Bacon, Cheese & Tomato Loaf

Bacon, Cheese & Tomato Loaf

This yummy loaf plus a salad equals supper on the deck, porch or patio.

Prep Time: 10 min.

Yield: 8 Srv.

1 lb. loa of garlic-buttered French bread

4 medium or 2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced

½ C coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves (or 1 Tbsp dried)

2 C shredded cheddar

6 slices criply cooked bacon, crumbled
Heat oven to 350°F. Heat bread according to package directions; split loaf lengthwise. Place loaf halves, split-side up, onto ungreased baking sheet.

To assemble sandwich, layer each half evenly with tomato, basil, cheese and bacon. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*Substitute 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves.

January 14, 2017

Apple-Cheddar Salad with Walnuts

Apple-Cheddar Salad with Walnuts

Ingredients

¼ c. apple cider or apple juice
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. Honey
¼ tsp. salt
.13 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 medium head Boston lettuce
1 lb. Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, or Empire apples
¼ c. walnuts
3 oz. shaved extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

In large serving bowl, whisk together cider, vinegar, honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Add lettuce and apple slices to bowl and toss to coat. Arrange salad on 6 plates; top with walnuts and Cheddar cheese.

January 14, 2017

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
8 fresh sage leaves
2 cups thick-cut white bread cubes, crusts removed
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth, plus more if needed
1 (3 pound) pork loin roast, butterflied

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, apples and sage. Saute until softened. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the bread, egg, butter and salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth gradually until everything is moistened. Let the stuffing mixture cool completely before putting it in the pork loin. Spoon the stuffing down the pork, horizontally, in a line. Roll the pork over the stuffing, jelly roll style, ending with the seam down and fat side up. Lightly score the fat, in a diamond pattern, with a sharp knife. Tightly tie the pork roast up with butcher’s twine, season it with more salt and pepper, and transfer to a roasting pan. Roast the pork in a preheated oven for about 90 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with apples and fresh herbs.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/apple-stuffed-pork-loin-roast-recipe.html?oc=linkback

January 14, 2017

Apple-Cheddar Salad with Walnuts

Apple-Cheddar Salad with Walnuts

Ingredients

¼ c. apple cider or apple juice
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. Honey
¼ tsp. salt
.13 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 medium head Boston lettuce
1 lb. Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, or Empire apples
¼ c. walnuts
3 oz. shaved extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

In large serving bowl, whisk together cider, vinegar, honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Add lettuce and apple slices to bowl and toss to coat. Arrange salad on 6 plates; top with walnuts and Cheddar cheese.

January 14, 2017

Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic, Herbs, and Parmesan Recipe

Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic, Herbs, and Parmesan Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: Serves 4 as a side

This recipe can easily be doubled. If you use delicate herbs such as basil or tarragon, toss them in at the end with the Parmesan.

Ingredients

8 ounces angel hair pasta
Salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1/8 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (or more to taste)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (1 Tbsp salt for every 2 quarts of water).

2 While the water is heating in step 1, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan on medium heat. Add the sliced garlic, chili pepper flakes, finely chopped herbs, and chopped parsley to the oil. Cook for one minute or until the parsley has wilted and the garlic is emitting a strong fragrance. Remove from heat.

3 The angel hair pasta will cook in about 2 minutes once it starts, so get everything ready. Once the water is at a rolling boil, add the pasta. Cook at a rolling boil until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse briefly with cold water, just enough to stop the cooking, but not so much as to make the pasta cold. The pasta should still be quite warm.

4 Place pasta in a large bowl. Pour herbed garlic sauce over the pasta and gently toss to combine. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper over the pasta and gently toss to combine.

Serve immediately as a side dish. Reheats well if you make ahead.

January 14, 2017

Angel Chicken

Angel Chicken

Ingredients

4 ounces (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Philadelphia® Cream Cheese, softened

1 10 3/4 ounce can reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup Kraft® Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 pound angel hair pasta, uncooked

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Beat cream cheese, soup, dressing and wine with whisk until blended; pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cook on LOW 4 to 5 hours (or on HIGH 2 to 3 hours).
Cook pasta as directed on package about 15 min. before chicken is done; drain. Serve topped with chicken mixture and parsley.

Tip

Chicken thighs are preferred over chicken breasts in slow-cooker recipes since they are more flavorful and less likely to overcook. Substitute water or chicken broth for the wine.

