Red and Green Chicken-Bacon Alfredo

This started as a vague idea - chicken and bacon, pasta with a thin Alfredo sauce. Then the vegetables came into focus, with the peppers barely making the cut, not even showing up in the photo, but they brightened and lightened this dish just perfectly!

• 4oz dry spaghetti
• 2c broccoli florets

Cook the pasta until about halfway done.

Add the broccoli, bring back to a simmer then cover and turn off the heat. After a few minutes, drain in a colander and rinse with icy cold water. Return to the pan and fill it with more icy cold water until the pasta and broccoli are chilled, then drain again.

The bacon came into the picture as it usually does for me. I cut up 1# and fried it for future recipes. This time, after transfering the crispy bacon pieces to brown paper bag to absorb the grease, I kept 2-3T of the fat in the pan.Heat it up and stir in 2T flour.

When this is well combined and bubbly, add some pieces of red bell pepper - about 1-1/2c. When that's once again bubbling, stir in a mix of 6oz. Alfredo sauce and 3oz. of water. Add 1/4c of cooking Sherry if you'd like. Continue stirring until this thickens.

Now add the drained broccoli and pasta and 6-8oz. roasted chicken. Combine gently until well mixed, season with garlic salt and a mix of black and red pepper. Serve with crumbled bacon on top.

Mmmm, I have to say, this one really surprised me! It went together quickly and is one of the best tasting things I've made in a long time. It's probably the bacon. . .Bacon makes everything better!

Be Bold. . .Be Adventurous. . .Happy Cooking! . . .Lin

Garbanzo and Green Pea Salad

The clear container holding 1/2 can of garbanzos kept catching my attention the last couple days. Hmmm, how to use them. . . This morning I decided those would go into a crunchy, bright salad.

To the garbanzos I added 1/2 can of leftover water chestnuts, from our Thanksgiving bean casserole, chopped up 1/4 green pepper and a celery heart. Seasoning was a little garlic salt, 1t good curry powder and a shake of my black + cayenne pepper blend. To hold it together I used about 1/3c each real mayonnaise and sour cream. Then it needed more fresh green color and flavor so I added about 10oz. frozen peas. After that's mixed together, top with homemade bacon crumbles. This went together quickly while I was working on the day 2 procedure for my Thanksgiving turkey, turmeric-oregano bone broth. Mmmm. . .Lin

Chicken and Vegetables with Buckwheat

Did you know buckwheat is gluten free? The name is certainly misleading in this regard. I decided to toast some in the oven to use as a healthy grain in this casserole sort of chicken, mushroom and zucchini dish.

First, measure out the buckwheat you want to use, on a flat baking sheet. Toast this at 350° for a short time. Maybe 10 minutes, but stay with this, the buckwheat I finally used was my 3rd attempt. The first two went from light to dark and unusable, in no time.

The first photo shows bacon pieces frying. This is sort of an optional incidental. I just happened to be making that to transfer to paper towels, then to containers, just to have in the 'fridge. It sure tastes great as a crunchy topping to many things.

Once the buckwheat is toasted, transfer it to a pot with a lid and cook it like rice, with a buckwheat-to-water-ratio of 1 to 2.

Sauté the mushrooms in a couple tablespoons of the bacon grease until they start to brown. Add zucchini chunks, mix gently, cover and let cook over low-medium heat for several minutes before adding the chopped onion and mini peppers. When everything is crisp-tender, stir 6-8oz. of roasted chicken meat. Serve this with or over the buckwheat. After the first serving, I combined them in a casserole dish. It would travel well and be a unique addition to any potluck.

~ ~ Don't forget the bacon! . .Lin ~ ~

Potato-Corn (+ Lots of Vegetables) Chowder

I always love making soup. All kinds of soups. . .
However, Chowders and Bisques are especially interesting to me ever since my first Crawfish Bisque. I bought some crawfish recently, so another big pot of that'll be happening again soon. . .

This was a good combination of ingredients, but of course, if I make it again, I'll add and subtract various things - usually depending on what's in my 'fridge. 

 

Today I started by sauteing 4# of scrubbed, rough-chopped potatoes in some of the rendered bacon fat, but there wasn't much. Then adding the chopped carrots and celery and a big spoonful of ghee. 

Later I also poured in about 1/3c of cooking Sherry.

