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.
