Mexican Favorite With An Italian Touch

2011-06-12T09:50:00.003-06:00

John Trujillo taught me how to make fajitas over a bar counter. I never set foot in the kitchen of the restaurant he owned for 20+ years but I spent a lot of time sitting at the bar. His daughter was a good friend of mine in high school--still is--and so many afternoons were spent at "The Mish," as the family restaurant, Mission Trujillo, was known. Sadly, the restaurant closed its doors in December of 2006, while John and the family set out on new adventures.

The secret to the Mish's delicious (and naughtily named) Chi-Chi Chicken as well as their fajitas? Italian dressing. It might sound blasphemous coming from the proprietor of a Mexican restaurant, but chicken marinated in Italian dressing yields beautiful results!

For the past several months John has been valiantly fighting against cancer. I know his family thinks there is no such thing as too many prayers, so if you have time to send good ju-ju John's way, please do. Regardless, I think of him every time I make these fajitas, and I hope you will too.

Chicken Fajitas
--1-2 TBSP Italian salad dressing--2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thumb sized pieces
--1 TBSP olive oil
--garlic, minced
--1 medium white onion, sliced vertically into 1" pieces
--1 small red onion, sliced vertically into 1" pieces
--1 red bell pepper, top and seeds removed, then sliced vertically into 1" pieces
--1 green bell pepper, top and seeds removed, then sliced vertically into 1" pieces
--fresh cracked pepper (and lots of it!)

**Note: The best fajitas are made in a cast-iron skillet. Mine was "lost" in the move. But I highly recommend cooking fajitas (and all the delicious accoutrement) in a cast-iron skillet. That skillet will deliver beautiful blackened chicken and wonderfully caramelized vegetables, far superior to what any other pan can do.

You can marinate the chicken as early as the night before, though I usually only do mine for about an hour. I believe the Mish marinated theirs for at least several hours before cooking, so the choice is yours.

Heat a medium-sized skillet on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan, followed by the veggies. Crack fresh black pepper over the veggies (I layer it on thick). Cook until tender, using tongs to flip a few times during the process. My favorite trick is to layer the veggies in the pan and leave them alone for several minutes until they begin to brown, then I flip them and repeat on the other side until its time to simply toss to continue an even cooking and browning pattern. When the veggies are softened to your liking, set aside.

Add the chicken to the same pan and coat with more fresh cracked pepper. Tossing the chicken regularly will help the chicken from sticking to the pan. You can add a little more oil if necessary (1 TSP is enough to do the trick) and then try the let-brown-on-one-side-before-turning method described above if you like. Cook until the chicken is salmonella-free, then add the pepper/onion mix back to the pan to re-heat and mix. Serve!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 25 minutes active cooking time + minimum 1 hour marinating time
Serves: 251 per serving
Calories: 4

Leah's Kidnapping -or- A Southern Vegan Treat

2011-06-01T10:47:00.013-06:00

Dear readers, it is my painful duty to inform you that the recent silence from your beloved Bad Habits is because our dear Leah has been kidnapped. It seems her fears of the Vegan Police weren't just paranoia or a plea for attention. As I type, she is being forced to eat tempeh bacon while in the company of rescued pigs.

So, in an effort to appease the police and pass on their super powers, here is an easy and delicious southern-inspired vegan meal in two parts!

Red Beans and Rice Burgers
Red beans and rice are good, sure, but it's a scientific fact that everything is better in burger form.

What you need:

1 can kidney beans
1 cup cooked rice (I use brown short grain)
1/4 onion
2 celery stalks
1 red bell pepper
2 teaspoons Cajun spice mix
1/2 tsp liquid smoke (optional, but highly recommended)
1 tbs + 1 tsp Arrowroot or Corn Starch
Earth Balance or oil for frying

What you do:

Sautee veggies in Earth Balance or oil until they start to brown. Add spices, sautee another minute and set aside to cool. Don't clean the pan!

Mush beans (they don't need to be smooth) and then stir in all the other ingredients.

Form into patties--I used a 1/3 measuring cup to keep the size uniform and made 7 patties.

Cook the patties in the leftover veggie juice a few minutes until brown.

**Tip: If you soak your rice for at least an hour before cooking (I do overnight) it will cook faster and be more moist. Cook it in fresh water, though. If you're lazy, as I often am, this can be skipped, obviously.

**A good thing about this particular burger recipe: You can change the beans and spices to make it however else you want it--such as chickpeas and curry with peas and carrots instead of celery and bell pepper.

Betsy's Deluxe Corn Bread

A while back, my mom let me borrow a cookbook full of our neighbors' favorite recipes. This is a variation of one, and it's probably the easiest thing ever. I like it for its simplicity, but feel to add something more exciting to it (my mom always used bell peppers and jalapenos).

What you need:

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup sour cream (I used Tofutti Sour Supreme)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup corn
1 cup corn meal
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder

What you do:

Mix everything in a bowl until well combined.

Pour into 8" square baking dish and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until just browned.

(No, really, it's just that easy)

Now that you have your burger and cornbread, serve it up with a side of slaw and collards and a big glass of sweet tea!

In case you're curious, my slaw is a bag of red cabbage, 4 carrots, a dash of ume vinegar, a spoonful of Vegenaise and some pepper. I steam my greens in a little olive oil and add a splash of soy sauce and vinegar when they're almost done.

Chili To Feed The Masses (Or Just You!)

2011-05-15T16:19:00.000-06:00

Mmm, chili. I know football season--classic chili time--is over, but screw the seasons. You should eat chili any time you want. Because it's delicious. (Sorry, I've been watching a lot of Parks & Recreation lately so I may be channeling a little Ron Swanson there). So delicious in fact, that when the BF and I hosted a big Mother's Day to-do at our house last weekend, I made this chili (doubling the recipe below to feed all 12 of us). It was a big hit!

This chili is made with ground bison, making it a leaner and lighter option than standard chili. I also add in a ton of veggies, which play dual roles in adding great nutritional value and--more importantly--great flavor. And, making up a big pot of soup means figuring out what to take for lunch is made an easy choice for a few days!

What's the difference between bison and buffalo? On food labels and restaurant menus they appear to be synonymous, but just know that a bison is the bearded creature of the classic American west, whereas the buffalo is his beardless African and Asian cousin.

Bison Two-Bean Chili
--1 lb. ground bison meat
--2 TSP canola
--small onion, diced
--garlic, minced
--oregano
--cumin
--chili powder
--10 oz. frozen corn
--bell pepper, diced
--1 zucchini, quartered and diced
--2 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes with juices
--1 chipotle pepper, chopped
--15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
--15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (you can use white or red beans, whatever your pleasure, when I'm feeling sassy I add both and make this a three-bean chili. Just sayin'.)
--1 cup water
--2 TBSP tomato paste
--3 oz. shredded cheese

In a dutch oven or large stock pot cook the bison over medium-high heat (add no oil to the pan). Stir to crumble as it cooks and set aside. Drain any fat from the pot and return to the stove.

Add the canola to the same pot and turn the heat down to the medium. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and oregano and stir well to combine. The spices will distribute themselves around the garlic and onion pieces and give your chili a consistent flavor throughout. Cook for a few minutes, until the mixture is fragrant and the onion is translucent. Add the frozen corn and cook for five minutes, stirring regularly. Add the diced bell pepper and zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes so the pepper begins to soften. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices and let the mixture bubble (there is no need to adjust temperature).

Add the bison back to the pot and add in the chipotle pepper, tomato paste and beans. Stir to combine and let cook for one minute before adding the water. Bring the pot to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Cook uncovered for two minutes. Then spoon into bowls and top with 1 dollop of grated cheese.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 55 minutes (including prep)
Serves: 6
Calories: 273 per serving

Plans Change, Tasty Results Ensue

2011-05-14T10:48:00.000-06:00

I bought already-shelled pomegranate seeds--and if you've ever slaved away at unlocking a pomegranate you'll understand why. And I was super excited. Because they're pomegranate seeds--and if you've ever slaved away at unlocking a pomegranate you'll understand why. Oh, I had such grand plans for those pomegranate seeds--heating them over a dry skillet so they started to gush their juices before adding a little honey and a splash of wine to make compote...

But it was not to be. When I opened the package they had fermented. It smelled like a vinegary disgusting mess, like a gym sock had mated with corked wine. Sigh. But all was not lost. I still had some very ripe, luscious roma tomatoes and an open bottle of red wine. Together, these two would compliment my seared pork chops in albeit a different way that originally planned. Success!

Pork Chops & Tomato Burgundy Sauce
--2 pork chops, bone-in, 3-4 oz. each
--kosher salt and cracked pepper
--2 TSP olive oil
--1 shallot, minced
--1 cup dry red wine
--1 cup beef stock or broth
--2 medium ripe roma tomatoes, chopped into thumbnail-sized pieces

Heat a stainless or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Season the pork chops on both sides with the salt and pepper, using your fingers to press the seasoning into the meat. Reduce the heat on the skillet to medium and add one teaspoon of olive oil to the pan, swirling to coat. Sear the pork on both sides for 3-4 minutes, until a nice crust is formed (this will lock the juices in).

Place the pork chops in an oven proof dish and continue cooking at 250 degrees while you make the sauce.

In the same skillet used to sear the pork chops, add one teaspoon olive oil and the shallot. Sauté 2 minutes before adding half of the wine. Use the wine to de-glaze the pan before adding half of the beef stock.

Change the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until it reduces. Add the tomato pieces. Add wine and stock as needed to make more stock.

Remove the pork chops from the oven and nestle them into the sauce pan. Remove from heat and let sit one minute before serving. Plate the pork chops and spoon the sauce and tomatoes over the top of the chops.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 439 per serving

Hold Me Closer Tiny Burger

2011-04-29T16:03:00.000-06:00

You know what's awesome about sliders? They're just tiny versions of something tasty! Sliders have such mass appeal that next to the regular hamburger and hot dog buns, you can now purchase tiny buns too. Sliders are a great way to portion control and also stretch your budget. You can make a pound of ground anything or a slab of tuna or salmon go farther and feed more folks.

These sliders are made of lamb--a great source of protein and iron--and are topped with an equally Greek-inspired tzatziki sauce. You get two recipes for the price of one today!

As always, if you make this or anything else please email me or hit me up on the interwebs so I know how much you liked it. Our Facebook friends can also post their own pictures and I guarantee your photography is probably better than mine...

Lamb Sliders with Tzatziki
--1 lb. ground lamb
--garlic, minced
--small onion, minced
--salt and pepper
--1 egg
--1 cup mixed greens
--12 wheat slider buns

Tzatziki Sauce
--2 cups greek yogurt
--garlic, minced
--1 small cucumber, diced
--1/4 cup of shredded mint leaves, stems removed
--1 tsp olive oil
--2 tsp lemon juice
--pinch of salt

Place the ground lamb, garlic, onion, and egg in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and then use hands to mix. It will feel super gross but trust me, mixing this up with your hands is better than using a spoon.

Form the ground lamb mixture into 12 equally sized patties. Fire up the grill and cook the sliders for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked to desired doneness. Hey, who am I to judge how rare or well done you like your meat? I do, however, highly recommend that you toast your buns...

In a separate mixing bowl combine the tzatziki ingredients.

Place each slider on a toasted bun. Top each burger with some mixed greens and a dollop of tzatziki sauce. Happy grilling!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 12 sliders
Calories: 217 calories per slider

Asparagus & Sweet Peppers: Delightful Match!

2011-04-25T10:02:00.000-06:00

I am a big fan of color--big fan. My couch is red, my hangers are lime green, the chairs on the porch are electric blue, and few clothes in my closet follow a neutral palette. So it's no surprise that I also like colorful meals. Meals or dishes with lots of color have different flavors, variety, and are usually really good for you. What I especially love about this dish is that it even looks like Spring!

When my father and his brothers were young boys, asparagus grew wild along the banks of the canals and creeks near their childhood home. The boys would go out and hand cut the asparagus and bring it home for dinner. Call me wistful or nostalgic, but I just think that's a really cute visual! Asparagus popping up at the local market is a sure sign that Spring is here.

When choosing asparagus, I grab the smallest, most tender stalks I can find. The sweet peppers compliment the asparagus--which can have a slightly bitter flavor according to some--and when mixed inside a creamy risotto...I'm salivating! I want to make this dish again right now!

Spring Risotto With Asparagus & Sweet Peppers
--2 tsp olive oil, divided
--1 small shallot, diced
--1 cup arborio rice
--1 cup wine
--1 cup chicken broth
--1 oz. goat cheese
--1 bunch fresh asparagus, ends removed and stalks snapped into 2-inch long pieces
--4-5 small sweet peppers, roughly chopped
--black pepper

Heat a medium-sized saucepan on medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp of the olive oil and the shallot and sauté for a few minutes, until the shallot begins to get translucent. Add the dry arborio rice and stir for 1 minute before adding 1/2 cup of the wine. Stir regularly and as the rice absorbs the wine, add the other 1/2 cup of wine. Once the rice has absorbed the wine begin adding the chicken broth in 1/4 cup increments, stirring regularly and allowing the rice to absorb the broth before adding more.

While the risotto cooks, heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tsp of olive oil and the asparagus and peppers to the pan. Crack a healthy dose of black pepper over the veggies and sauté until tender, tossing regularly for even cooking.

When the veggies are done add them to the rice pot, stirring well to combine. Add the goat cheese and again stir well to melt the goat cheese and mix the creamy deliciousness into the risotto. Serve and top with more black pepper if desired!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 271 per serving

Pâtisserie, Mais Oui!

2011-04-15T18:53:00.000-06:00

I have told you previously about my love of pie crusts. It's kind of like eating fried food--it's always good, no matter what it is. Think about it. Fried pickles, yes. Fried oysters, yes. Fried chicken, hell yes. Now, try it with pie crust. Irish boxty, yum. Pie of pretty much any flavor under the sun, yum. Chicken pot pie, yum yum.

Pâtisserie is just a fancy French way of saying pastry, and so much fun to say! Say it with me, "Pâtisserie..." Yeah, it even sounds delicious. Unlike their fruit-filled sugar-glazed counterparts, these pâtisseries are savory and work well as an hors d'oeuvre or as part of a tasty meal.

Red Pepper Rosemary Pâtisseries
--4-5 small sweet peppers (I used the small sweet bell peppers Costco sells)
--1 refrigerated pie crust dough
--4 oz. brie cheese
--1 TSP + 1 TBSP unsalted butter
--1 small shallot, diced
--fresh rosemary

Take the peppers and place them directly onto the oven rack. Roast at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, turning once. Let cool before removing tops and slicing in half.

.Roll out the pie crust and cut it into 6 squares. Wrap 6 equal-sized pieces of brie in the pie crust, making packages. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until pie crust is golden, brushing occasionally with 1 TSP melted butter.

While the pastry cooks, melt the 1 TBSP butter in a large skillet. Sauté the shallot and fresh rosemary until the shallot is softened and begins to brown. Add the sliced roasted peppers and sauté until tender.

Remove the pastries from the oven and pour the pepper mixture into the pan. Brush the pâtisseries with any remaining butter and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve the pâtisseries over the sweet pepper mix.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 6 Pâtisseries
Calories: 251 per Pâtisserie

Quitting A Chicken Marsala Habit

2011-04-11T09:22:00.001-06:00

First, allow me to confess that I love chicken marsala. If I see it on a menu at a restaurant I feel compelled to order it, even if there are other and seemingly better options. Worse, it often occurs in the kinds of places where one should never order chicken marsala, like that airport where the dish definitely came from a vacuum packed NASA or Army-type ration meal... Second confession, I've never attempted to make chicken marsala at home. It would be too devastating if I failed miserably as my taste buds have long ago decided exactly what a chicken marsala should taste like.

Also, chicken marsala is a heavy dish, especially restaurant style, and is laden with butter, oil, flour, wine, and probably sherry. So this dish is like chicken marsala-light. It has the essence of the dish--mushrooms, chicken, wine--but is a lighter, different dish all on its own. It doesn't quite taste exactly like a chicken marsala, but it's close enough to fool me into thinking that I've quelled that craving for the time being.