It was soon clear to me that this wasn't all going to fit in one pot, so after the chopped onion, garlic and mini peppers were added, I divided it between 2 big pots. Then to each pot I added half of the total: corn with the liquid, cream of mushroom soup, coconut milk.

Simmer about 15 minutes before checking the flavors. I added garlic salt, smoky paprika and my mix of cayenne + black pepper, then finished with a big spoonful of chicken Better Than Bouillon. Top with a little crumbled bacon for texture and great flavor.

This turned out really well. . .Lin

An Eggy Breakfast Idea That Took A While To Hatch 😁

I thought of this a long time ago, but often it takes a 'sick day' for me to actually slow down enough to bring an idea to creation. Yesterday I had to push myself to do everything and had a fever for a while. At 2am this morning I woke up sneezing. So. . .now it's a sneezy, sinus cold. No church today!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 sm. Yukon Gold potato

1/3 lg. Vidalia onion

1 raw pasture raised egg

 a little canned coconut milk

1 slice Black Forest ham

1 hard boiled pasture raised egg

crumbled bacon

shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the potatoes and a little of the chopped onion. Let sizzle-saute until these are lightly brown and scenting your kitchen. Turn down the heat and cover.

After a few minutes add the ham. Beat the raw egg with the coconut milk and add that to the pan. Keep things moving just a bit, so it doesn't stick in one place.

When the egg is about half done, sprinkle on your favorite seasonings.

Chop the hard boiled egg and add that, the bacon and the cheese. Lightly stir everything together, cover and remove from the heat.

Serve with some fruit, or vegetables. . .AND. . .coffee, or tea. . .Mmmm. . .Happy Sunday to you. . .Lin

Potato Soup - with bacon and cheese

2oz. crumbled bacon

You can start with a few strips of raw bacon, or the pre-packaged crumbles like I used here. Heat the finely chopped or crumbled bacon in a heavy 4-5 quart pot. When nicely browned, scoop out the pieces and set aside for later. Add butter, more bacon grease or EVOO if needed. Then sauté the following chopped vegetables:

2 carrots

4 celery stalks

1 red mini pepper

1-2c onion and shallot

2# scrubbed Yukon Gold potatoes

When everything starts sizzling, add a little water, stir and continue until a couple cups of water have been added. Add the following then simmer, covered for an hour.

4 c water 

3 bay leaves

1T ground cumin

2T chicken soup base

Cool the soup for 20 minutes, remove the bay leaves and mash with a potato masher. Stir in:

1 can cream of crimini-shiitake mushroom soup

4oz. grated strong cheese

4 chopped green onions

the crumbled bacon

Check the flavors and make adjustments needed in the flavor. Serve with crispy crackers. . .Lin

Walnut Broccoli Brussels Sprout Salad

Measure the following ingredients into a medium glass bowl. Heat them for 20 seconds in the microwave, then whisk well.

1/3c fruity white Balsamic vinegar

2T horseradish mustard

2T fresh lemon juice

1T organic honey

1/3c EVOO

1/2c Mayonnaise

1/2t salt - 1t fresh ground pepper

If you don't want to make dressing, I think a good quality poppy seed dressing or an Asian toasted sesame dressing would be really good!

Cut the top of the broccoli into small florets. Peel and chop the tender part of the stems. Cut the bottoms off the sprouts, take off the first layer of leaves then slice very thin. 

1# broccoli crown

5oz. fresh Brussels sprouts

1 bunch green onions

1c walnuts

1c craisins

~ 1½oz. crisp crumbled bacon - optional

Combine the broccoli and Brussels sprouts with the dressing in the bowl and heat 30 seconds in the microwave. Add the sliced green onions, toss well and let stand 5 minutes to marinate these vegetables just a little. Mix in the craisins and nuts. Toss well to coat everything with the dressing then chill an hour or so to let the flavors blend. Add bacon before chilling, for more flavor, or toss it in just before serving, to keep it crispier. 

I'll make this again! Next time I'll go heavier on the Brussels sprouts! This would pair nicely with grilled shrimp, fish or chicken. Burgers, steak, grilled cheese, mac & cheese, or just by itself as the main course. It's a big bowl full of great cruciferous vegetables, omega 3's. The dressing, craisins, bacon and onion accenting everything perfectly. Dig in and feel The Healthy overtaking your body! 😉 . Lin

Grilled Cheese w/ Tomato, Bacon and Onion

I'm not a huge 'sandwich' person, and I almost never put lettuce on them. One possible exception might be if it was a cross section slice of a really tight, crispy Romaine.

