BLT Pasta Salad

 

Ingredients

• 10 ounces pasta
• 8 pieces center cut bacon chopped
• 2 cups spinach chopped
• 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
• ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• ½ cup reduced fat mayonnaise
• ⅛ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ⅛ cup green onions chopped, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Bring a stock pot of water to a boil.
• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
• Place the wire baking rack inside the baking sheet.
• Place the bacon on the wire baking rack.
• Bake the bacon at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes until the desired level of crispiness is achieved.
• While the pasta and bacon are cooking, use a knife and cutting board to chop the spinach, halve the grape tomatoes, and chop the green onions.
• In a small bowl, combine the nonfat plain Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper with a whisk or spoon.
• Once the pasta is done cooking, use a colander to strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Add the pasta to a large bowl.
• When the bacon is done cooking, allow it to cool and then chop.
• To the large bowl with the pasta, add the bacon, spinach, grape tomatoes, and dressing.
• Stir well to combine.
• Garnish with green onions and more chopped bacon if desired

Cook's Notes:

To make a dinner size salad I used four slices of bacon and 4 ounces of pasta and roughly 1/2 cup of mayonnaise.

Corn and Blistered-Tomato Pasta

 

Total time: 1 hour

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

16 ounces pappardelle pasta

2-3 slices of bacon, or about 1/4 cup chopped

2 teaspoons avocado oil, separated

2 cups of corn

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

11/2 teaspoon thyme

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced

1 teaspoon black pepper 

Parmesan cheese for topping

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place bacon on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy.

Once the bacon is done, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

Fill a large pot with water and set over high heat to bring to a boil. Season liberally with salt 1-2 tablespoons of salt. 

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add 1/2 teaspoon oil and corn. Cook for four minutes or until slightly charred.

Transfer the corn to a bowl and set aside.

Add onion to the same skillet with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil, red pepper flakes and thyme. Sauté until translucent about three to four minutes. 

Transfer the corn back to the skillet and toss with the onion.

Remove half of the corn and inion mixture and add to the bowl of a food processor. Add one cup of pasta water (after pasta has cooked). And process until smooth.

Add the sliced tomatoes to the skillet with the remaining corn and onion mixture and cook on low for about l0 minutes.

While the tomatoes are cooking add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions. 

Strain pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

As noted above, add the one cup of pasta water to the corn and onion mixture then puree.

Add the pasta and the corn puree to the skillet with the remaining corn and tomatoes. Toss the pasta until completely coated.

Add bacon and pepper then toss one more time before placing in a serving bowl.

Finish with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Garlicky Bacon and Spinach Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
4 cups baby spinach leaves
4 cups baby arugula
4 center cut bacon slices
8 (1 ounce) rustic Italian bread slices
2 ounces (1/2 cup) of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 ounces fontina cheese shredded about (1/2 cup)

Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, add the spinach and arugula and stir until wilted. Remove spinach and garlic from pan. Cook the bacon in the pan.Then remove bacon.

Top 4 bread slices evenly with cheese, bacon pieces, spinach mixture, and the remaining 4 bread slices.

Heat pan over medium heat. Add sand which espouses to drippings in pan; weigh down with a plate, cook for 2 minutes on each side.

Bacon Cure and How to Make Your Own Bacon

Snake River Farms Kiribato Pork Belly

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of Kosher Salt
2 teaspoons of Prague Powder #1
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of maple syrup
10 pounds pork belly


Directions for Curing Bacon:
Mix the first 3 ingredients then add the maple syrup and stir to combine. Rinse the pork belly then place in either a 2 gallon ziplock bag or a large pleated food saver bag sealed on one end. Place approximately 1/3 of the cure on the fat side of the pork belly. Rub into the fat side of the belly then flip the pork belly over and place the other 2/3 of the cure on the meat side of the belly and rub into the pork belly. Seal the bag and brine for 7 days in the refrigerator. The pork belly should be flipped every day and the brine rubbed into the meat.

Directions for Smoking After Curing

1. Set up smoker for indirect heat. I use a Big Green Egg so I use the plate setter with the feet up.
2. Start the charcoal
3. Adjust the temperature to 225 degrees
4. Add soaked apple wood chips
5. Rinse the pork belly and dry well with paper towels.
6. Place the pork belly on the smoker with the fat side down. It is ok to cut the pork belly in half if the pork belly is too large to fit on the grill. I had to do this and smoke in 2 batches.
7. Close up the smoker and allow the bacon to smoke for about 2 hours or until an internal temperature of 150 degrees is reached.
8. Remove the pork belly from the smoker and allow to cool then wrap in foil and chill overnight in the refrigerator.
9. Trim the belly into a form that is good for slicing (square up); I also remove the fat cap before slicing.
10. Slice into the thickness desired and package in 8 oz or 16oz packages then vacuum seal and freeze.