Chicken with Mushroom Pasta
--1/2 cup dry bowtie or penne pasta
--2 cloves garlic, sliced into thin intact pieces
--1 cup sliced button mushrooms
--2 TBSP butter
--4 boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
--3 TBSP cup flour, seasoned with garlic salt & fresh black pepper
--1 egg, beaten
--cooking spray
--1 shallot, diced fine or minced
--1 cup dry white wine, divided
--2 cups chicken broth, divided
--1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Cook the pasta omitting any oil.

In a medium skillet, sauté the mushrooms and garlic slices in the butter over medium heat until soft and tender.

While the mushrooms and pasta cook, dredge the chicken alternately in the egg and flour until evenly coated. In a cooking spray-coated medium skillet on medium to medium-high heat, cook the chicken tenders for 4-5 minutes on each side. Add 1/2 cup of the wine and 1 cup of the chicken broth and allow the sauce to boil and reduce. Set the chicken aside and pour any remaining sauce over the top of the chicken.

Spray the same skillet the chicken was cooked in with a little more cooking spray. Add the shallots and sauté until browned, stirring regularly. Add the remaining wine to the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits before adding the rest of the chicken broth. Allow the sauce to reduce a little so that it is less liquid but not so much that it is too thick.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Pour the mushrooms into the pot and add the tomatoes. Pour the sauce into the pot and stir to combine. Plate the pasta and then add 2 chicken tenders to each plate. Drizzle any remaining sauce onto the chicken and serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and 1 oz. of grated Parmesan, if desired.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 607 per serving

Tempeh Time!

2011-04-05T21:09:00.000-06:00

Tempeh. The word itself even sounds a little weird, I realize. But it actually tastes good, and that is what's important. And is full of protein. And easy to cook. And I needed tasty, protein-packed, simplicity after my workout. I was beat. This getting in shape business is hard.

Stir fry is an easy way to pack in a lot of veggies in a short amount of time. Cook times are relatively short (in fact the most time you spend is the prep time to chop all those veggies) but the payoff is big. If you're tired of chicken or pork or tofu, tempeh does provide you with a different flavor and texture and works well in stir fry. Don't be scared, tempeh won't hurt you. And especially after kicking your own ass at the gym, you need lean proteins and veggies to feed those battered and bruised muscles!

Tempeh Stir Fry
--TBSP seasame oil
--2 TBSP canola oil, divided
--2 TBSP soy sauce, divided (I use the low sodium kind)
--8 oz. package of tempeh (found in the refrigerated section with the tofu), sliced into strips
--small onion, diced
--large shallot, diced
--ginger, minced
--garlic, minced
--medium jalapeno, sliced in rounds
--medium red bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced into strips
--small yellow squash, sliced into strips
--small zucchini, sliced into strips
--medium carrot, peeled and sliced into strips
--small package button mushrooms, sliced
--1 bunch red chard, stems removed and cut or ripped into business card sized pieces
--1 pear, core removed and sliced into thin slices

Heat the sesame oil, 1 TBSP canola and 1 TBSP of the soy sauce in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the tempeh strips until browned on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.

Add remaining TBSP of canola oil to the skillet. Sauté the onion, shallot, garlic, and ginger for a few minutes until fragrant and tender. Add the jalapeno, bell pepper, squash, zucchini, and carrot pieces and sauté for several minutes, stirring regularly. When the veggies begin to soften add the mushroom pieces, again stirring regularly.

Add the remaining TBSP soy sauce and stir to combine into the veggies. Add the tempeh back into the mix and also add the chard pieces at this time. Mix it all up and sauté for a few minutes to allow the tempeh to get warmed up and the chard to begin to wilt. Remove the stir fry from the heat and stir in the pear slices. The cold, crisp pear will provide a nice flavor and texture contrast to the warm, tender veggies!

Serve! This is not a meal that re-heats well so adjust ingredient quantities as needed to avoid leftovers.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 35 minutes (most of it prep time)
Serves: 4 bowls
Calories: 300 per bowl

Breakfast of Champions

2011-04-01T07:42:00.000-06:00

Do you ever have days where you feel like your get-up-n'-go just got up and went? Today's recipe is a perfect cure for that! Packed with a lot of protein, and aided by sugars, this is sure to add a spring in your step. In fact, I've heard some say it's a good hangover cure. I've not tried it myself, but I'll let you be the judge of that.

The key to a perfect balance of flavors is to carefully choose your bacon--also known as meat candy--wisely. I prefer to use a thick slab that is Applewood-smoked or a nice center-cut style.

Breakfast of Champions
--5-6 pieces of meat candy
--1 PBR

In a large skillet with deep sides, lay out 5-6 pieces of the meat candy. Turn the stove temperature to medium and start cookin'!

I like to use a splatter screen, pictured below (that the nice people at IKEA made), to prevent any kitchen catastrophes.*

*This is especially important if you are making this as a hangover cure and might possibly still be drunk.

When the fat from the meat candy begins to melt off, it's time to turn it over. I find that using tongs for this process allows me to easily turn the candy and lay it out for even cooking.

When the meat candy is evenly cooked and is golden brown on both sides, remove it from the heat. It is important that you drain the meat candy on paper towels so that it doesn't have a greasy texture and the true flavor shines through.

Remove to a plate and serve with your PBR (in the can is best for optimum flavor). Enjoy!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 1
Calories: 450 calories

Calorie Friendly Comfort Food

2011-03-27T13:12:00.001-06:00

There's something truly comforting about a bowl of soup and something even more comforting when that soup is covered with cheese. My mom has been making this easy French onion soup since I can remember. After my parents contentious divorce my dad would still get cravings for it--it's that good. And while it's neither complicated nor pretentious, this recipe still tastes fancy and makes you feel with each and every bite like everything is right in the world. And considering how rich it tastes and the fact that it's made with butter and cheese, this soup is still pretty low in calories (though those calories do come from fat).

The "trick" to making a flavorful soup is to use sweet onions. I swear by them. Whether it's a Vidalia from Georgia or a Maui Sweet, caramelizing a premium onion will make your soup taste that much better. When I've got beef stock made I like to use my own, but using Better Than Bouillon (pictured above) will still yield a much more flavorful soup base than using a canned or boxed broth. Traditionally the French used croutons, but I'm a big fan of a slab of Texas toast (which tastes even better if you slather it in garlic before toasting it). The only thing that would make this soup better is having crocks--all I have is bowls so I'm not able to get that cheese-dripping-off-everything look that a restaurant version will have.

French Onion Soup
--2 lbs. sweet onions, thinly sliced into rounds and separated into rings
--1/2 stick of butter, divided
--4 cups condensed beef broth
--1 1/2 TBSP Worcestershire
--salt and pepper to taste
--8 slices french bread or Texas toast, toasted
--Parmesan or Gruyere cheese, either 4 oz. grated or 6 thin slices

In a stock pot with a tight-fitting lid, melt half of the butter over medium heat. While the butter melts, line the pot with the onion rounds. Top the onions with the remaining butter. Cover and cook the onion slices in the butter until tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the beef broth, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper to the pot. Bring to a roiling boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes before scooping soup into bowls.

Classic french onion soup is served with the bread on the top. Every inch of the bread has been covered with cheese and the crock is then stuck under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese and give the dish a nice crust. I have recently purchased a crème brulée torch to test out on future soup-making adventures. I'll let you know how that goes...

For this version, I topped each soup bowl with a piece of toasted garlic-smeared Texas toast before covering the open surface (toast, soup and all) will grated Parmesan cheese. Just pop a tray of trussed up soup bowls into the oven and broil for a few minutes until the cheese melts and browns slightly.

If you're looking to shake it up (or you don't have oven-safe bowls to broil in), here's an alternate approach: Sprinkle cheese onto toast and broil until cheese is lightly browned. Place the toast in the bowl and spoon onion-packed soup on top of it. You rebel!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 55 minutes
Serves: 6
Calories: 377 per serving

The 3 C's of Stew: Coconut, Chickpea, Curry

2011-03-21T11:11:00.001-06:00

Hey look! Again I'm trying to use the Flip-Cam; again I've failed to post a video, but instead I have stills from the botched shoot for you. You still win. You are a winner! You are full of as much winning as Charlie Sheen! (Is that joke old yet? The answer--yes. Am I deleting it? The answer--no.) Bonus prize? This recipe is not only vegetarian, it's vegan too. So the weekday vegetarian and animal-free among you can rejoice and we can all nom-nom together.

I've been a very busy girl--working, eating out, working out, rinse, repeat. I notice that my default go-to style of meal is the soup/stew. Why? Because throwing a bunch of things in a pot is fast, easy, super-forgiving, and almost always awesome (there are rare bad batches but everyone has a bad day now and again). Because my go-to on the go dish is a soup/stew, I steal ideas and grab inspiration from all over the place and all over the world. Today's dish combines Asian favorites coconut milk and curry powder with Middle East treats chickpeas, Oceana's sweet potatoes, and broccoli of the Roman Empire.

Curried Chick Pea Coconut Stew
--1 TBSP olive oil
--garlic, minced
--1 small onion, diced
--1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
--cinnamon and cumin
--1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
--1 yellow bell pepper, de-seeded and diced
--1 small head of broccoli, chopped into florets
--1 14oz. can coconut milk
--1 14oz. can diced tomatoes
--2-3 cups vegetable broth (depending on whether you want more of a soup or a stew consistency)
--1 15oz. can chick peas, rinsed and drained
--1 lime

--salt and pepper to taste

Heat a Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté over medium heat for two-ish minutes. Add the curry powder and a dash each of cumin and cinnamon. Stir to combine, letting the seasoning mix into the oil, onion, and garlic--this will deliver flavor throughout the dish in these tiny little spice hosts.

Add the sweet potato pieces and sauté for a few minutes before adding the bell pepper. Stir to combine and sauté for several minutes, allowing the vegetables to become tender. Add the broccoli, again, stirring regularly and only allowing the broccoli to slightly sear.

Mix in the coconut milk, then the tomatoes, and finally the vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil before adding the chickpeas. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring twice before serving. Season each portion with a dash of salt and a few cranks of fresh black pepper. Take the lime and squeeze juice into each portion. Serve!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6

Calories: 399 per serving

Wine's The Way To Go

2011-03-17T19:12:00.000-06:00

I drink enough wine, it's about time I spent more time cooking with it! So recently I have begun experimenting with making various wine sauces. Wine sauces are an easy way to add a nice rich flavor to dishes. I made dinner for family last weekend and decided a pork tenderloin with a white wine sauce was the way to go, adding some dried cherries that friends from Michigan sent us to give the dish a sweet little pop.

Cooking for groups can be tricky, especially as kids tend to be pickier, many people have allergies or dietary restrictions, and some of us are more adventurous with our food than others. This meal was a filling, healthy, tasty combination we all could agree on. Success!

Pork Tenderloin w/ Glazed Cherries Sauce
--2 lbs. lean pork tenderloin, any excess fat or skin removed.
--salt & pepper
--2 tsp olive oil, divided
--1 medium shallot, minced
--1 cup white wine
--2 cups chicken broth or stock
--1/4 cup dried cherries

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Season the pork with a few sprinkles of salt and pepper and sear the pork tenderloin on all sides for 2 minutes each. Searing the meat will help to lock in the juices. Place the meat in an oven safe dish and place into the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes turn the pork loins and cook another 7 minutes. Use a knife plunged into the thickest part of the pork loin to check doneness. You want the interior of the pork to be a light pink in color as the pork will continue to cook while it is resting. When the pork is done remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 4-5 minutes before slicing.

Heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in the pan, again, swirl to coat. Add the shallot and sauté over medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until the shallot is soft and begins to brown. Add the wine and the stock/broth.

Up the heat if necessary to bring the liquid to a boil. Then, reduce it to a simmer and cook until the sauce begins to reduce.

Add the cherries and stir to combine. You may wish you add a little more wine or stock as needed to make more sauce. If your sauce is thin and not thickening or reducing well, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch blended well with 2 TBSP of warm water (mix this together well before adding it to the sauce). Slice the pork into 1/2" thick rounds and serve with the cherries sauce spooned over the pork rounds.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 442 per serving

Charlie Sheen's Cooking Show is Made of Even More Winning Than He Is

2011-03-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

I guess Charlie Sheen is even more awesome at life than he purports to be. I mean, he has a cauldron of awesomeness, so there's that.

Charlie Sheen's Winning Recipes from Charlie Sheen

Soup To Satisfy A Pho-natic!

2011-03-07T20:54:00.000-07:00

So the BF got me a Flip video camera for Christmas and I've been experimenting with it [Read: Figuring out how it works]. Thus far I haven't made a video that could be posted without editing (shockingly, not many meals can be cooked and filmed in under 5 minutes to fit the YouTube standard) and my poor little laptop doesn't have the memory to edit video. But soon there will be Bacon & Other Bad Habits videos! I'll let you just take a moment to imagine all the potential kitchen catastrophe and debauchery...Yes, there will be wine involved, that much is certain. Yes, potentially even before noon.

One of our favorite meals is the Vietnamese beef and broth soup known as Phò and it is our go-to "I don't want to cook, let's go eat out somewhere" meal. While the Asian markets do carry the spice mixture that purports to make this delicious broth I'm nervous to try to make it at home. (This is truly a case of why mess up a good thing?). However, that doesn't mean I can't take my inspiration from phò and the Vietnamese and make a rice noodle brothy soup with beef. Not in the least!

Since I haven't yet got that whole editing/posting thing together, here's a recipe that I filmed and then pulled the stills out. The images are a little blurrier than the usual, but you still get the idea. Plus, maybe later on you'll get a bonus video prize when I hire a middle school-er to figure out newfangled technology. Kids these days. Your bonus prize for now is that this sucker is really really cheap to make, super filling, and notta lotta calories. For the win! All ingredients can be found at an Asian market or specialty grocer (Whole Foods carries all this stuff, even the lemongrass, if your local grocer doesn't have it).

Vietnamese-style Beef Noodle Soup
--TBSP sesame oil
--cooking spray
--small onion, diced
--garlic, minced
--TBSP chile-garlic sauce
--TBSP fish sauce
--TBSP lime juice
--TBSP soy sauce
--jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, diced fine
--red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, diced
--1 lemongrass stalk, ends discarded (slice this if you will plan to eat it in the soup, otherwise leave whole so you can discard it after cooking)
--4 thin steaks (I used top round), sliced crosswise into long, thin pieces
--TBSP sesame seeds
--black pepper
--cilantro, dried or fresh chopped
--2 cups beef broth
--1 cup chicken broth

--8 oz. medium (marked Pad Thai or Banh Pho) rice noodles (about 1/2 of a typical 16 oz. package)
--green onion, chopped into 1/4" rings
--Thai basil leaves (optional)

Heat a large pot over medium heat. After a few minutes spray with cooking spray and add the sesame oil to allow the oil to coat the pan. Sauté onion and garlic under fragrant and onion begins to get translucent. Add the chile-garlic sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice and stir to combine. Add the jalapeno and red bell pepper and saute for a few minutes before adding the lemongrass.

Lemongrass is a spiky little critter that will add tons of flavor to and is a staple of Asian dishes. If you want to try to eat the lemongrass I recommend soaking it in warm water for 30 minutes before cooking it. Otherwise it is a non-soluble fiber that stabs at the gums when one attempts to chew it...so like a bay leaf feel free to put in a whole stalk or one that has been chopped in half and then remove it after the cooking process is complete.

Season the steak pieces with sesame seeds and fresh cracked black pepper. If using dried cilantro, season the steaks with this now. If using fresh cilantro, add it at the end. Add the meat to the pot and stir to combine the mixture

Add the broths and water and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, add the rice noodles and cover the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.

Remove lid. If using large lemongrass stalks, fish out and discard. Add the chopped green onion and Thai basil (I chopped mine up). If using fresh cilantro, add it now as well. Stir to combine. Serve! To add more spice, add more chile garlic sauce or use what I call "Rooster" (but is really known as Sriracha).

