Poached Soft Egg & Bacon Salad

This has got to be one of my favourite salads at the moment and I call it my BREAKFAST salad.  If you unpack it, you could say it is a twist on a Caesar, but without the fluff.

The key ingredient here is the egg, so make sure they are free range and fresh!  According to Heston the best way to test if an egg is fresh or not ... drop a whole egg into some water - a fresh egg will sink, an old egg will float.

Poached Soft Egg & Bacon Salad

Serves 2

100g streaky smoked bacon, cut into bit sizes
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp oil oil

4 eggs

Pkt croutons store-bought
80g wild rocket
80g salad greens
30g Stilton, crumbled (optional)

Heat a non-stick pan, add bacon and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes until it is crisp and golden. Turn heat off and remove bacon from the pan and drain on some kitchen towel.  Whilst the pan is still hot add  lemon juice, mustard and oil and mix well, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze.  Pour dressing over a sieve into a small bowl and allow to cool.

Poach eggs in boiling water for 4 minutes - we need runny eggs. Remove and allow to cool.  

Divide rocket and salad  greens over 2 plates.  Add bacon and croutons.  Carefully place eggs on top. Crumble with Stilton if desired and drizzle with salad dressing. Season with salt & pepper.

Enjoy
~ Michelle ~

Chicken,Bacon & Mushroom Stew

Lately, I am trying to cook things that are easy and that I can freeze for heat-and-eats during the week.  After working a 15-hour day Monday to Friday, the last thing I want to do is come home and start a dinner from scratch.  This is one of those perfect recipes, that can be made in bulk and frozen. I take it one step further and also cook a huge pot of rice, portion it into sandwich bags and pop them in the freezer as well. Mid week dinners are easy in our home!

I like to use chicken thighs for this recipe cause they a soft and juicy.  You could take a whole chicken and portion it into 8 pieces if you prefer.  Any flavoursome mushrooms can be used - just not white button ones - they have no flavour and are chewy.  Pancetta can also be used if you prefer to that of smoky bacon, just make sure you use nice thick chunky cubes.

Chicken, Bacon & Mushroom Stew

Serves 4

1.5kg chicken thighs, skin removed
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
200g thick smoky bacon, cubed
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
200g brown chestnut mushrooms, quartered
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup white dry white wine
1/2 cup cream
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp dried tarragon
Salt & pepper to taste

Place flour in a plastic bag and season with salt & pepper.  Add chicken pieces.  Tie the bag tight and shake wildly so flour coats the chicken evenly, then set aside.  Add half the oil to a deep pan and heat on medium.  Add chicken and brown evenly on all sides, then remove and set aside.

Add remaining oil to the pan and saute, bacon, onion, garlic and mushrooms until brown.  Remove from pan and set aside. Add stock and wine to the pan and scrape all drizzle off the bottom.  Return chicken and cook covered for 25 minutes.

Add the bacon, onion, mushroom mix, cream, parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper and simmer uncovered for 8 minutes until reduced and thickened.

Enjoy
~ Michelle ~

eatloveplaywithfood

Creamy Cauliflower Smoked Bacon Soup

Fall is here .. temps have dropped overnight and a cold wind is howling.  Dinner tonight ... hearty soup with a farm-style Country Loaf and a little salted butter - YUM!

Many of you might think cauliflower is boring and pretty tasteless.  Right?  Well not in this recipe. The volume is turned up with some smokey bacon and smoked paprika.

Here are a few interesting facts on cauliflower:

• They came into being back in the 16th century and were considered 'honourable' in the garden because of their delicacy.
• They are available in 4 colours ... white (most common), orange (high in vitamin A and found in Canada), green (available in US and Europe and is also known as broccoflower) and finally purple (which carries an antioxidant that is also found in red cabbage and red wine).
• They are good for you as they are low in fat, low in carbs but high in dietary fibre.

I have a policy when making soup ... make enough to freeze a whole lot. 

This recipe makes about 4 litres in total

RECIPE

300g smokey bacon, diced

2 large yellow onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups leeks, chopped white and green parts

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 big head of cauliflower, chopped

6 cups chicken stock (pref homemade)

Bunch of fresh thyme

2 cups cream

Salt & pepper to taste

Crisp bacon in a little oil on medium heat in a Dutch oven (pot with tight fitting lid)

Remove bacon and drain on kitchen towel

Add onions, garlic, leeks and paprika to the same pot and sweat for a few minutes in the bacon fat

Once soft, add cauliflower and turn heat up

Once cauliflower has softened add stock and thyme and bring to the boil

Lower heat and simmer for 45 min

Remove thyme stems and carefully add to a blender and whizz until smooth

Return to pot, add cream, salt & pepper and heat through

Serve with a little reserved crispy bacon on top

Homemade Beef Burgers

Enough of the fancy food, let's get back to the good old basics, and what could be more basic than the humble REAL homemade hamburger!