January 14, 2017

Alsatian Pizza with Bacon and Caramelized Onions

100% would make it again

enlarge image

This French-inspired pizza makes a good first course, great party food, or even a satisfying main with a green salad on the side. Don’t worry if your kids ask, “Where’s the tomato sauce?” Once they try a slice of this pie, they’ll be sold on the marriage of crisp bacon, nutty Gruyère, and sweet onions. hide ›

Ingredients

For the Foolproof Pizza Dough

2/3 cup (5 fl oz/160 ml) warm water (105°–115°F/40°–46°C)
1 package (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 cups (10 oz/315 g) bread flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
8 slices thick-cut applewood–smoked bacon, cut into strips
Cornmeal for dusting
1/4 lb (125 g) Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Preparation

To make the pizza dough, in a bowl, whisk together the water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Pull the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead a few times, then form into a ball. Oil a second bowl, put the ball in the bowl, and turn to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free area. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1–1 1/2 hours.
While the dough is rising, in a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and stir to coat. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and stir once more. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
At the same time, in a second sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Brush and oil the grill grate.
Dump the dough onto a floured work surface, then divide in half. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out 1 half into a round 10—12 inches (25—30 cm) in diameter and about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Repeat with the second half.
Slide 1 round onto a baker’s peel or a rimless baking sheet dusted with cornmeal, and then carefully slide the round off the peel onto the grill directly over the fire. Repeat with the second round. Cook the crusts until the underside is well marked, about 2 minutes. Using the peel, transfer the crusts, grilled side up, back to the work surface.
Top each crust with half the onions, half the bacon, and then half the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Using the peel, return the topped crusts to the grill, cover the grill, and cook until each crust is firm and browned at the edges and the cheese has melted a bit, 4—6 minutes.
Transfer the pizzas to a cutting board and sprinkle with the thyme. Cut into wedges and serve at once.

The Game Plan

Make pizza dough; let rise for 1—1 1/2 hours; meanwhile, cook onions and bacon
Set up grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat
Roll out dough
Grill undersides of pizzas; flip and add toppings
Grilling time: 6—8 minutes

January 14, 2017

7 Ways to Make Lentil Soup

7 Ways to Make Lentil Soup

3|18|11

Makes: 4 servings

Time: About 45 minutes

Lentils make soup making easy—they cook quickly and are incredibly tasty. And unlike many lentil soups, which are so thick they put people off completely, this one is nicely balanced with some simple vegetables. The lentils break down a bit during the cooking to give the soup a hearty consistency, but you can purée it if you prefer. Recipe from How to Cook Everything.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

***1 onion, chopped

***1 carrot, cut into 1/2 -inch dice

***1 celery stalk, cut into 1/2 -inch dice

1 cup lentils, washed and picked over

1 bay leaf

6 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock or water

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

Put the oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, just a minute or two. Add the carrot and celery and keep cooking and stirring until brightly colored and hot, about 2 minutes.
Add the lentils, bay leaf, and stock; sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. (At this point, you may cool and refrigerate the soup, covered, for up to 2 days; reheat gently.) Add more stock if the soup is too thick. Just before serving, taste, sprinkle with salt and more pepper if needed, and serve.

Lentil Soup with Lemon and Dill. About a minute before serving, stir in 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, or to taste.

Lentil Soup with Cumin. Add 11/2 teaspoons ground cumin along with the bay leaf. Add a squeeze of lime or orange juice, if you like, and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and chopped fresh cilantro.

Lentil Soup with Smoked Paprika. Add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika along with the bay leaf. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives if you like.

***Lentil Soup with Sausage or Bacon. Start with about 1/4 pound chopped sausage, bacon, or pancetta and cook it in the soup pot until slightly crisp before adding the other ingredients in Step 1. Drain the fat if you like or use it and omit the olive oil.

***Lentil Soup with Roasted Garlic. Omit the onion, carrot, and celery. Prepare and peel 1 or 2 heads of roasted garlic. In Step 1, cook the garlic in the olive oil for a minute or two, mashing and stirring until fragrant.

Lentil Soup with Dried Tomatoes. Omit the onion, carrot, and celery. In Step 1 cook 1/2 cup dried tomatoes (preferably not oil-packed) and a tablespoon of minced garlic in the olive oil for a minute or two, stirring occasionally, until both are softened and fragrant. Proceed with the recipe.

January 14, 2017

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter & Honey Cereal Bars

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter & Honey Cereal Bars

Ingredients (9 bars)

1/2 cup crunchy natural peanut butter, well-stirred
1/2 cup honey
3 cups toasted whole grain oats cereal (I used Trader Joe’s O’s)

Instructions

Line an 8 x 8 inch square pan with parchment.

Combine peanut butter & honey in a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Heat until mixture just starts to simmer, about 2-3 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and stir until mixture is well-combined.

Stir in cereal until evenly coated. Pour mixture into prepared pan, cover with

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