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 60 minutes
Serves: 6
Calories: 272 per serving

Inspiration for Aspiring Chefs

2011-03-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

PB&J from Alinea Restaurant. Photo by Lara Kastner

I have worked in restaurants but never ever in the back of the house. I don't know that I have the necessary skills it takes to survive working the line, so I have the utmost respect for chefs and restaurateurs. Which is not to say hero-worship--not in the least--but I always find these folks to be full of fascinating stories and interesting conversation fodder. Not to mention the way many feel about food and speak about it with the awe of a child and the passion of an addict.

If you didn't catch Terri Gross' Fresh Air interview on Thursday (or you're not lucky enough to have a local NPR affiliate), it is absolutely worth listening to the 43-minute interview with chef Grant Achatz of Chicago restaurant Alinea. Achatz was on the program to promote his new memoir, Life, on the Line, which is as much about his restaurant as it is about his battle with stage-4 tongue cancer (which includes losing, and eventually regaining, his sense of taste). The book is a lot less savory than other scandalous kitchen rags (a la Anthony Bourdain's infamous Kitchen Confidential) but if the interview was any indication looks to be an interesting read.

Octopus from Alinea Restaurant. Photo by Lara Kastner

I love that listening to Achatz, you might think at first that you are eavesdropping on a conversation as told by a mad scientist. Achatz is a scholar of the molecular gastronomy movement--cuisine that involves a lot of science and sometimes science fiction in its toolbox. Cooking in this manner might involve using liquid nitrogen or dry ice, inventing equipment that freezes items that aren't normally frozen (like olive oil lollipops), or, in Achatz's case, using the powerful olfactory sense to include the smell of an item in its taste. (Achatz uses burning twigs or essences in deflating linen pillowcases to add scents of items to the taste of his dishes).

While this is a level of cuisine that I'm not interested in exploring personally I find the whole thing fascinating. It reminds me of little kids who take things apart only to see how they work by putting them back together. And better still it is nice to listen to someone who conveys so much joy and wonder about what they do professionally. It's hard not to get caught up in that giddy school boy's fascination with how he makes and masters his single-bite 23-course meals...

Listen to the interview! (Do it, give in to peer pressure).

Sausage + Bacon = Healthy Dish?

2011-02-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

I know, you're trying to figure out how it is possible that one could eat sausage and bacon in the same meal and not have a heart attack immediately? Oh my friends, you can absolutely have your (pork flavored?) cake and eat it too! This recipe was inspired by a meal I ate last winter at an Italian café down the street from my office. I know it was a long time ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday (plus I took notes)! That dish contained both Italian sausage and prosciutto, but had a lot more calories and other ingredients (like croutons). So for my at-home recreation I tried to lighten it up where I could, without sacrificing a hearty dish that is both filling and full of flavor.

While the sausage and bacon both have a lot of fat, there is also a lot of protein in the meats as well as the white beans. Eliminating the bread and adding the spinach helps round it out a little more.

Italian Sausage White Bean Stew
--1 lb. spicy Italian sausage (without casing)
--3 strips bacon
--small onion, diced
--garlic, minced
--15oz. can of white beans (sometimes labeled Cannelini), drained and rinsed
--14.5oz. can of diced tomatoes with juices
--black pepper
--1 cup chicken broth
--1 cup spinach leaves, washed and torn
--parsley
--1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet sauté the Italian sausage, stirring to crumble it as it cooks. Ultimately you want to end up with fully cooked bite-sized sausage pieces.

While the sausage cooks, take your trusty kitchen scissors and cut the bacon strips into small squares directly into a large pot or Dutch oven. Allow the bacon to cook until it begins to crisp but is still soft. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook them in the bacon grease, stirring often.

Add the drained white beans and stir to combine before adding the tomatoes, pepper and broth. Bring to a boil and add the spinach to the top. Do not stir to combine, but rather allow the the spinach to cook down for a few minutes before stirring to mix it with the soup.

Spoon into bowls and top with parsley and Parmesan. Serve.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 508

Nibble on Dates on Your Next Date

2011-02-18T15:14:00.002-07:00

So, I hosted a party recently, you know, like you do. Perhaps you read about it the other day? Hmm? Well, you'll be shocked to know that I made more than one thing for the party. I know, crazy talk.

So here's another delicious (and time-friendly) appetizer you can serve at your next party, dinner gathering, hot date, picnic... Yes, picnic. Because after weeks of sub-zero temps in Denver, mother nature has magically bestowed 60-degree days upon the Queen City of the Plains. And if you have dates(the fruit), and it's warm where you are, you could be eating these on your porch or in the park twenty minutes from now.

Also, did you know that many believe that dates (the fruit) are an aphrodisiac? So if you want something to nibble on for your next date (not the fruit) maybe try a date (the fruit).

You'll notice I didn't include quantities below because the recipe is pretty much the same whether you make five or fifty. The typical goat cheese log is 8 ounces. I made thirty of these for the party and still had plenty of goat cheese left--just remember that a little goes a long way. Also, I'll stop making "date-the-fruit" jokes and just get on with the show!

Goat Cheese & Almond Stuffed Dates

--Dates, sliced open lengthwise (but not all the way through), pits removed

--Goat cheese, plain

--Almonds, whole and raw (sometimes labeled "natural")
--Crushed red pepper
--Black pepper, fresh
--Prosciutto, torn into thin slices [obviously, omit this if you wish to make it vegetarian]

Using a small spoon, fill each date with a scoop of goat cheese. Then place an almond inside, nestled in the goat cheese. Last time I made these (at Easter), I sprinkled the goat cheese ahead of time with the crushed red pepper and fresh black pepper. This time I just sprinkled the dates with the spices, then wrapped each date with a prosciutto slice and sprinkled them again.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes until the goat cheese is warm, but not scalding. Serve warm. You can also make these the night before or morning of and then just heat and serve.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 20 minutes
Calories: 84 calories per date

Party Hardy Rock n' Roll

2011-02-16T16:28:00.001-07:00

I would like to take you all into the way-back machine. You'll be shocked to know (yeah right) that I come from a long line of ladies who can boss around a kitchen and are famous for their mad party-throwing skills. Imagine, if you will, the tiny future bacon princess (that's me!) running underfoot, dragging a chair to the counter so I can watch my mama, hard at work making one of her famous party dishes. For a time, my parents even ran their own catering company. Cookin' and eatin' you see is in my DNA!

One of the staples that kitchen boss Mom would make was her crab-stuffed mushrooms. She would stuff hundreds of little fungi caps and send them out to the starving masses only to have the plate return, empty, moments later. So, clearly, it's one of my go-to party platters as well.

Recently I had the honor of hosting a baby shower for my former partner, Kathryn. In the spirit of a divide-and-conquer approach, each of us opened our arsenal of crowd-pleasers (because people, you never ever argue with a pregnant woman with knife skills when she says she wants to cook things too!). So here you go, Mom's famous crab stuffed mushrooms, just for you!

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

--1 lb. mushrooms (about 3 dozen), washed and dried, stems removed
--4 TBSP butter
--1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
--garlic, finely minced
--1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, finely minced
--1 TBSP Worcestershire
--salt and black pepper
--shredded mozzarella (no more than 1 cup)
--2 cans lump white crab meat, drained, rinsed, and minced

Take the mushroom stems and finely chop enough stems to measure about 1/2 cup. Melt 3 TBSP of the butter in a large skillet or frying pan (the one I used had deep sides to allow me to stir the mixture without slopping over the sides). Stir in the chopped mushroom stems, garlic, and green onion, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, Worcestershire, a pinch of salt, a few turns of cracked black pepper, and the crab meat.

Melt the remaining 1 TBSP butter in a shallow baking pan. Fill the mushroom caps with the stuffing mixture. Place them filled side up in the baking pan and sprinkle them with the cheese. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, then turn the broil setting on and broil them for 1-2 minutes to brown the tops. These are best served warm. You can prep them and stuff them the day before or earlier in the day and then sprinkle with cheese and bake when you are ready to serve.

Bonus: Here I am enjoying all the treats from the party. Cheers!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: About 36 mushrooms
Calories: About 47 per mushroom

Mom Always Said "Eat Your Veggies"

2011-02-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

Cauliflower, as it turns out, is amazingly good for you. Like kale, broccoli, and other veggies known as cruciferous, cauliflower contains tons of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Pregnant? Cauliflower has 15% of recommended daily folate intake and 90% of your vitamin C. Magic! But, again, like other cruciferous veggies, cauliflower can be tricky to eat regularly. My solution? Add bacon of course!

Eating healthy does not have to mean eating boring. To dress up my cauliflower I created a pasta with bacon, curry, tomatoes, and sage for a powerful taste and maximum benefit. Hello Cleveland, we are Maximum Benefit!

Curried Cauliflower Pasta
--8 oz. spaghetti noodles (about 1/2 a box)
--3 slices bacon
--15 fresh sage leaves
--2 cloves garlic, minced
--1 small head of cauliflower, stems and leaves discarded, cut into half-dollar sized florets
--yellow curry powder
--paprika
--black pepper
--1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
--1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Set aside. Add the whole sage leaves to the skillet and cook in the bacon drippings until leaves are crispy. Set aside with the bacon.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirringly consistently, until garlic is fragrant and begins to brown. Add the cauliflower florets and 1/4 cup of water to the skillet. Cover and let steam for 2 minutes. Uncover and add the curry powder, paprika, and black pepper, tossing to mix well.

Add the tomato halves and cover the skillet again, letting it steam another two minutes. Add the reserved pasta water and 1/4 cup (about an ounce) of shredded Parmesan. Stir so the cheese melts and the sauce begins to get creamy. Add in the pasta and toss to combine. Throw the bacon and sage on top and scoop into bowls.

Top with shredded Parmesan cheese (another 1/4 cup should take care of four bowls) and a fresh crack of black pepper. Serve!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 403 per serving

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-02-10T10:32:00.002-07:00

I'm thinking of starting a garden. Now that I'm out of my little townhouse (which only had a small porch and an HOA-manicured front walkway) and into a big girl house with a yard, I feel like it's time to dig in some dirt. But what to plant?


Photo courtesy of Flickr user wwworks

With a garden I feel like one should plant foods that will be eaten (duh) but also as a newbie I want things that are easy to grow and without too long of a growing cycle. So potatoes, you're out. I just don't have the patience to wait 100+ days before eating you. I see tomatoes everywhere in Colorado gardens, so that seems like a logical choice. But I don't want an entire garden of tomatoes (too boring!). Zucchini grows like a weed so maybe only one of you, zucchini. I can only eat so much! Mmm, I like leeks. And peppers. Those are things that will grow where I live. What else what else what else?

Herbs! Oh herbs, why haven't I planted you before in tiny pots or a window box? How foolish I have been! I could have had my own fresh basil, thyme, mint, all winter long. Damn the man. Okay herbs, this year you will be planted outside in pots that can come inside for wintertime. That settles it.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user liza31337

And then? I'll turn to The Grow Haus for tips and tricks on what to plant, when to start, and how to grow a garden in Colorado. The Grow Haus is a very cool non-profit urban farm that provides educational programming, indoor gardening, and a fresh produce market. Located two miles from our house, The Grow Haus is in an eclectic (though somewhat impoverished) neighborhood located North of downtown Denver. Surrounded by factories, warehouses, and yes, single family homes, this organization works to teach the residents about growing their own food. This seems like just the place for me to do my research!

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

I'm signed up for a workshop on March 5th where I'll learn what to plant (and when) and what can be started indoors, as well as opportunities to talk to other urban gardeners and buy seeds. Woot! If you're in Denver too and you're interested, click on the picture below to be whisked away to the event page. This adventure is obviously to be continued...

Have a gardening tip or idea for me? Post it in the comments below or email me: baconandotherbadhabits[at]gmail[dot]com

Smoky, Leeky, and of Course, Corny

2011-02-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

I love leeks. But unlike their cousins, garlic and onions, I'm never quite sure what to do with leeks. But if I'm eating out and the menu item says "...blah blah leeks..." you bet I'm ordering it! So I decided to do a little experimentation by adding leeks to the corn chowder I was making. If only I was a little more up on my French cuisine... However, experiment's results? Win!

This chowder gets it's smoky flavor (and name) from the bacon, sure. But the real trick to the smoky layered flavors is the blistered bell pepper. If it's old outside (like the subzero temps we've had in the past few weeks) you can use the broiler on your oven to roast peppers, chiles, and the like to beautiful smoky glory. It will add an additional oomph of flavor to any dishes you would be using these babies in (especially chili, soups, and stews!).

Smoky Leek-Corn Chowder
--1 bell pepper, whole
--4 strips bacon
--1 leek stalk, sliced into small rings
--2 ears of fresh corn, niblets sliced off and cobs discarded
--1 10oz. package of frozen corn
--1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or stock
--2 cups heavy whipping cream

Set the oven to broil and place the bell pepper on a baking sheet on the top rack of the oven. Turn the pepper every 3 minutes to ensure even roasting (and not burning!). The pepper is done when it is roasted on all sides and the skin is crackled and easy to peel off. Set it aside to cool. We will not use the oven again in this recipe.

In a pot with deep sides, cook the bacon strips over medium to medium-high heat. When golden brown but not burned, set aside. Add the leeks to the bacon grease in the pot and sauté over medium heat, stirring regularly. When the leeks begin to get tender, add the fresh corn pieces, stirring together to mix. Allow this to cook for two or so minutes so the corn begins to get tender as well.

While the vegetables cook, remove the skin from the pepper. Dice the roasted pepper pieces, removing any stems or seeds as desired. [Note: If you want to add a little more "fire" to the soup, leave some of the seeds in.] Once chopped, add these pepper pieces to the pot and stir to combine before moving on to the next step.

Pour in the frozen corn, broth, and cream. Stir to combine and allow to come to a boil before reducing the temperature and simmering the soup for 40 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep cream from scalding. Serve, topped with the cooked bacon, crumbling one piece atop each bowl like bacon-y croutons. Season with fresh cracked black pepper.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 1 hour
Serves: 6 bowls
Calories: 307 per bowl

Mac N' Cheese Minus the Macaroni

2011-01-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

Well hello delicious, my but aren't you pretty. It's perfectly okay to talk to your food--especially if it's totally and completely something you shouldn't be eating. Case in point, my recent genius decision to make a mac n' cheese dish. What's so bad about it? Oh honey, it's soooo bad it's good. The good: (A) It is delicious, and, (B) It is made almost entirely of cheese. The bad: (A) It has a bajillion calories, and, (B) It is made almost entirely of cheese (and I think I am allergic to cheese).

When I was eating dairy regularly I was a pretty big fan of cheese and made a mean Lobster Mac N' Cheese that people would ask me to make pretty much whenever we had dinner. Sigh. The good ole days. But a treat every now and again is what makes life worth living, right? So here we are. I was craving something home-y and comforting and there aren't many other comfort foods that come close to beating macaroni and cheese. But I wanted something more pillowy than macaroni so I made my mac sans macaroni and substituted gnocchi. (Note to self: Best decision ever).

Gnocchi "Mac" N' Cheese

--15 oz. package gnocchi
--4 pieces bacon
--2 cups shredded cheese (I used a mixed bag of mild and sharp cheddar mixed with jack cheese to get all kinds of cheese flavors. I also used "2%" or the "Reduced Fat" or whatever it was to make myself feel better)
--splash of milk (half and half or cream will work too)
--black pepper

Cook the gnocchi per the package directions, omitting any salt or oil. Drain and set aside in a large mixing bowl.

While the gnocchi cooks, fry the bacon. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Mix in 1 3/4 cups of the cheese. The heat from the gnocchi will melt the cheese nicely. Add in a splash of milk (or cream or half and half) to help make the melted cheese into a nice non-stringy sauce.

Add lots of fresh black pepper to the mix and give a few good stirs. Take your cooked bacon and crumble it directly into the bowl. Stir again for a nice mix. You will not need to add salt--there will be plenty from the bacon! Pour the mixture into a small glass baking dish.