What makes this a REAL homemade burger you ask?
I don't use bought beef mince or store-bought ready-made patties, as I have no idea what has been added to the mix.  I literally make my own from a solid piece of sirloin, and add a little bacon for the fatty portion.

It sounds complicated but it is so easy as I whizz everything up in a food processor - no fuss, no mess!  Two important points to remember when making the BEST homemade burgers:

1. You need to season well - think of it as an input, output system. If you don't put it in, you aren't gonna get that burst of flavour out.
2. Do not over process the meat and handle it as little as possible.  You don't want the proteins to start breaking down as they will become tough.

What you place on the buns is up to you.  I like to keep it simple.  Lettuce, onion and of course cheese (life is not life without cheese) with a little red onion chutney. 

This is suitable for 2 very hungry foodie lovers (go big or go home)

500g sirloin steak
100g bacon bits
1 egg
3 Tbsp steak sauce or HP or brown sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp onion flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 big burger buns

Add everything - apart from the buns - in a food processor
PULSE 5 times, give or take until the meat is just cut up.  Do not make porridge ...
Divide mix into 2 portions and lightly tap into 2 burger rounds
Remember, don't squeeze or squash them - work lightly like you are handling cracked eggs!
Grill, BBQ or dry-fry to your liking to a medium state
Remove and wrap in foil and stand for 5 min before dressing the buns

Yum .. enjoy and remember to eatloveplaywithfood
          ~Michelle ~

Rosemary Honey Sausage Kebabs

Friday night - don't feel like cooking night' kind of dinner is up for grabs. These are fun and quick and easy and great with a big portion of oven chips on the side.

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Rosemary Honey Sausage Kebabs: BBC Food

Olive oil

12 - 15 sturdy rosemary sprigs (10cm long)
12 - 15 rashers streaky bacon
40 cocktail sausages
2 tbs honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp Piri Piri

Heat over to 180'c
Lightly grease a large baking tray
Remove most of the leaves from each rosemary sprig, leaving a few tufts at the top
Cut each end of the sprig on the diagonal making it a sharp point
Place sausage in a bowl and toss with honey, salt, pepper and Piri Piri
Thread 2 or 3 sausage onto each skewer
Weave and secure a piece of bacon around each
Arrange skewers on baking sheet, drizzle with a little oil
Bake for 15 - 18 min turn and cook another 10 min until bacon is to your liking

Serve with a little sweet chilli sauce on the side!

Baked Goats Cheese with Bacon & Honey

Inspired by a wonderful chef's table I attended last week at one of my hotels @BrusselsMarriott, here is an easy home version of a divine goats cheese starter ideal for entertaining or a simple Sunday supper.  Here we go ... (Suitable for 2 foodie lovers)

Baked Goat's Cheese with Bacon & Honey

100g bacon bits
150g goats cheese
100g bread crumbs
Big hand full of rocket
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp black pepper
Squirt of honey

Pre heat oven to 200'c
Pan fry bacon in a little oil until crispy
Remove and drain on absorbent paper
Cut goats cheese into 1 inch rings
Add bread crumbs to a bowl and carefully add cheese one at a time and cover all sides with crumbs
Place on a greased baking sheet
Bake for 10min until golden brown
Carefully turn over and drizzle each piece with honey
Bake for a further 5 min
Mix rocket, olive oil, vinegar and pepper in a bowl and toss lightly with your fingers
Plate greens on a serving plate
Add warm bacon bits on top of greens and place warm cheese on top
Drizzle with a little more honey and garnish with a few more pieces of bacon

Serve immediately with biscuits or some fresh bread.
Make it count .. have a great week!

Crispy Baked Bacon Pork Fillet

Pork oh-so-delicious.  You can also use Panchetta if you prefer to the bacon. This is a quick and easy 20 minute recipe ideal for weekend or mid-week.  Here we go ... (serves 2 foodie lovers)

2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp dried tarragon
1 tbsp smokey paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
350g - 400g pork fillet
12 - 14 slices bacon

1 apple sliced

2 tsp oil
2 tbsp fresh rocket
Crack black pepper

Preheat oven to 200'C
Smear mustard all over the pork
Mix tarragon, paprika, salt and pepper and sprinkle evenly on all sides of the meat
Wrap bacon around the fillet to enclose and secure with toothpicks
Placed sliced apple down the centre of a greased baking sheet and place pork on top
Drizzle with olive oil
Bake for 20 - 25min until done
Serve on a bed of peppery rocket tossed in a little olive oil dressed with the baked apples

Works really well Serve with some roast garlic mash