Microwaved Bacon

Okay, so this is actually something I posted about elsewhere, almost two years ago. But I realized it's really necessary to re-share. And so I shall.

I received this as a gift one Christmas.


Naturally, I had to immediately use it. And by "immediately" I actually mean two months later, but oh well. Let's get er done.

First step, put it together


Next step, put some bacon on it (you can do 3-5 slices on each "tent", but I didn't need that many so I just spread mine out)


Then I put it into my apparently dirty microwave, with a paper towel to prevent it from getting dirtier


Three minutes later (they say 40-90 seconds per slice)


I must say, I was pretty impressed


My bacon was shaped like V's, but it was cooked and there's no mess


The instructions say something ridiculous like disposing of the grease, but in actuality I poured it in a skillet and used it to cook some chicken


If anyone's interested, I was making bbq chicken pita bread pizzas


The chicken is under all the bacon and cheese


Anyway, point being, microwaved bacon is a reality, and in reality, it's pretty good
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Corn Chowder

This recipe is from the February 2008 issue of Real Simple. the article is "Fast Freezer Meals" and is talking about some frozen foods you can have around to make a quick dinner. The frozen food in this case being corn.

8 oz sliced bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (although I actually used 6 :D )
½ teaspoon smoked paprika (not sure mine was actually smoked)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 ten oz packages frozen corn
3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup half-and-half
salt and pepper
sliced scallions, optional (they're for decoration, I didn't use them)



Start by cooking the bacon


Isn't this the most gorgeous thing ever?


Here's the chopped onion cooking down in 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease (5-7 minutes)


Paprika, garlic, and red pepper flakes added (stir for 2 minutes)


Half and half, chicken broth, and corn added (bring to boil)


Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes


Then you transfer the soup to a blender to puree. The recipe says only transfer half, but I went ahead and pureed all of it because I have texture issues. Then return to pot and add salt and pepper (it says 1½ teaspoons, but I just used a few twists of the grinders). Serve and top with bacon (and scallions if you want).

Corn chowder weeeeee


If you're feeling more adventurous, you could try the shrimp and corn bisque.

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Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

These were served at a rehearsal dinner that I did not attend. But ALL I heard the next day was how amazing they were, so I decided I had to have some for myself.

Who doesn't like things wrapped in bacon?

You'll need:
Shrimp
Cream Cheese
Sliced Jalapenos
Bacon
Toothpicks

First I seasoned the shrimp with a little Tony's


It gets better...

I cut my bacon in half...one piece is too long for the wrapping


I used the canned jalapenos...dripping in their own juice. Depending on the size of the shrimp (or the size of your jalapeno love) you may determine that you need to half or third the slices....or you may want to keep them whole.


Take a shrimp, put a dollop of cream cheese in the little crescent, place a jalapeno slice on top of that, then wrap it with bacon and toothpick it. (This may take a few tries before you get the hang of it).


You can either grill or broil these...broiling was easier for me, and I did over-crisp a few of them...but they were still delicious!


EDIT: I've since perfected this recipe a little, and made a few changes based on other recipes I've seen. I run the jalapeno slices (probably 1/4 to 1/2 a cup) through my mini food chopper and add them directly to the cream cheese, along with some of the juice. You can also add a little seasoning, whatever works best for you (cayenne and garlic maybe, or some Tony's). This makes stuffing the shrimp a one step process. Also, Instead of the individual toothpick route, I'll use skewers. It makes flipping them easier on the grill since you don't have to do them one at a time.

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Pita Bread Pizzas

I've perfected my Chicken Alfredo Pita Bread Pizzas, and come up with a BBQ Chicken version.



You just need chicken, pitas, alfredo sauce and pesto sauce (or bbq sauce), and shredded cheese. I also added bacon.

Cube some chicken


fry some bacon


lay out some pitas


cook the chicken (in the bacon grease if you're feeling unhealthy)


I use sauce out of a jar...alfredo sauce and pesto sauce mixed, and then straight bbq sauce.


Add the chicken (I don't normally have this much chicken on them, but the breasts I cooked were big, so just whatever your preferences is)


I'll use whatever shredded cheese I have around. This time I had a six-blend Italian mix, and I also used some cheddar for the bbq chicken ones.


Crumble your bacon


And sprinkle


Then it's just 10 minutes in the oven at 400 (you're mainly just melting the cheese).


And they reheat pretty well, so I make extras to take for lunch.


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Shrimp & Corn Bisque

Fresh shrimp


Now it's time to make them edible...

losing their heads (and shells and veins)


I didn't pay attention to exact measurements, but I think it's something along the lines of this...
1 yellow onion
½ cup chopped bell pepper
½ cup chopped celery
¼ cup green onion
minced garlic
2 cans cream corn
1 ½ cups of shrimp? it was a big handful out of the bag.
1 pint half and half
½ pint heavy cream
Worcestershire and Tony's to taste
bacon (and its grease) could be considered optional

Let's start with bacon, cause that's always a good place to start


Then, saute onions and celery (SUPER TINY FROM A FOOD CHOPPER) in the bacon grease AND butter (there just wasn't enough bacon grease)


Add bell pepper and a little green onion


MORE BUTTER, and shrimp (and minced garlic). This would probably be a good time for the Worcestershire and Tony's.


Then add cream corn from a can


Then run through a blender so it's all blenderized


Add half and half and/or heavy cream (in this case, I put both). Simmer another 10 or 15 minutes.


yummmmyyy


I topped with bacon but it's phenomenal without


If seafood isn't your thing, you could just try a corn chowder.

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