Top with the remaining cheese (and if you're me, add more cracked pepper) and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the cheese on top is fully melted and you have to resist the urge to eat the whole pan of cheesy badness. Eat up and perhaps choke down a salad so you can pretend this isn't completely terrible for you...

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 513 per serving

Sustainability: Is Going Green Where It's At?

2011-01-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

Sustainability. Slow food. Carbon footprints. Local food. Fair trade. These are hot topics currently in the culture at large and the buzzwords du jour of the food community. And with good reason.

People care more and more about where their food is coming from. In 2009, Merriam-Webster added the word "locavore" to their dictionaries, thus solidifying the farmer-fed movement that cuisine pioneer Alice Waters has been advocating since 1971 (when she opened the quintessential sustainable restaurant, Chez Panisse).

If you ask a kid where their food comes from many may say "the store." But ask "Where does the store get it from?" and the same child will likely look back at you quizzically. Celebrity chefs like Waters and Jamie Oliver hope to change this by teaming up with schools to promote teaching kids about food sources. Waters' foundation helps a California middle school's students to farm and cook the food they grow. Oliver's Food Revolution is all about changing school lunch programs to promote better nutrition as well as food education. And the White House, with First Lady Michelle Obama as their spokesperson, has launched Let's Move with the goal of raising a healthier generation of kids.

Do a Google search for "sustainable restaurants US" and you will end up with 6 million returned results. Websites like Local Harvest, Organic Highways, and Eat Well Guide allow travelers and locals alike to find restaurants by location or keyword search that assert themselves to be organic or farmer supplied and the like. It's not just so-called "hippies" who are thinking local, organic, or natural. Whole Foods Markets boasts stores in 38 U.S. states as well as the U.K. and Canada. Whole Foods also has their Local Producer Loan Program investing in small, local products and their producers.

In Denver--where I live--restaurants build culinary clout by not only sourcing food locally (and changing their menus seasonally as a result), but also in managing their own farms like Alex Seidel's Fruition. Similar places exist in metropolitan areas large and small in Virgina (Alexandria, Roanoke), Indiana (Terra Haute), Georgia (Summerville), Alabama (Birmingham), Texas (San Marcos), Missouri (Springfield), among others. Talk about a revolution--local found is in abundance!

So what will the next trend among savvy restaurateurs be? My money is on the fully sustainable restaurant. If sourcing or growing your own local food isn't enough for diners (or owners or chefs), then build restaurants out of recycled materials, use all items and generate zero waste, offset carbon footprints, the sky's the limit! I found this TED talk from London restauranteur and chef Arthur Potts Dawson, whose Acorn House and Water House restaurants feature gardens, compost, non-fossil fuels, and other green elements.

So is sustainable food just a trend? Will it soon be passé, like Asian-fusion or tapas, glutting the market with so much supply that demand will wane? Perhaps, but I somehow doubt it will disappear into obscurity. Because unlike other food trends there is more romance in local food. Exotic and global cuisines are enchanting, to be sure, but nothing pulls at the heartstrings of diners like the quaint idea that one is eating something in the same fashion his or her great-grandparents might have enjoyed.

Spice Up Your Life

2011-01-10T17:08:00.000-07:00

Note to self: Self, when friends say they are sick, find out what kind of sick. End note.

Telling me "I'm sick," is like telling me "I haven't eaten in years, please help." (I will feed you. Like it's my job. Because it sort of is. At least that's what I tell myself.) So when the headmistress of The Donnybrook Writing Academy mentioned off-handedly that she was a bit under the weather, I gathered up some ingredients and went to town. You see, what I heard was, "I have a cold-flu-pneumonia-bronchitis sort of plague and would like to breathe again at some point in the near future." So I went with spice, fire, and zest.

What she meant was, "I don't want to see food much less smell it or eat it so stay away from me Devil Woman." So I ate it instead and let her starve it out. But it's the thought that counts, right?

So, Miss Angora Holly Polo, here was the soup that your stomach would have immediately rebelled against eating. I'm glad you are feeling better now...

xoxo,

Devil Woman who accidentally tried to kill you but failed

Spicy Black Bean & Rice Sopa
--TBSP olive oil
--small white onion, diced
--garlic, minced
--cumin
--ancho chile powder
--crushed red pepper flakes
--1 bell pepper, seeds removed and julienned (sliced in thin strips)
--TBSP chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
--TSP tomato paste
--1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
--2 cups chicken broth (use vegetable broth to make vegetarian)
--1 cup water
--1 dry cup rice
--1 cup spinach leaves, washed and torn

Heat large pot with a well-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the olive oil and allow to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, garlic, and spices, stirring together to mix well. The spices will coat the onion pieces and embed the flavor deep within the soupy goodness. Sauté onion to translucency before adding the bell pepper and ancho chile pieces. Stir well to combine and saute for a few minutes until the peppers get tender.

Add the tomato paste, black beans, 1 cup chicken broth, and the water to the pot. Stir it all up and then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, add the rice and cover and simmer 20 minutes to cook the rice. Add the additional cup of chicken broth and stir. The rice will continue to soak up liquid.

Add the spinach to the top of the pot but wait before stirring. The heat from the pot will start wilting the spinach and cooking it down. Give the pot a big hearty stir to combine all ingredients, then serve it!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 466 per serving

Someone Else Makes Dinner For Me!

2011-01-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

Even as someone who loves to cook, it is always a pleasant treat when a friend offers to make dinner for me (and smart thinking on the part of the friend as it means I will return the favor soon enough). When I've had a particularly stressful day, or a long week, or we just need an excuse to get together, I can always count on my friend, Pamalicious, to cook up something delicious. A fan of ethnic cuisines, Pamalicious has shown me the ways to making arroz con pollo (y mojo, delicioso!) and also carnitas and recently made this delightful Moroccan style dish for me from a recipe she found in Gourmet Magazine (also known to some as "Food Porn Magazine").

Awesomely, she made the dish from memory--a testament to not only how easy it is, but how delicious it is too! "I made some adaptations. I didn't use the almonds, and I also use more ginger and cinnamon, as I like mine more highly spiced. Adding a 1/2 tsp of cloves gives it a nice flavor, too," she explained to me when I asked for the recipe later. The recipe below is how it was prepared for me but you can click the link to see the original recipe.

Moroccan Style Chicken with Apricots Glaze
--2 TBSP honey
--1/2 cup dried apricots, halved
--cinnamon
--ground ginger
--black pepper
--salt
--2 TBSP olive oil
--2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, each pounded to consistent thickness
--1 TBSP butter
--medium yellow onion, diced
--garlic, minced
--1/2 bundle fresh parsley, chopped
--1/2 bundle fresh cilantro, chopped

In a sauce pan bring one cup of water, the honey, and the apricots to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid reduces to a thick syrup. If your apricots are particularly dry you might need to add more water.

Whisk ground cinnamon, ginger, pepper, a pinch of salt, and 1 TBSP olive oil in a large bowl. Dredge the chicken in the mixture, coating each piece thoroughly.

Heat butter and 1 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter melts. Brown the chicken in the butter, cooking 4-ish minutes on each side (amount of time will depend on the thickness of the breasts).

Add onion, garlic, and a sprinkle of salt to the pan and sauté for a few minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan and the cilantro and parsley. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the apricot mixture and cook, uncovered for 10 or so more minutes. Serve with couscous. Eat!

Pamalicious is excited about the meal she just made for us.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 60 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 661 per serving

Country Christmas Classic: Collards

2010-12-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

My mama (a southern belle through and through) changes up our Christmas meal every year. Last year it was lamb, ham the year before that, and this year we will be treated to prime rib (mmm!). But one thing never changes--there will be some seriously southern side dishes.

For many, southern side dishes automatically conjure up something starchy. After all, it ain't a meal south of the Mason-Dixon without biscuits, or rolls, or cornbread, with potatoes both sweet and mashed, or cheese straws, or dressing (what we call stuffing that never saw the inside of a turkey), or macaroni and cheese, or even grits. But we like to "go green" too. We like our beans green, unless they're black eyed peas, and our spinach creamed. But greens--collards or turnips--are a true southern meal staple and will make an appearance at many a Christmas dinner.

Collards and turnips greens have great nutritional value, and like any vegetable that comes in a dark, rich, emerald hue, greens are chock full of vitamins and antioxidants. But in the south, everything tastes better with bacon or fat back, and traditional greens are prepared in such a manner. Greens are often boiled for hours upon hours and seasoned with bacon, fat back, vinegar, or sugar. Here's a little bit lighter way to enjoy your greens that is a little bit nice [healthier] and a little bit naughty [bacon!].

Collards n' Bacon
--2 strips of bacon
--1/2 small onion, diced
--1 bunch of collards
--black pepper

Using your handy kitchen scissors, cut the bacon strips in half length-wise and then cut into small pieces. Fry up these tiny pieces in a medium skillet over medium heat until crispy but not too done. Scoop them from the pan and drain on a paper towel, making sure to leave about 1 TBSP bacon grease in the pan.

Sauté the onion in the bacon grease for several minutes until the onion is translucent. Using those same handy kitchen scissors, cut the collards away from the center stalk so you have two halves of each collard leaf. Cut the leaves into strips directly into the pan. Stir to mix with the onion and reduce the heat to medium-low. Sauté the greens, stirring regularly. The greens will wilt but will also get crisp on the edges. Lower the temperature further if necessary.

Add the bacon pieces back to the mixture and season with some fresh black pepper. (You won't need any salt--the bacon should provide plenty of seasoning!) Once everything is harmoniously mixed up and warm, eat 'em up!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 75 per serving

I Confess, I'm A Sweet Potato Stalker

2010-12-15T15:23:00.002-07:00

Sometimes I get crushes on restaurants and like any good school girl, I stalk their menus. The problem with having crushes on restaurants is that menus can change, leaving the menu-lover sitting in the rain á la every John Cusack movie made from 1985-2000. My newest crush is on a restaurant around the corner from my new residence, Fuel Cafe, who changes their menu every MONTH! On the one hand this is made of awesome because there is always something new and delightful to try. On the other hand, it makes me one sad monkey because I have a short window to get hooked on a dish, obsess over, eat it as often as possible, and then say goodbye to it.

The October menu featured a delightful gnocchi with sweet potatoes (not to be confused with gnocchi made from sweet potatoes which also sounds pretty delightful). As any stalker is bound to do, I made my own version of this dish at home so I could re-live all the blissful memories. Sigh...

Fuel Cafe Inspired Gnocchi With Sweet Potatoes
--2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
--3 TBSP butter
--1 12oz. package of gnocchi
--10 pieces of fresh sage
--1 cup fresh spinach, thoroughly washed and hand-ripped into palm sized pieces

Place the sweet potatoes in an oven-safe baking dish. Chop 2 TBSP of butter into chunks and spread chunks over the top of the sweet potato pieces. Bake in the oven at 300 degrees until potatoes are softened but not browned (20 minutes max).

While the potatoes cook, boil the water for the gnocchi. Cook the gnocchi per package instructions, omitting any oil. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the remaining 1 TBSP butter over medium heat. Fry the sage in the butter until it is evenly brown and wonderfully crisp! Add the spinach, using tongs or a spatula to turn the spinach frequently so that it wilts but doesn't get soggy.

Add the cooked sweet potatoes and sauté until the potatoes are fully integrated with the spinach and sage and begin to crisp. Remove the mixture to a bowl.

In the same skillet, add the cooked gnocchi. Sauté for a few minutes, allowing the gnocchi to get brown, crisped spots on the outside. Add the sweet potato mixture back to the skillet and stir it all together. Serve!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 510

Don't Go South For Winter, Just Go South of the Border

2010-12-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

All cooks find inspiration somewhere. I read a lot of other food blogs and subscribe to recipe feeds. One of my favorite finds is from Whole Foods Market. While I don't always follow their recipe true to course, sometimes something they feature gets my brain into thinking along a path. This recipe is *almost* what was printed, but I of course had to make a few tweaks... I changed up the order of things and made my own "taco seasoning." I never was terribly good at following the rules...

Taco Soup
--1 pound of ground chicken or turkey
-- cumin
--paprika
--ancho chili powder
--garlic powder
--onion powder
--crushed red pepper flakes
--oregano
--salt & pepper
--1 medium onion, chopped  
--garlic cloves, minced
--1 large zucchini, quartered
--1 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes
--2 cups chicken broth
--1 15oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
--1 cup frozen corn
-- 1 cup salsa

Brown the meat in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Season the meat with the dried spices. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat.

Add the onion and garlic to the pot and sauté until onion is translucent.Add the zucchini and saute for a few minutes to allow the veggies to start to get tender. Add the meat back to the pot. Taste it! Does it need more seasoning? Add some spices if it does!

Add each of the remaining ingredients one at a time, stirring to mix each individual ingredient before adding the next one. I don't know why, but in my head soups and stews always taste better when you add in each ingrendient singularly.

Simmer, pot covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with tortillas or corn chips.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...

Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Estimated Calories: 396 per serving

Dear Breakfast, I Love You

2010-12-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

Tip for making breakfast: Cook stuff you like. I happen to like goat cheese and portabella mushrooms. My BF would disagree (he can't stand goat cheese) and would vote for Swiss cheese and broccoli. Conveniently both of these are great breakfast choices when gently encased in a fluffy egg exterior. Omelettes people, omelettes. (Or perhaps scrambles people, scrambles).

Picking a vegetable and a cheese and putting it in an omelette is a surefire way to say, "Dear breakfast, I love you. Let's run away together to the Amalfi coast." It's okay to talk to your food. It is not okay if your food talks back.

Portabella Goat Cheese Omelette
--1 TBSP olive oil
--1/2 small onion, diced
--garlic, minced
--1 portabella mushroom cap, washed and sliced into 1" long x 1/4" wide pieces
--1 oz. goat cheese
--cooking spray
--4 eggs

Heat a skillet over medium heat. When the pan is warm add the olive oil and coat the pan. Sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes, stirring regularly. Add the mushrooms and sauté for several minutes, stirring regularly, until they begin to soften and cook down. Using a fork, scrape off the goat cheese log into the pan. This will give you small crumbles that will melt and coat the veggies nicely. Stir to combine and remove the filling to a small plate.

Wipe out the frying pan with a paper towel, working quickly so as not to burn yourself. You don't need to get all the sticky bits off, just wipe it out well enough to give yourself a clean-ish cooking surface. Spray the skillet with cooking spray and return it to the hot burner. Use a small skillet if you wish to make two omelettes instead of one to share...

Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk together using a fork [I don't use milk but some people like to add a little cream]. Still whisking, pour the eggs into the frying pan. The eggs will spread out to make a nice circle inside the pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until the bottom of the egg pancake is solid but the top is still liquid. Add the filling to the center or one side of the pancake. Using a flat spatula, carefully close the omelette by flipping the empty side of the pancake onto the full side to cover the contents, creating a half-moon shape.

Wait 90 seconds before attempting to flip the entire omelette over (though you might not need to as the eggs were mostly cooked before you squished it all together).

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 313 per serving

I'm Not Julia Child, But Who Is?

2010-12-01T13:36:00.012-07:00

In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child writes, "As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good bouef bourguigon." I've never actually cooked any of Julia's famous recipes nor do I own any of her famous cookbooks (though Christmas is coming up *wink*wink*) but I absolutely appreciate her approach.

You see, there isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to cook necessarily--many good dishes come out of different styles. If following a recipe exactly isn't for you (and trust me, it's not for me) then think of each recipe as more as a guideline. The changes you make, the ingredients you add or remove, the ideas you glean, these all make the dish your own by putting your very own personal stamp on it. (And for those of you who think you're hopeless cooks, following the recipe step-by-step does NOT make you a bad cook. Some follow rules, others like to break them.)

Beef Burgundy (or bouef bourguigon to Julia) is a rich dish of wine soaked beef, carrots, onions, noodles, carrots. Part stew, part pasta, it is an excellent cure for the winter blahs or to warm cold bones. It makes enough for a feast to feed a large crew or to freeze portions for later.

