Thursday, October 31, 2013

Celebrate Bacon This Weekend (Plus HEALTHY Bacon Recipes)

Tomorrow is the long-awaited Southwest Bacon Fest over at the Albuquerque Balloon Museum, featuring tons of live music, local breweries, and of course, lots of bacon-themed events like bacon eating contests, bacon film screenings, bacon poetry contests. There will even be a family area with lots of fun games and activities. To learn more about the Southwest Bacon Fest, click here.
And just in case the festival leaves you with an intense craving for bacon, we’ve found some healthy bacon recipes over at FoodAndWine.com, so you can satisfy your craving with minimal guilt. So once you get back from the Southwest Bacon Fest, here’s our contribution to the weekend:

Warm Corn Chowder Salad with Bacon and Cider Vinegar
ACTIVE: 25 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN
SERVINGS: 10 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
Ingredients
4 thick slices of bacon (4 ounces), cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch dice
8 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt

Directions
1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately low heat, stirring a few times, until it is crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels and let drain.
2. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet. Add the potatoes and cook over moderate heat until they start to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes longer, until almost tender. Add the diced red peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and peppers are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes.
3. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and stir in the onion, cider vinegar, crushed red pepper and bacon. Season the salad with salt and serve. 

Fried Green Tomato BLTs
TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN
SERVINGS: 4

Ingredients
4 slices of bacon
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound unripe green tomatoes or large tomatillos, cut into 1/2-inch slices
Canola oil
8 thick-cut slices of whole wheat or multigrain bread, toasted
Low-fat mayonnaise and baby arugula, for assembling
1. Preheat the oven to 400° and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange the bacon on the foil and bake for about 15 minutes, until crispy. Drain the bacon and cut in half.
2. Meanwhile, put the flour, egg mixture and cornmeal in 3 shallow bowls. Season the cornmeal generously with salt and pepper. Dip the tomato slices in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the cornmeal, pressing to help it adhere. Transfer the slices to a wax paper–lined platter.
3. In a very large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of canola oil until shimmering. Add the tomatoes and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden and crisp, 5 minutes. Drain the tomatoes on paper towels.
4. Lay 4 slices of toast on a work surface and lightly spread with mayonnaise. Top with the green tomatoes, bacon and arugula. Close the sandwiches, cut in half and serve.

Even if you don’t attend the Southwest Bacon Fest, you might’ve worked up an appetite just by reading this! Click here for the complete list of healthy bacon recipes at FoodAndWine.com.

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