Beef Burgundy
--6 pieces of bacon
--1/2 cup flour
--salt & pepper
--1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat
--1/2 small onion, diced
--garlic, minced
--2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
--3 dry cups assorted sliced mushrooms
--bottle dry red wine
--1 heaping spoonful of tomato paste
--14.5oz can of diced tomatoes
--thyme
--oregano
--1 small bag of frozen peeled pearl onions
--egg noodles
--beef broth

Cook the bacon strips in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. I use scissors to cut mine up into smaller pieces before sautéing. Once the bacon is mostly cooked (crisp but not too crisp), use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan, leaving as much of the bacon grease/drippings in the pan as possible.

Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dry the beef with a paper towel and then toss in the flour to coat. You want the beef nice and dry so it will sear beautifully. Working in batches, sauté beef in the bacon grease until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.

In the same pot, saute the onion and garlic for a minute or so until it is fragrant. Add the sliced carrots and saute a minute before adding the mushrooms. Saute until both are tender but not soggy. Add the meat back in to the pot. Dump in the bottle of wine, add some tomato paste, the diced tomatoes, and the spices. Cover and simmer for one hour, stirring only occasionally.

After one hour, add the pearl onions and egg noodles. Pour in enough beef broth to cover the noodles and stir all to combine. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 20 more minutes. Remove the cover and, if necessary, boil to the consistency of sauce you desire (though the noodles should soak up most of the added broth). Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 2 hours
Serves: 6
Estimated Calories: 780 per serving

Sick of Turkey? Pot-Pie It.

2010-11-28T18:55:00.004-07:00

Ugh, I am so full. But there is still a LOT of food in the refrigerator and there comes a time when one simply cannot bear the thought of eating the same (albeit delicious) meal again. And that is the time when I remember the adage they taught us in elementary school, "Recycle-Reuse-Reduce." Mashed potatoes can become potato pancakes, but there are even more uses for leftover turkey.

If you're over the turkey sandwich and you aren't into the turkey tetrazzini or turkey noodle soup, how about turkey pot-pies without the pot? These single-serving pies are perhaps a little more like empanadas than pot-pies but are easy to make and create delicious individual portions that use up that turkey in no time.

Mini Turkey Pot-Pies
--1 tbsp olive oil
--1 small onion, diced
--garlic, minced
--8oz. frozen peas and carrots
--1 cup shredded cooked turkey meat
--1 cup chicken broth
--1 tsp. flour (or corn starch, if needed to thicken)
--salt & pepper
--1 package of refrigerated pie crusts (contains two pie crusts)
--cooking spray

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Sautè the onion and garlic for a few minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the onion is translucent. Add the frozen peas and carrots mixture and stir heartily to mix together.

Add the chicken broth and the shredded turkey and combine well. Season with a little bit of salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Depending upon the turkey (how it was cooked, how old it is, how much it has dried up), the mixture may soak up more or less broth. Use flour or corn starch to thicken the mixture so that it is less liquid.

Spray a baking sheet with the cooking spray. Lay out the pie crusts and cut into quarters (you can cut into halves if you want bigger pies). Place a large dollop of the filling onto the center of the pie crust quarter and fold up the edges to create a little purse or dumpling. You may need to wet your fingertips a little to create a good seal on the folds.

Cook at 325 degrees for 15 or so minutes or until the crusts are golden brown. Use a spatula to remove from the baking sheet so the bottoms do not continue to brown.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8 mini pies
Calories: 297 per pie

Bon Anniversaire Bacon & Other Bad Habits!

2010-11-22T08:51:00.004-07:00

Logo courtesy of Simply Fabulous

Gosh, has it really been a year? And yet, simultaneously, has it only been a year?

It's hard to believe that it was over a year ago when I was making bacon toffee cookie bars in my kitchen and had the epiphany moment. I decided then, fingers covered in dough, house smelling of pork products, that I wanted to write a cookbook. But as a home cook I didn't know the first thing about writing a cookbook. I'm no chef, just some girl who likes to make food things who grew up in a household with people who like to make food things, who descended from a long line of people who like to make food things.

So I decided to write a blog to first whip both my brain and my kitchen into thinking outside of the recipe box. I woke up in the middle of the night with the thought that this all had to happen NOW, bought the URL at 2am and registered both the Blogger and Wordpress user-names. My friend Kathryn, a classically trained chef, was unemployed at the time and offered her partnership services. And thus, Bacon & Other Bad Habits was born.

Photo of Kathryn and Leah courtesy of Kokoro Photography

In the past year many things have changed. I've been trying to get into better shape and so my cooking has taken on a new approach of how to eat healthy but not give up on taste or things I like to eat. I hope I've succeeded in this. I've forced myself to branch out from standards and family favorites and figure out how to cook new ingredients and use new preparations for everyday items. I started getting my vegetables from a farm to help challenge me and introduce me to new produce.

But other things have changed too. Kathryn started teaching at a culinary school and working as a personal chef and had less time to devote to my pet project. As such, she stopped blogging in February. She is also almost eight months pregnant as I write this; a delightful new critter is about to enter her world. I am very proud of my friend and former contributor and happy that her pushing and partnership are why this blog exists to begin with. I'm equally happy that she now has a pet project of her own--a baby!

My own life is on a new adventure as well. I'm slowly moving out of my tiny 400-square-foot dollhouse (take the tour on YouTube and check out my old super awesome asymmetrical haircut. I was so rad.) and into my boyfriend's house. The kitchen is bigger, the lighting is worse. Here's hoping I become a better photographer...

Thanks for reading Bacon & Other Bad Habits. For "liking" it on Facebook. For re-tweeting the tweets. And more importantly, for telling your friends and family about the site. And for cooking the recipes and providing so much excellent feedback about what you want to see more of.

Now, if I only had time to focus on that cookbook...I suppose that's all in due time, all in due time. Happy birthday Bacon & Other Bad Habits, here's to another great year!

xo,
L.

Photo of Leah courtesy of Kokoro Photography

Cookies Made of Air...And Pecans

2010-11-16T13:48:00.006-07:00

I somehow feel that cookie monster would be proud of these little sweets. I've been trying to branch out more with baking. I just feel like I'm not so good at measuring and being exact; baking has so many rules and I've never been good at following rules. Also, it seems that cow dairy products like delicious butter and milk and cream (gahhhhh) actually make me sick by giving me headaches or hives. How can you bake without dairy? That's like re-naming french-fries to freedom-fries. It's just unnatural...

That is until the BF's dad requested that at some point I make a meringue pie. While I haven't accommodated that, it did spark a little thought in my brain. Meringue is just egg whites and sugar, and eggs don't seem to make me sick, so... Genius! Meringue style cookies! Making lemon meringue cookies seemed out of season (but sounds like a good experiment for the next time I want to try my hand at baking) so chocolate was the only way to go. But I wanted these cookies to have a little more oomph, so nuts were necessary.

Little known family fact? My great-Granny's house in Georgia had a grove of pecan trees. (It was also located on Highway 41, where the dude from that Allman Brothers song, Ramblin' Man, claims to have been born in the backseat of a Greyhound bus.) Family members would harvest these pecans and shuck them and send them out to land-locked pecan-deprived Colorado. As such I have a bit of a bias toward pecans.

You will want to use parchment paper for these light, meringue-style cookies to avoid burning the bottoms and aid both in cooling them and also removing them from the pan.

Pecan Ginger Chocolate Meringue Cookies
--2 3/4 cups chopped pecans
--3 cups powdered sugar (also called confectioner's sugar)
--3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
--1/4 teaspoon of salt
--1 TBSP crystallized ginger pieces
--4 egg whites
--1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the pecans out onto a non-greased baking sheet. Brown the pecans for 7-9 minutes until they are slightly toasted and tasty smelling but not too browned or burnt. Set them aside and allow them to cool.

Mix the sugar, cocoa, salt, and ginger pieces in a large bowl until well mixed. The mixture will turn grey as the cocoa and sugar combines. Add the cooled pecans and stir again until well combined.

Add the egg whites and the vanilla. Using a fork, beat the mixture slowly and steadily until the batter is moist but not stiff.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (you can re-use the pecan toaster) and drop spoonfuls of batter spaced out onto the sheet. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes. The tops will still be shiny and the cookies will start to crack and may be a little gooey in the center; they will finish setting into firm cookies as they cool. Remove from the hot baking sheets and set the entire parchment paper piece on a wire rack to allow the cookies to cool before pulling them away from the parchment paper and serving.

These guys will keep in a sealed plastic container (like Tupperware) for a week or so before they get too hard.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 24 cookies
Estimated Calories: 172 per cookie

Think Pink (Salt) For Your Potatoes

2010-11-14T14:14:00.013-07:00

It wasn't that long ago that there was just plain ole table salt. The famous jug with the girl in the rain slicker comes to mind, pushing her iodized and non-iodized versions. But then there was also Kosher salt, which only chefs and those minding Kashrut seemed to know about. And then along came sea salt, and gourmands everywhere rejoiced with the salt options. Oh gosh, but it didn't stop there. Salt, you see, is the new "it" gourmet product. There is gray salt, rock salt, smoked salt, flake salt, and finally the one I feature in today's recipe, pink salt. Phew!

One of my favorite side dishes is oh so easy that it is almost a crime that I'm posting this recipe (almost, but not quite). If you like salt (there may be a joke in there...) then you will enjoy making vegetables this way and can pocket this as a potential new way to prep some Thanksgiving veggies. While salt is not necessarily the most heart healthy of all the spice choices, all things in moderation--it's not like I'm telling you to keep a salt lick on hand or anything. Besides, salt is experiencing a renaissance period all its own as evidenced by the above list of salty options.

While I make my own concoction of rosemary and pink sea salt ahead of time (and keep it around for every opportunistic occasion), you can just make enough for each batch of veggies. If you can't find pink salt use regular sea salt so you still get good texture. Pictured is a mixture of small russet potatoes and fingerlings but this preparation works well for potatoes large and small of all types and also for beets and turnips.

While the recipe below is for two servings, you can make a small batch or a big batch. I've made enough for one serving, or two, or twelve before. Just keep in mind that one serving of potatoes is about the size of a baseball. Potatoes are rich in potassium and low in sodium (which is good, 'cause, um, we're going to put salt on these) and a fairly healthy food option when baked or roasted.

Rosemary Pink Sea Salt Potatoes
--potatoes (1 baseball=1 serving), either chopped into large chunks or sliced in half
--1 TBSP olive oil
--2 healthy pinches pink sea salt
--2 healthy pinches rosemary, fresh or dried

In a plastic bag combine the potatoes with the olive oil. Shake well to evenly coat the potatoes. Grab one healthy pinch of the salt and one healthy pinch of the rosemary and add to the bag. Shake more to get the spices moved around.

Pour the bag onto a baking sheet or into a cast iron skillet and spread the potatoes out. Use the remaining pinches of salt and rosemary to sprinkle over the potatoes.

Bake at 400 degrees for a minimum of 30 minutes. The salt will cause the skins of the potatoes (or beets or turnips) to wrinkle and brown. You want the outsides a little crispy, but the insides melt in your mouth tender. I usually cook mine for however long it takes me to make the other items of the meal, which on average means about 40 minutes.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 2
Estimated Calories: 176 per serving

Squash: Roasted and Stuffed

2010-11-10T18:08:00.001-07:00

It's squash season and different squashes that I've never heard of before keep arriving from the farm. One got delivered yesterday called a Turban Squash. It looks more like the little toadstool guy from Super Mario Brothers, but I bet it tastes delicious... I haven't cooked that one up yet, but I did recently stuff some Carnival Squash with a tomato and spinach concoction...

This is hearty enough to serve on it's own as a vegetarian meal or will make a lovely companion to a slab of tasty meat.

Roasted Tomato Stuffed Squash
--4 tomatoes, whole
--2 TBSP olive oil
--dried oregano
--1 carnival squash, sliced in half and seeds removed
--cooking spray
--garlic, minced
--1/2 small onion, diced
--1 dry cup fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried

Using a paring knife, cut out the core of the tomatoes but only down about 1/2". Make x's on the bottom of each tomato. Coat with 1 TBSP of the olive oil and dash with oregano. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until the skins are easy to remove.

In a separate baking dish, spray the squash halves with cooking spray and simultaneously roast cut side down.

Once the tomatoes are done, remove them from the oven. Flip the squash so that it is now cut side up and continue roasting until a fork slides easily into the thickest part of the squash.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high and add the remaining 1 TBSP olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute to translucency, 2-ish minutes. While the garlic/onion mix cooks, remove the skins from the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes to the skillet and mash with a fork. Add the spinach and toss regularly so spinach gets warmed and wilted but not soggy. Remove pan from heat.

Remove the squash from the oven and place on a plate. Stuff each squash half with the tomato and spinach mixture and eat everything except the squash stem and skin.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 1 hour
Serves: 2
Calories: 272 per serving

Pretzels: An Alternative to Bread Crumbs

2010-11-05T15:25:00.002-06:00

I picked up some awesome mustard on my recent-ish Palisade adventure. It is made with wine ,so clearly, it's extra yummy. I knew as soon as I plucked the jar from the shelf that it would taste most excellent slathered on a chicken breast and holding on a pretzel crust. Using pretzels is a fun alternative to using breadcrumbs or panko, and depending upon the texture or flavor you want can add a nice little bit of extra oomph.

I was experimenting with size here, so I must admit that I should have ground the pretzels down a little more. The larger chunks managed to stay on the chicken okay, but got browner more quickly so I didn't have an even golden color all around. (More like some, ahem, umber or sepia colors...)

Mustard Chicken With Pretzel Crust
--4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
--1/4 cup of your favorite mustard (use a dijon, honey, beer, or brown mustard, not yellow mustard)
--2 TBSP milk or milk substitute
--1 cup of pretzel crumbs
--parchment paper

Remove any remaining skin or fat from the chicken breasts. Wash the chicken breasts and pat them dry. Place the pretzel crumbs in one bowl and the mustard in another. Whisk the little bit of milk/soy milk/rice milk/? milk into the mustard.

Use one hand to put the chicken into the mustard and coat it evenly. Using the same hand, place the chicken into the pretzel crumbs. Use the other hand (dry hand) to spread the pretzel crumbs evenly over the chicken, flipping it over if necessary to ensure the chicken piece is completely coated. Place the chicken on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Using the parchment paper will help to keep the chicken from sticking to the pan and make it easier to plate later on.

Bake in the oven until the juices run clear and the crust is browned (40-ish minutes). Remove from the parchment paper and plate it up!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 291 per serving

Fabulous Fall Colors, Fantastic Fall Vegetables

2010-11-02T20:42:00.000-06:00

We're knee deep in Autumn; by now the leaves have changed to a rainbow of colors and are falling all around us. Halloween brought critters in costume, marching through piles of leaves and pumpkins, and wandering away full of sugar. It's my favorite time of year for many reasons, but not the least of which is I get a cheap thrill out of eating food that matches the landscape around me. The Fall food color-scape is a bevy of rich jewel tones--vibrant reds, brilliant yellows, energetic oranges.

Root vegetables and those that grow low to the ground thrive this time of year, so fill your plates with potatoes, beets, carrots, squashes, and onions. Today's recipe throws another fall flavor--apple--into the mix and gives this dish even more depth. I served mine with some roasted chicken over brown rice but you could easily make this a vegetarian meal or a Thanksgiving side dish as well. Even better, roast a chicken in the middle of this sea of root vegetables and baste with extra apple cider.

Apple Cider Roasted Root Vegetables
--5 whole garlic cloves
--1/2 large onion
--2 medium sized beets, washed and greens removed
--1 honey crisp or gala apple, cored
--5 small potatoes (or more if you use fingerling potatoes)
--3 medium-large sized carrots, scrubbed and greens removed
--fresh sage
--(optional) 4-5 small tomatoes
--2 TBSP olive oil
--salt & pepper to taste
--4 TBSP apple cider

Roughly chop all the vegetables (except for the garlic, leave that whole) and the apple into chunks. If you opt for small tomatoes, leave those whole (as pictured) so the skins come off easier. Using your hands, rip the sage into large pieces.

Place all the vegetables and the sage into a plastic bag. Pour in the olive oil and shake vigorously to coat all the vegetables. Sprinkle a little salt and crack a little black pepper into the bag. Again, move the items all around so the salt and pepper do a little disco on the mixture.

Pour the contents of the bag into a glass oven-safe dish. Pour the apple cider evenly over the mix. Bake at 400 degrees until vegetables are tender, tomatoes are soft and skins come off easily, and potatoes begin to get a lovely brown crust (45-ish minutes). It's okay if things are a little pink, that's just the beets sharing the love.

Eat!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 189 per serving

Pita Pear Pizzas

2010-10-25T16:49:00.002-06:00

If we're lucky, we'll still have some delicious pears for a few more weeks. Pears, like grapes, do best in wine country climates like the Pacific Northwest (or the Western Slope in Colorado), where the combination of hot-cold and wet-dry work together to create supple sweet luscious fruits. Beyond being eaten plain--like an apple--pears work well in hearty salads, warmed as a compote, or baked and softened as a side or dessert.

Or, in our case, on a pita bread pizza! When my friend Cha-Cha and I get together it usually means business. But as two busy girls on the go, we were both exhausted from our respective workdays and wanted something healthy and filling to mow down on as we sunk into the couch to become zombies in the warm glow of the television. Cue the pizza idea--and one that works well with kids or adults alike because of the versatility. When making a mini-pizza you can make it anything you want. I of course, had to make ours a little fancy...just like us.

Pear Pita Pizzas
--2 round whole wheat pitas
--2 TBSP tomato paste
--1/4 cup grated cheese (mozzarella or a pizza/Italian blend)
--2 pieces of bacon
--sliced mushrooms
--1 pear, sliced or chopped into chunks
--fresh spinach leaves
--crushed red pepper
--2 TBSP feta crumbles
--balsamic vinegar
--olive oil
--black pepper

Place the pitas on a cookie sheet. Use a spoon to coat the top of each pita with the tomato paste. Feel free to season with oregano, pepper, or whatever your heart desires. Sprinkle with some of the grated cheese, but leave enough to put a little more on top.

Chop the bacon into smaller bits and fry over medium heat (I use scissors to easily chop mine) to desired crispy-ness. Drain on paper towels and place on the pizza.

Add the sliced mushrooms and pear pieces, evenly distributing the ingredients both around the pizza and between the two pizzas. Top with some spinach, the remainder of the cheese, the feta crumbles, and a few healthy dashes of crushed red pepper flakes. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (just a little as it goes a long way) and a few cranks of fresh black pepper.

Heat in the oven at 300 degrees for 10 minutes or until shredded cheese is melted and pizza and ingredients are warm throughout.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2 pizzas
Calories: 477 per pizza

Simple Treat From The Mid-East

2010-10-19T17:56:00.000-06:00

I feel a bit brain dead sometimes and need easy, tasty food that serves many purposes and isn't total garbage. Oh so many times how I've succumbed to the "grab n' go" and ended up later with a tummy ache or belly swollen with too much salt or grease. Last weekend I had some veggies to use up and wanted something fast and light but satisfying. So I made fattoush. How to make Fattoush? Well, according to Wikipedia, "To make fattoush, cooks use seasonal produce, mixing different vegetables and herbs according to taste...The vegetables are cut into relatively large pieces..."

Sounds easy enough.

Perhaps you don't eat a lot of Middle-Eastern cuisine and you aren't familiar with fattoush? It's a vegetable-based salad (sans lettuce) that tastes great over couscous (as pictured above) or inside a pita. It's vegetarian, vegan, dairy, and gluten-free (and probably a whole lot of other things too...). After eating some for my lunch, I took the rest of my fattoush to a Sunday afternoon gathering of ladies, each of whom scooped some up with a pita chip as a nice snack.

Fattoush
--1 large cucumber
--1 large heirloom or beefsteak tomato (or 2 romas)
--1 bell pepper
--fresh parsley, cilantro, or mint (I used cilantro)
--TBSP olive oil
--TBSP lemon juice
--dash of salt and pepper

Truthfully, it's just as easy to make as Wikipedia makes it out to be. First you wash and chop up the cucumber and put it in a decent-sized mixing bowl.

Then you remove the seeds from the pepper, chop it up, and add it to the bowl.

Then rinse and repeat with the tomato, chopping it up and adding it to the bowl.

Mince the fresh herbs and add them to the mix. Pour on the olive oil and lemon juice and stir like crazy to mix the whole thing up. Season with a dash of salt and some freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 10 minutes
Serves:1 salad
Calories: Under 300 for the whole thing

Stuffed Peaches Won't Disappoint

2010-10-14T14:34:00.009-06:00

Here's another recipe that came out of my Palisade peach adventure. But this one has a much larger story than just, "Hey, I have some peaches. Cool..."

Eat Denver is an organization of independent restaurateurs in the Denver area. This group takes the idea of being a localvore to a different level--eating local can be about supporting your neighborhood restaurant too. The organization does a few events throughout the year, including something called Harvest Week. During Harvest Week, these chefs create dishes using only locally sourced products. Sort of a think local, eat local, act local, kind of triple threat. One of the dishes that I had the pleasure of eating was at one of my favorite restaurants--Rioja.

Chef Jennifer Jaskinski (Chef Jen to her employees) doesn't need me to sing her praises. Her food has been written up in the likes of GQ, Bon Appetit, and Food & Wine, just to name a few. But that won't stop me from signing her praises. No. Because during Eat Denver's Harvest Week I ate something at Rioja that was so rich, so delicious, so beautiful, that I almost cried. Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic, but damn, was that sucker good. Chef Jen served a grilled peach stuffed with honey scented goat cheese and crispy pork belly, topped with micro-basil. It was absolutely as good as it sounds.

And so, now that I've had a taste, I just can't get enough. But, since Harvest Week only happens one week out of the year, I've had to recreate my own little piece of heaven. Thanks Chef Jen for the blissfully sweet idea! I made these as an hors d'oeuvre for a party, so adjust the recipe depending upon how many hungry faces you need to feed...

Rioja Inspired Stuffed Peaches
--peaches, sliced in half and pitted
--plain goat cheese/chevre
--honey
--balsamic vinegar
--bacon strips, cut in half
--micro greens or broccoli sprouts

After removing the pits from the peach halves, use a spoon to scoop out a small concave bowl in the center of each peach half. Using a new clean spoon, fill each peach bowl with a spoon-full of goat cheese. I made one 4oz. log last for 15 peach halves, so remember that a little goat cheese goes a long way! Place the filled peaches into a baking dish. Drizzle each peach half with a light line of honey and balsamic vinegar.

Place the bacon strips on a foil-lined cookie sheet in the oven. Bake at 375 degrees until the bacon is crisp and evenly cooked. The foil will make it easier to pull off the pan. Cooking it in the oven helps keep the bacon from curling up and also allows the fat to drain away.

Bake the peaches in the oven at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove and top each peach with the crispy bacon. Place back into the oven for a few more minutes, until the peaches are softened *but not soggy* and the goat cheese is warmed.

Remove to a plate. Top with the micro greens and serve!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 20 minutes
Serving: 2 peach halves
Calories: 304

Party With Some Peaches

2010-10-11T12:39:00.000-06:00

"Palisade is the peach capital of Colorado," tells the Palisade Chamber of Commerce website. But beyond peaches, you can also find apricots, okra, plums, honey, and wine. Oh yes. Palisade is the promised land for lovers of fresh fruits, vegetables, and winos alike. So, to pay homage to the Presidents of the United States of America (the band, not the men), I went to the country and ate a lot of peaches. And then...I brought back a whole case of peaches to cook with.

I took a third of these and froze them--so you can expect some delicious peach pie or cobbler recipes later in the season when you're craving that fresh-tasting fleshy goodness. But what to do with the rest? I declare this week is peach week here at Bacon & Other Bad Habits. So, Viola!, here is one of the recipes that I cooked up as a result of my peach adventure.

This pork chop with peach and sage compote might seem like one of the simplest recipes. And it certainly isn't complicated. But don't confuse a simple preparation with a lack of flavor. The sweetness of the peaches combines with the fresh sage to compliment the pork without overwhelming it. In short, this recipe is easy and really f-ing tasty; a powerful combination don't you think?

Pork Chops With Peach & Sage Compote
--4 boneless pork chops
--olive oil cooking spray
--garlic salt
--black pepper
--4 fresh peaches, pitted and chopped (I leave the skins on mine but if the texture freaks you out, remove the skin)
--fresh sage leaves, ripped into chunks

Rinse the pork loin chops and pat dry. Cut away any additional fat or skin. Crack black pepper onto one side of the chop. Follow up with a dusting of garlic salt. Using your fingers, press the spices into the pork. Flip the chops over and repeat.

Heat a cooking-spray-coated skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork chops on both sides to lock in the juices. Turn the heat down to medium and cook the chops for 5-ish minutes on each side. Remove from the heat to rest.

Add the chopped peaches to the same pan. You won't need to add any cooking oil or spray, just let the peaches cook/simmer in their own sweet juices. Add the ripped sage leaves and cook, stirring often, until the peaches are softened and warmed and the sage begins to get crispy on the edges. Add the pork back into pan and cook until the pork is heated through. It should be a pale pinkish white when you cut through the thickest/middle part of the chop.

Serve these guys alone or over a serving of rice.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 274 calories (recipe above, does not include addition of rice)

Be Nice To Bacon!

2010-10-09T00:08:00.001-06:00

Christien Meindertsma: How pig parts make the world turn

Good Risotto Gone Bad

2010-10-08T17:00:00.001-06:00

We've all been there. You read a recipe and think, "Wow, that sounds delicious!" only to end up with a bland or boring concoction that you just wasted 30+ minutes of your life on. It happens to everyone, regardless of culinary savvy. Sometimes it's the fault of the recipe, sometimes the cook, and sometimes external forces of differing cooktops or oven temperatures; altitude; humidity.

Life in a kitchen is an adventure and the recipe listed below is not exactly what I made. The recipe below is what I wish I had made instead. When my friend, Jess, found the recipe and sent it to me, we were both excited by how low the calorie count was for how rich the recipe sounded. Hell, I even ate dairy because I thought it would be worth it. And to be clear, it wasn't awful. It just wasn't the amazing meal we had both envisioned and salivated for.

The recipe below has a few tweaks and changes made that *in theory* should help to boost the flavor quotient for this recipe, while still keeping it healthy and in line with the nutritional content of the original recipe that inspired it...

Vegetarian Cheesy Risotto

--4 cups of vegetable broth or stock
--Asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
--2 TBSP olive oil
--1 small sweet onion, chopped
--garlic, minced
--1 small red bell pepper, sliced into long thin strips
--1 cup Arborio rice
--1 TBSP butter
--8oz. package of sliced crimini or baby portabella mushrooms
--4 ounces Boursin light herbed cheese spread

In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the vegetable broth/stock to rolling boil. Add the asparagus pieces and blanch for two-ish minutes. You will want the asparagus to be crisp but tender (springy if you squeeze a piece). Turn off the burner. Using a slotted spoon, remove the asparagus from the broth, leaving the broth in the saucepan--you will use this to make the risotto.

While the broth is working toward boiling, cook onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat until translucent. Add sliced bell pepper and cook until all veggies are tender. Add the rice and cook two-ish minutes--stirring often--until rice is lightly browned.

Add one cup of the broth to the rice and veggies mixture. Stir often until the broth is absorbed. Continue to add broth, in batches, until the rice is fully plumped! You'll know that you're done adding liquid when the rice has expanded, has a creamy texture, and is no longer crunchy when bitten into. (Taste early, taste often!)

While the rice is plumping, saute the mushrooms in the butter. There are about the same number of calories in one tablespoon of butter (110 or so) as there are in one tablespoon of olive oil (120 or so). The difference between these two oils is the fat. For the purpose of our mushrooms, we want the flavor of the butter to enrich the rest of our dish!

When the rice is cooked, stir in the cheese and asparagus. Mix until cheese is melted. Add the mushrooms and mix it all up. Crack in some black pepper. I hope it's delicious!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 276 per serving

A Grilling Fairy Tale

2010-09-29T19:26:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe it's officially Autumn, especially with the heat wave that many of us are feeling. I hear my friends in Atlanta are just as hot as it is here in Denver (still in the record-breaking upper 80s and low 90s). So in celebration, here's one more Summer-inspired recipe that I've decided to tell in a whimsical way like a food fairy tale picture book!

De-Constructed Grilled Vegetable Salad

Any veggies or fruit that will go on the grill

Your favorite salad dressing or marinade

Your favorite cheese (mine is goat!)

Once upon a time I took carrots, green onion, turnip, mushrooms, whole romaine hearts, zucchini, bell pepper, and a banana pepper and decided they should all live together in food harmony in a warm "salad" type thing. I sliced everything up except the green onions and the romaine hearts which I grilled whole. Using a plastic bag, all those sliced veggies were introduced to my favorite salad dressing/marinade. I used the orignial Newman's Own salad dressing and shook shook shook until all those veggies were evenly coated (but I didn't put any dressing on my green onions or whole romaine hearts). Then everything went on the grill. And then everything went together in a bowl where I ate it (after adding a little bit of crumbled goat cheese)! And then me and my tummy lived happily ever after. The end.

10 Foods You Can Actually Eat

2010-09-21T22:12:00.000-06:00

It seems like every time I open a magazine or gaze upon the interweb there is another food that I shudder to think about eating. In the past few years I've discovered that I get sick (stomach ache, gas, or worse) when I eat certain foods. Still others give me hives or headaches. Every one it seems is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, intolerant, allergic, and still many other adjectives--all of these terms used to describe our relationship to food.

Crack open any Michael Pollan book, as my best friend tells me, and you'll discover all of our food is almost literally made of corn. Staying in tonight with your Netflix account? Food Inc. has made my brother-in-law think twice about purchasing any meat product at a big box store again.

Today another girlfriend posted this link from the Daily Beast, "Dangerous Ingredients," verifying that fake sweetners and processed foods are, shocker, bad for you. Photo galleries like this one help us to make informed decisions about the food we eat--where it comes from and more importantly what it does to our bodies. I am certainly not knocking the new food revolution. In fact, I think I might be part of it.

But, that said, are there any foods we can eat?

For this, I default to my power foods which taste good and are good for me. (For a larger list of other ideas you can check out this Belly Bytes article). The foods below make me feel good when I eat them. Satiated. Even--gasp!--happy sometimes.

1. Eggs
The eggs I eat come directly from the source. These chickens below actually. I know where they live, I know what they eat, and I know who cleans their coop (sometimes it's me!).

2. Avocado
This fruit, high in protein and potassium, is delicious. I cut them in half and eat them with a spoon. They are full of fat--but of the heart healthy kind.

3. Kale
The running joke around here is that this blog should actually be called "Kale & Other Bad Habits" because I eat so much kale and use it often (sometimes it seems in every recipe!). Kale, once used only to decorate plates at the deli, is enjoying its debut as the hottest new "superfood" and is rich in vitamins and antioxidants.

4. Garlic
Garlic is maybe the best thing ever. I mean, what else can so easily add to any dish? But the best part is that beyond its ability to ward off the cast of True Blood, garlic also lowers your cholesterol. If I feel a cold coming on I saute whole cloves and eat them like candy.

5. Ginger Root
Beyond the 2,000 years of Chinese medicine backing it up, eating ginger helps me to digest that giant plate of sushi. It also calms an upset tummy and makes a delightful tea. I just slice off a few slivers and add to hot water to calm my nerves (and any trouble in the soul).

6. Peppermint Tea
It's caffeine free, it settles an upset stomach, it smells really good, it soothes the throat. Should I keep talking?

7. Dark Chocolate
I'm sweet enough as it is (terrible, I know) so I don't often eat desserts. I like sweets, but in moderation. But I can never get enough dark chocolate. The food of the Aztec gods is also rich in antioxidants and may satisfy your sweet tooth more quickly that candies or other processed sugars. It also takes great with ginger or peppermint. How convenient...

8. FishYeah, I know, the oceans are over-fished and mercury is a problem. So maybe I'm a jerk for putting this on my list. But maybe not. Fishes, like salmon or trout or herring, are rich in heart-happy omega-3 fatty acids. Mouth happy and heart happy, a win-win?

9. Water
Your body loves it but most of us run around dehydrated. I've never been a soda drinker and have always been a camel of sorts, drinking glass after glass of good old fashioned H20.

10. Buffalo/Lamb
Protein? Check. Iron? Check? Yummy? Check. Buffalo or bison is a great substitute for ground beef in recipes for burgers or chili as is ground lamb. Both are red meats that provide a nice alternative to beef. Also, it can be easier to find grass-fed buffalo than beef and for a similar price point. Lamb is a lean red meat that beyond being chock full of protein and iron, also contains important amounts of zinc and B-vitamins.

We'll see if anyone ruins my delusion by telling me these foods are bad-bad-bad too!

Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Tacos

2010-09-03T22:16:00.000-06:00

Sometimes recipes are inspired by other dishes you've eaten or recipes read. Other times recipes are inspired by a craving for certain flavors or types of cuisine. Still others come about based upon ingredients that are handy. This is one such recipe. Oddly enough, I decided to make these wonderful tacos not out of a craving for Mexican food or a desire to replicate a fajita recipe. Nope. This recipe exists because I had a half a head of cabbage that I was trying to figure out what to do with.

Dear cabbage,
Thanks for the memories,
xoxo, Me.

Now I can't take all the credit because the true moment of inspiration came from my boyfriend. As I was contemplating the many uses for cabbage his sheer genius broke through when he said, "Cabbage tastes good in tacos." That it does, my friend. That it does. So here we are: Fajita Tacos.

This will make classic fajitas or chicken to put on top of salad. I happen to like tacos. A lot. Say no to drugs, say yes to tacos.

The chicken was marinated starting the night before for maximum deliciousness.

Fajita Tacos
--2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
--garlic
--yellow or white onion
--anaheim pepper
--bell pepper
--tortillas
--shredded cabbage

Marinade:
--1 zipper bag, quart or gallon sized
--garlic
--lime juice
--tequila
--soy sauce
--Worcestershire sauce
--orange juice
--olive oil
--cumin
--pepper
--ancho or cayenne or red pepper flakes

The night before:

Place the chicken in a large plastic zipper bag. Use the "pour and pray" method to make the marinade, starting with equal parts of all liquid ingredients and adding more or less of desired flavors. Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Grill the chicken, onion and peppers. Baste with excess marinade as desired. Remove from grill when chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.

Shred the chicken and chop the vegetables.

Serve in tortillas, top with cabbage. EAT!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 24 hours with marinating; 20 minutes cook time
Serves: 4 folks, 2 tacos each; 8 tacos total
Calories: 332 per serving (2 tacos); 166 per taco

Weeknight? Make It Light

2010-08-30T21:53:00.001-06:00

Need a quick mid-week meal? Look no further than your pantry. We all have stand bys (like pasta and store bought sauce or canned soup) that work well for us when we're in a pinch, feeling uninspired, or feel super stressed out. I'm the last of those three right now as I've got big things happening at work currently. But these items don't always hit the spot taste-wise, especially when compared to a homemade meal. So, after a 10+ hour day, I threw open the cupboards and prayed I'd find something easy that didn't taste (or make me feel) like crap.

Hooray for orzo! The seemingly bastard child of rice and pasta (I totally made that up), orzo was the perfect grain for what I needed--fast, tasty, works well with others. The vegetables in my crisper drawer did the rest of the work. A few short minutes I was kicking back, stuffing my face, and slamming down a glass of wine...

Orzo W/ Veggies
--1/4 cup orzo (dry)
--1 TBSP olive oil
--garlic, minced
--small yellow onion, diced
--handful of sliced mushrooms (I used a mixture of oyster, crimini and white mushrooms)
--1 cup or so of kale, chard, or other leafy greens, chopped roughly
--handful of snap peas, ends removed and larger peas snapped in half

Cook the orzo to package directions.

While the orzo cooks, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic and onion until translucent. Add the other veggies and saute until tender.

Put your feet up. Eat!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 1
Calories: 387 per serving

R x R Makes A Sweet Treat

2010-08-19T18:31:00.000-06:00

I have a confession to make: I've never eaten rhubarb. I don't know how much of a confession that truly is as rhubarb seems to only make an appearance in pies. Now I'm a big fan of pie, so don't think that my reluctance to rhubarb has anything to do with pie. I've never seen it at the store and we didn't eat it growing up so I guess I just missed out on the great rhubarb craze. Until now...

I was gifted some rhubarb from a farm (which was already pre-chopped, how nice!) and didn't have quite enough gumption to venture out into my first rhubarb-pie-making foray. So I decided on modifying a nice southern recipe that I'm quite comfortable with--cobbler! Add some fresh raspberries from the garden and Voila! Raspberry-rhubarb cobbler.

This. Was. Tasty. I can't wait until next rhubarb season, because damn! Tasty.

I still haven't figured out dairy-free baking so this guy has butter and milk in it because those things are also tasty. If any one has tips for someone like me (who is allergic to the glory that is the cow but often eats it anyway because of the aforementioned tasty factor) I'll gladly take them!
The great thing about cobblers is that you don't really have to measure the fruit. At least my great-granny never did. She would just drawl, "Now, you slice these [apples, peaches, insert-fruit-here] and start layering 'em in." And I would until I decided it was enough fruit and I would stop layering and eat the rest!

In baking things must be measured (much to my chagrin since I pour and pray as you know) so this recipe is perfect for me because it's a happy medium of measuring for the filling and the topping, but not for the fruit!

Raspberry-Rhubarb Cobbler

--fresh rhubarb stalks, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces 
--fresh raspberries
--3/4 cup sugar 
--3/4 cup water 
--2 cups flour   
--1/2 teaspoon salt 
--1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
--3/4 cup milk

Move a rack to the dead center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees.

In the bottom of a glass baking dish, mix the rhubarb and raspberries together and evenly spread them across the dish. In a small saucepan, add the water and sugar and heat together, stirring often to dissolve the sugar and create a syrup. Pour this over the fruit and bake the dish in the oven for about 12 minutes to let the filling "set."

While the filling sets, whisk the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add the butter and using two butter knives (as shown above) cut the butter into the flour making a biscuit-y dough. It will be very coarse. Now add the milk and keep cutting with the knives until the dough just comes together (it will still be lumpy and resemble biscuits).
Pull the baking dish out of the oven and add the biscuit topping, dropping it into little clumps so that it begins to resemble a biscuit "crust." Put the whole shebang back in the oven and bake it until the topping is golden (25 or so minutes). Cool the cobbler for at least 25 minutes before attempting to eat it.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 45 to make it plus 30 minutes before you can eat it.
Serves: 8 healthy pieces of cobbler
Calories: 338 per serving

Goodbye Gut: Third Place Takes the Cake

2010-08-16T13:33:00.000-06:00

What any good contest needs is a little competition, and I found that to be especially true of the Goodbye Gut contest. We got more submissions than expected (a good thing) and it took longer than anticipated to cook through all those recipes (also fine by me!). Today's recipe will be the last featured recipe from those contest submissions. It comes from our friend Racheletto, who we told you about back in January when she was doing a project called G.U.L.P which involved eating a very restricted diet and donating her grocery money to charity!

She writes, "I love spinach and I have to admit that I don't really care for pork bacon (call it un-American if you must)." Her recipe, which "I've adapted it from a recipe I found here," she tells, calls for turkey bacon, but I used the real deal in mine (upping the fat content a little, but still keeping the recipe within healthy limits).

Bacon Spinach Cakes
--12 oz fresh baby spinach
--1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
--1/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese, plus a pinch more for garnish
--2 large eggs, beaten
--4 strips turkey bacon, crispy and chopped
--1 clove garlic, minced
--1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Equipment:
1. Regular muffin tin ("I've also used single serving size ramekins too with similar results," she says)
2. Food processor

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 400*F.

2. In the food processor, pulse the spinach in three batches until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add cottage cheese, parmesan, bacon, eggs, garlic, and pepper.

3. Coat 9 of the 12 muffin tins (or the ramekins) with cooking spray. Divide the spinach mixture among the 9 cups evenly. They will be very full. [Editor's note: We, um, clearly aren't great at taking direction and filled all 12 of the muffin tins. Oops!]

4. Bake the spinach cakes until set, about 20 minutes (this could be as long as 30 if you use ramekins). Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out to serve, sprinkled with a bit more parmesan. (Alternatively, you could serve them in the ramekins).

Racheletto guided us to eat these "on top of a toasted English muffin with perhaps a tomato or egg on top, like a benedict! They're luscious and very cheesy, but still good for you too!" Yes ma'am. Definitely something nice and different for breakfast!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 9 spinach cakes
Calories: Turkey bacon, 82 calories per cake; Pork bacon, 113 calories per cake

Goodbye Gut Contest: The Runner Up!

2010-08-12T13:32:00.006-06:00

Our runner up submission in the Goodbye Gut Contest was from Erin F. who got extra points for including bacon in her recipe. This one is great for summer as beets are in season and easy to find. I know people who have been trying to give the ones in their garden away...so if you are gifted some beets, here's an easy thing to make with them.

Another highlight of this recipe is how little hands-on time there is. So if it's hot-hot-hot in your house, this guy uses only a bit of power from the stove so as not to heat things up too much in there.

Erin F. writes, "Goat cheese is another optional addition." Maybe in her mind, but in mine it's necessary.

Beets N' Bacon Salad
--2 red beets, cubed

--2 golden beets, cubed

--4 slices of bacon

--1/2 cup pecans, chopped

--4 cups mixed greens

--2 TBSP olive oil

--2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
--4 oz. goat cheese (optional)

Steam the beets and place them in fridge to cool. (I steamed mine in the microwave for faster steaming time).

Cook the bacon until crisp, retaining the drippings. Dice the bacon and set it aside.

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar, and 2 TBSP of the bacon drippings. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with mixed greens in large bowl. Erin F. warns, "You may not use all of the dressing, so add it slowly." This is great advice and a way to make sure the salad stays on the healthy side of things by not going overboard with dousing on the dressing.

Divide the salad into 4 portions. Top each salad with 1/4 of the beets and add pecans to each; if you're using it, add 1 oz of goat cheese to each salad. Serve!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 12 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 271 per salad

Goodbye Gut Contest: Our Winning Recipe!

2010-08-09T13:46:00.001-06:00

Once upon a time, way back in June, we told you all about our Goodbye Gut Contest. Thanks to those of you who entered! It was a difficult process that took a bit longer than expected to cook our way through all your recipes--but a problem I'll gladly take!

Entries were scored on the following requirements, beyond taste of course:

Total calorie count per serving
Ease of preparation
Accessibility of ingredients and tools to prepare the recipe

Entries were also given extra points if the recipe included bacon or a bacon-inspired product. This winning recipe didn't need those extra points--it was delicious, easy to make, and much more low-cal that you would expect from such a rich tasting recipe.

Our winner is Chandra M. and her Pesto & Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts! Congratulations Chandra M., your prize is on its way!

The recipe is below--try it, you'll love it, I guarantee it!

Pesto & Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

--4 cleaned boneless, skinless chicken breasts

--2 TBSP goat cheese

--2 TBSP cream cheese (I used this "better than cream cheese" vegan version because cow dairy products make me a sad girl)

--1 serving of your favorite pesto mix (You don't need a mix, use your own pesto)

--1 egg yolk

--1 tablespoon of olive oil

--flour

--plain bread crumbs ("I use Panko because they are crunchy," she wrote so that's what I did too and recommend!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

"Clean the chicken breasts and set aside," writes Chandra M. I took this to mean wash and dry the chicken breast pieces and slice off any remaining fat or skin.

Prepare the pesto mix as directed (or use your own pesto for more homegrown deliciousness) and mix with both cheeses.

"Butterfly the chicken breasts and stuff with the cheese/pesto mix," she says are our next steps.

Butterflying is a simple slicing technique you can use on whole chickens or on chicken breasts or pork chops. It is a great method if you are stuffing the meat with anything (in our case, the pesto mix). Using a sharp short knife, you'll start on one edge of the chicken breast. Insert the knife into the middle of the thickest part of the chicken breast. Slice along the side until you reach 180 degrees (or the other end) of the length of the chicken breast.

Dip the chicken breast in flour, then in the egg yolk, and finally in the bread crumbs. "Use Leah's wet hand/dry hand technique," she writes and we love. Way to be an avid BaOBH reader!

Heat the olive oil in a pan on the stove top and sear one side of the stuffed chicken until the breadcrumbs are a light/medium brown and crunchy.

Place the chicken in a glass baking dish browned side up and set in the oven for 30 minutes or until the chicken's juices run clear.

And how should you eat this? Take Chandra's advice and "Enjoy with some fresh steamed veggies or a light salad. I like sauteed asparagus!"

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
Calories: 460 calories

Summer Slaw

2010-08-06T14:58:00.000-06:00

In making this slaw, I used the Catholic method of cooking--more commonly known as the "Pour & Pray."

Pause for the terrible joke to sink in... and... moving on!

Seriously though, I'm terrible at measuring things like this so the amounts of the liquids listed below are my best guess of what amounts of each dressing item was mixed together. Generally speaking I really do just pour stuff together and then pray it tastes good. My suggestion for you: Start with a little and add little bits of each of the items used to make the dressing. That way you'll end up with a combination that you like, befitting your tastes (more or less vinegar-y or soy-tastic).

Today's recipe is perfect to take to summer barbecues or potlucks. I made a big batch of this and then forced it upon my coworkers. It's not exactly vegetarian due to the soy sauce and the worcestershire, but you can make it vegetarian (or even vegan) by using fish-free substitutes. Okay, okay, this Asian thing is getting out of hand, I realize! But, uh, it's oh so tasty so how can I stop myself? It was made even more delicious by the fact that all my veggies came out of the garden of the house I was housesitting at!

Asian-Style Summer Slaw
--1 head of cabbage, roughly chopped
--1 large carrot, grated
--1 small sweet onion, vertically sliced
--1 bell pepper, chopped
--fresh cilantro, chopped
--fresh mint, chopped
--1 package uncooked ramen noodles (no flavor packet, noodles only)
--fresh ginger, grated
--fresh garlic, grated
--juice of 1/2 a lemon
--1/4 cup rice vinegar
--3 TBSP soy sauce
--1 TBSP olive oil
--1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients through the garlic. In a separate container, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire and olive oil. Vary the amounts of the liquids depending upon your tastes. Pour over the slaw mixture and stir to combine.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 20 minutes
Serves: ???
Calories: There are about 1000 calories in the whole salad

Don't Cook? Make Pesto

2010-07-30T14:28:00.002-06:00

Oh man, did I have a lot of herbs. And fresh herbs are so delicious and add such depth to any dish, but they can be hard to use up before they wilt and spoil. If you're growing an herb garden at home, kudos to you! That's the best way to enjoy fresh herbs year-round without over committing. But most of my veggies (and herbs too) come straight from the farm and when you're dealing with farmers you kind of get what comes. And I got a lot. A lot of parsley; even more cilantro.

But after making salsa I still had way more cilantro than I knew what to do with. And I didn't want the parsley to feel like it was getting overused since I kept adding it to almost every meal(herbs have feelings to, you know), so I decided to put each to good use by making pesto out of them.

Pesto, God love it, is just about the easiest thing to make. Ever. Some folks might like the little pre-mixed dried packet, but I'm convinced they just don't know what they're missing. If you have fresh herbs and olive oil, in 5 minutes you can have pesto.

Pesto:
--1 cup fresh parsley or cilantro
--3 TBSP olive oil
--1/2 lemon (juice only)
--2 cloves garlic

I'll tell the rest of the recipe as a photoessay of sorts, because there really isn't much of a "recipe" to making pesto...

I made my parsley pesto first, and then my cilantro pesto second. I chopped the stems off so that I just had the leaves (sure there were still some stems in there, but that's okay) and dropped that into the blender/food processor. Could you chop these up by hand? Sure you could, but a blender or food processor is so much easier! I start with one cup of the chopped herbs.

I squeezed in the juice from the half of a lemon and tossed in a few garlic cloves. Then I added the olive oil, and blended it together. Making pesto involves the Goldilocks paradigm: If the pesto is too creamy, add more herbs; if it's too piecey, add more olive oil. You want a texture and consistency that is just right.

I then scraped that into a tupperware and did a quick n' dirty rinse of the food processor before I started over again with the cilantro. Now I got a little creative and beyond adding the lemon, garlic, and olive oil, I also add in a little cumin and some dried chili powder. No one said pesto couldn't have a little kick to it...

Pesto is awesome on french bread as the base for bruschetta. You can make pizza with it. Get creative if you want to. Or don't. I just slather mine on some pita or crackers and mix in some hummus.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 10 minutes
Makes: 1 cup of each pesto

Calories*: Parsley Pesto 405; Cilantro Pesto 374

*Remember: In this case, the calorie count is for the entire container of pesto based on the measurements above. If you add more herbs the calories change a little, more olive oil and the calories could change a lot if you're heavy handed. But you'll be using this pesto in small amounts. A teaspoon here, a tablespoon there...

Un-wrap This Appetizer

2010-07-27T20:04:00.000-06:00

All right, I've already discussed my obsession with Asian cuisine, but seriously...I think it may actually be a problem. Am I in a rut? A delicious Thai-Chinese-Japanese-Indian inspired rut? It may just be that I have a theme (but I also really love tacos, so that just throws the whole theory out of whack).

These wraps are similar to what you get as an appetizer in restaurants. If you love lettuce wraps there you'll be happy to know just how easy they are to make at home! (And cheaper than $8.95, I would guess). They make a great appetizer if you're having friends over for dinner, though on this particular evening the BF and I ate them as our entire meal!

Lettuce Wraps
--2 oz. (1/3 of a "typical" package) Cellophane noodles (also known as bean threads)
--1 lb. ground turkey or chicken
--garlic, minced
--minced cilantro, as much or as little as you like

--crushed red pepper flakes

--1/4 cup soy sauce (I use the low sodium kind)
--1 hearty spoonful of chili paste
--TBSP or so of sesame oil
--head of Bibb, Butter, or Iceberg lettuce, washed and separated into leaves

Cover the noodles with boiling water. Let them stand for a few minutes until softened. Then drain and rinse them with cool water. Chop the mass into thirds.

Cook the ground meat and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until salmonella-free.

In a bowl, combine the cilantro, soy, chili paste, and oil. Add the noodles and meat to the mixture and toss well to completely coat.

Spoon mixture onto each lettuce leaf and roll up. Each head of lettuce has 20 or so leaves that are a good size.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6
Calories: 196 per serving (3 wraps)

Too Hot To Cook

2010-07-17T12:26:00.000-06:00

First, it's 100 degrees outside, and second I just got back from vacation in California where I ate a lot of vegan food. Both of those factors combined in my decision to make this noodle-y salad for lunch. It's fast, simple, and easy and you won't slave over a hot stove for too long!

Soba noodles are made from buckwheat and come in these nifty little pre-portioned bundles. A staple of Japanese diet, soba is great in soup, covered in sauce, or served cold in a salad as we've done here. I roasted these veggies in the oven and seared the tofu on the stove-top but if you have a grill I'd recommend that as the way to go for maximum flavor. (As an added bonus, the heat you create from the grill will be outside where it's already hot and not inside the house).

To cut corn off the cob, you'll want to lob one end of the corn off so that it's flat. Set the cob vertically on your cutting board using that flat end as the bottom and to stabilize. Take your knife and cut along the cob in a downward motion (away from you too please) to pull all the corn niblets off in little strips. Spin the cob and repeat until the cob is cleaned of corn. There's a photo above that might better show you what the end result of this is, as I find instructions like these difficult to explain properly.

Grilled Soba Salad
--1 bundle Soba noodles
--1/2 block extra firm tofu, drained and sliced into 1/4" thick strips
--Small onion, sliced into thin rounds (left intact)
--1 cup fresh spinach, washed and dried
--1 ear corn, sliced off the cob
--2 romas

Cook the noodles according to package directions. When done cooking, place them in the sink and rinse well with cold tap water.

In a grill pan--or on the grill--grill both sides of the tofu until golden brown and tofu has a nice "crust" of sorts on the outside.

Roast the onion, corn, spinach and tomatoes in the oven until spinach and corn begin to brown and skin of tomatoes gets wrinkly. If you are grilling these veggies, you'll want to leave the spinach in a bunch and grill the whole bunch, or place the spinach inside a tin foil packet that you can easily flip on the grill.

Serve the veggies and tofu over the cooled soba noodles.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 274

Ellen Gustafson: Obesity + Hunger = 1 global food issue

2010-07-14T15:33:00.000-06:00

Another Asian Delight, Please!

2010-07-13T23:05:00.002-06:00

Apparently I'm a little obsessed with Asian food. I mean, it's not anything I didn't actually know before--given the option of where to go out to eat, I'm likely to list four Asian cuisines out of five cuisine choices. But I've noticed that I also like to cook Asian-inspired treats as well, as evidenced by the fact that I made the Pad Thai recipe below twice in the same week...

This recipe is pieced together from many places: Various internet recipes, reading the ingredients on the ready-made stuff at the store, my own random additions. It has one solidifying piece though--everyone I make this for really likes it. It may seem complicated but it really is just that it's a multi-step process. Making pad thai yourself will require a trip to the Asian specialty grocer as many of the ingredients can be more easily (and cheaply) sourced there. One thing to note, if you can only find tamarind in a large package at the Asian grocer you can buy a jar of the pre-made "Pad Thai Sauce" on the same aisle and jazz it up by adding more chili paste.

I've included pictures from both of the weeks preparations. The first, a quiet dinner with family, the second, feeding many hungry mouths on girl's night.

Pad Thai
--1 package rice noodles (these will be marked "pad thai" or "banh pho")
--peanut oil (olive oil will work as a substitute)
--garlic, minced
--shallots, minced
--brick extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
--1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into smaller strips
--pad thai sauce (recipe for this below)
--1 egg
--20 medium or large uncooked de-veined shrimp, tails on
--green onions, sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
--bean sprouts, washed and drained
--1/4 cup unsalted dry-roast peanuts (found on the bulk foods aisle of most grocers)
--fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
--limes, quartered

Pad Thai Sauce:
--1/4 cup fish sauce
--1/4 cup tamarind sauce (instructions below)
--2 TBSP brown sugar
--chili paste, to taste (I use the chili and garlic sauce made by the Sriracha folks)

Prepping the Tamarind:
Tamarind comes in either paste or pulp form, either of which will need to be soaked in hot water first. If you're using tamarind paste, start with a spoonful mixed into 1/4 cup of hot water. If you are using pulp, for every one tablespoon of pulp use 1/3 cup boiling water.

Making the Sauce:
Mix all the ingredients together, stirring well until the sugar dissolves. If you need to add a little heat to do this you can make the sauce in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often. I recommend making the sauce while the noodles are soaking and the chicken is cooking and then setting the sauce aside for later. If you like you can make the sauce the day or morning before and stick it in the refrigerator until you're ready for it.

Making the Pad Thai:
Soak the noodles in tepid tap-water for 10 minutes. Don't let them get soggy! It's better to under-soak the noodles and add some water to the pan later than to have ooey-gooey noodles.

In a large skillet with deep sides, add enough oil to evenly coat the bottom of the pan and heat on high. Cook the garlic and shallots for a few minutes (I also like to toast a few peanuts with them). Add the tofu chunks and sear on each side until golden. Add the chicken pieces and cook until cooked all the way through, stirring regularly so nothing scorches. If things seem to be cooking too fast or to hot, reduce the heat to medium-high.

Add the soaked noodles and toss into the mixture like a salad so you don't break them. Add the sauce, pouring it evenly over the pan to minimize the need for stirring. In the center of the pan, make room for the egg. Crack the egg into the pan and scramble it before mixing it up into the rest of the meal.

Add the shrimp and stir gently. (Shrimp will cook quickly from the heat of all the items in the pan so it need not make its way to the bottom of the pan). Add 1/2 of the bean sprouts, most of the peanuts (if you didn't roast most of 'em from the start), and sliced green onions and stir to combine.

Plate it up! Top with remaining sprouts, peanuts, cilantro, and limes.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 1 to 1-1/2 hours
Serves: 6
Calories: 471

The Happiest of Happy Hours

2010-07-07T09:10:00.000-06:00

Dairy and I don't get along so well. She's like a bossy older sister whom you love and respect but often want to smack upside the head. I love cheese (mmm triple creams) and ice cream and butter (c'mon, from southern roots, whatdaya want?) but these things don't love me anymore. I avoid them when I can but sneak them into my diet when cravings strike or when these items just sound too good to pass up.

But goat cheese? Goat cheese is like the boyfriend who doesn't just bring you flowers, but plants a garden in your honor. Goat cheese never makes me sick and with its lovely creamy texture I sometimes want to eat it by the fork-full.

Today's recipe was inspired by a recent office happy hour where I was delighted to find something that I could eat sandwiched between the usual bar menus of fried cheese and, uh, fried cheese.

Spinach Mushroom Goat Cheese Quesadillas
--1 tbsp olive oil
--small onion, diced
--garlic, diced
--1 bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced or diced (your choice on the color)

--10 oz package of mushrooms, sliced (I cheated and bought pre-sliced for convenience)

--3-4 cups fresh baby spinach, washed and drained (again, I'm a cheater and bought the pre-washed 6oz bag for ease)
--salt and pepper to taste

--4 oz log of goat cheese, sliced into rounds
--4 sun dried tomato tortillas

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large deep-sided skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute a few minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook until the pepper pieces are softened but still firm. Add the mushrooms and cook down until the mushrooms are softened but not mushy.Add the spinach, working in batches and stirring so that the wilted spinach moves to the top and the new fresh spinach is closer to the fire to be wilted.

Brush the tortillas with the tiniest bit of olive oil or spray lighting with cooking spray. Place one tortilla oiled side down on a baking sheet. Add and spread some of the mushroom mix. Top the mix with 1/2 of the goat cheese rounds. Cover with the second tortilla. Repeat this process for the second quesadilla.

Place the quesadillas in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the top tortilla begins to brown but is not burned. Flip the quesadillas over and cook another 7 or so minutes until the other tortilla begins to crisp and get golden. Remove from the oven, slice up and eat!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...

Time:

Serves: 4 (makes 2 quesadillas)

Calories: 359 per serving (718 per quesadilla)

A Recipe From Dad

2010-07-05T10:41:00.001-06:00

I grew up surrounded by food. Both of my parents are really good cooks who enjoy cooking. Neither one of them is a gourmet (but then, neither am I) but they taught me the importance of food. Growing up I learned that food was a source of community and one of the best ways to bring people together. And somehow nothing brings people together like eating a meal with your hands. There's just something about getting messy together that makes you feel like you really get someone.

I remember as a kid I'd get really excited when Dad said he was going to cook that night. His favorite medium: beef. My father is fond of making beef bourguignon, steaks, stir fry. But most importantly, my dad makes really awesome tacos.

They're likely not the healthiest item you'll find here at Bacon & Other Bad Habits, but they taste good, are super simple, and kids and picky eaters will like 'em.

Daddy's Tacos
--1 lb. lean ground beef (or buffalo for less grease/fat)
--cumin
--garlic powder
--onion powder
--cilantro
--garlic, minced
--1 small onion, chopped
--1 tsp. or so fresh ginger, minced
--1/2 jar of medium salsa
--1/2 jar of mild salsa
--8 taco shells
--taco toppings (lettuce, tomato, cheese)

In a large skillet, over medium heat, brown the beef. As the beef cooks, season it with cumin, onion and garlic powders, and cilantro. Add in the onion, garlic, and fresh ginger and use the grease from the cooking beef to cook the onion mixture to translucency.

Once the beef is fully cooked, drain off the excess grease and place the pan back on the stove. Add the salsas and stir well to combine. Heat for a few minutes until the salsa is warmed and some of the liquid cooks down. Serve!

**Dad's trick: Put the cheese in the bottom of the taco shell and then the hot meat on top. When you bite into the tacos the cheese will be gooey and melted.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 8 tacos
Calories: 538 per taco (includes 1 oz of shredded cheese)

Show Your Summer Head Cold No Mercy

2010-06-28T12:48:00.003-06:00

photo courtesy of Kokoro Photography

I realize it's officially summer now, but unfortunately some of us are plagued by a typically winter infection, the most dreaded of all illnesses--the summer cold! The dastardly summer cold sneaks its way into the most active and unwilling of hosts, bringing the poor soul to his or her tanned knees.

Let's face it: colds always suck. But in the summer? Colds suck MORE.

My best friend is a dynamic girl-on-the go, spending her summers chasing brides around with a camera. Recently, she fell victim to the terrible summer cold and so, like any good best friend, I whipped up a pot of soup because my Mama taught me that soup fixes almost anything, including a cold. But in hot hot heat of June, classic chicken noodle soup is a bit too hellish to endure (though tasty, we know).

Cue this recipe, which is lighter in flavor and consistency than it's noodle-y cousin and is chock full of veggies to soothe that runny nose and sore throat without over-heating the poor sicky. It's also heavy on the garlic; garlic has been used by many cultures for centuries to help kick colds and other bugs. I have a friend who (force?) feeds her children sauteed garlic cloves at the first sign of any cold or flu-like symptom. Added bonus: Garlic tastes good, even when you're sick, as its strong flavor still comes through all the snot...

Summer Cold Chicken Soup
--TBSP olive oil

--4 whole carrots, scrubbed and sliced into thin rounds

--5 whole cloves garlic, sheared into thin slices

--1 shallot, sheared into thin slices--1 leek stalk, sliced into thin rounds

--3 cups chicken broth

--1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded

--1 cup water

--salt and pepper

--1 bunch of spinach, thoroughly washed and leaves separated

--garlic powder

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the carrots, garlic, and shallots for a few minutes, until the carrots begin to soften. Add the leeks and cook until the carrots are tender.

While the vegetables cook down, in a large stock pot or dutch oven heat the chicken broth over high heat. Bring it to a rolling boil before added the shredded chicken pieces and the water. Turn down to simmer and add the carrot/leek mixture and add salt and pepper to taste, stirring all together to combine.

Simmer the soup pot for 15 minutes before adding the spinach and some garlic powder. How much garlic powder you add will depend completely upon your personal preferences and how much you can taste through the yucky mucus. Simmer another 5 minutes--just enough for the spinach to get wilted but not get too soggy--and eat it up.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 336

Are You Going To Scarborough Fair?

2010-06-23T13:29:00.001-06:00

So there I am, standing in a strange kitchen staring at what I have. I have chicken. I have tomatoes. I have decided to roast them but haven't planned any farther. Since I'm housesitting I open the spice cabinet to see what else might be at my disposal. And there they were, the four musical spices...

If you're planning to take a trip to Scarborough Fair any time soon (or you just happen to like Simon & Garfunkel) the mention of parsley or sage or rosemary or thyme always makes me hum the tune. And I've used each of these glorious spices (dried and fresh) to make many meals have that extra oomph. But how would all these herbal powerhouses taste together?

Really, really good as it turned out.

Roasted Chicken & Romas

--1 cup brown rice

--1/4 cup vegetable broth

--8 roma tomatoes

--4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (any additional visible fat removed)
--2 TBSP olive oil

--parsley

--sage

--rosemary

--thyme

--salt and pepper

Cook rice according to package directions, substituting 1/4 cup of the water with vegetable broth.

Core the tomatoes and cut a small X in the bottom of each tomato. Place the tomatoes and the chicken in an oven-safe dish and coat with the olive oil. Season tomatoes and chicken breasts with the spices. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Serve each piece of chicken over the brown rice with two roasted tomatoes. Remove the tomato skin if desired.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 55 minutes
Serves:4
Calories: 485