I LOVE a good grilled cheese, with raw onion and tomato. This is a variation with a twist or two.

I'm not crazy about bread, so I only make them a few different ways. Either with good, healthy, sprouted grain bread, pita bread, sandwich rounds -or- what my family used to call 'crud bread.' Pure white garbage bread, with no redeeming nutritive value. If you're not concerned about nutrition, I will say, crud bread makes delicious PB&J's, day-after-Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches-slathered with mayonnaise, and perfect grilled cheese, made with butter and American cheese.

This time, I started with a multi-grain Sandwich Skinny, basically a round pita, sliced horizontally, all the way across. Mayo on the inside of both pieces, a big 1/4" slice of raw onion and beefsteak tomato, a sprinkle of crumbled bacon, sliced Dubliner cheese (which is sort of a Parmesan-Gruyere cheese)

Now this is where things take a turn. . .

Instead of spreading the outside with butter, try using MAYONNAISE! Heat a non-stick pan, place one mayo-ed side down. Cover and let it toast and heat through for a minute or two. Spread mayo on the top, flip it, cover it and turn off the heat. Leave it on the hot burner for another 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Mmmmm. . .Crispy-Grilled-Perfection! 😊 . . Lin

Not-Yo usual Na-Chos 😉

• whole grain Norwegian crispbread
• crumbled bacon
• shredded cheese
• kalamata olives
• sliced green onions
• ½ med. avocado - chopped
• 1 sm. peeled tomato - chopped

Crumble one or two pieces of crispbread into a bowl. Top with any or all of the above. In a small cup, mix some of the sour cream with the green salsa and pour that on top of everything. Warm your taco bowl in the microwave for about a minute. I'm not a fan of ground meat at all, other than in meatloaf and a really good burger on the grill every few years. What I do is buy a couple pounds of bacon, cook it all, drain and cool it, then crumble and store it ziplock bags.

It keeps a long time in the 'fridge or you can freeze it. Then you can add to egg salad, steamed fresh green beans, pea and cheese salad, tossed salad, scrambled eggs, and...NACHOS!

 

Remember, be creative, experiment! Cooking is art, not science! . .Lin

Bacon & Vegetable Egg Bake

As always, be creative.  If you don't have bacon, use smoked chicken, or sliced ham.  Or make it vegetarian or vegan! . .Cooking is art.  More open to interpretation, current refrigerator contents, and going-with-the-flow.  Baking is science.  This recipe contains both actually.

I used to make these with ½-⅔c Bisquick, but ran out once.  I was already chopping and assembling when I realized, so I Googled 'what's in Bisquick.'  I make my own modification of that now, usually using a mix of wheat and corn flour, plus about 1t baking powder and ½t of salt, per cup of flour mix.  My Breakfast Bakes are similar to the Bisquick 'Impossible' recipes in that they don't have an actual crust, bottom or top, like a quiche. The flour mix creates just a hint of that, and holds all the ingredients together nicely.  Good for those of us who are NOT 'crust people.'

Leavening agents always puzzle me, so when this mix turned out well, I was happy. I like to add about ¼-⅓c of good healthy elements also.  Today it's my favorite, one of Linwoods ground seed blends.  They make excellent quality products.  When adding flax, etc., always use ground vs. whole.  Whole seeds don't digest well, so all those good nutrients will just shoot right through you without absorbing 😉

Preheat your oven to 375° and grease an 8"x11" or 9"x13" glass pan.  I usually use coconut oil spray which works great.

5-6oz. good peppery bacon - slice, chop or cut with scissors into small pieces.  Fry, take off the heat and tilt the pan to separate the grease from the bacon.  In a large glass measuring container with a handle and spout. . .

8 lg. eggs - whisk well, then add:

1c grated Parmesan cheese

3T bacon grease

¾-1c liquid
· milk, sour cream + water, coconut-almond milk 

  half and half, (beet, carrot or tomato juice??)

2-3c chopped vegetables, a mix of spicy, aromatic, crunchy and flavorful - whatever you have in the fridge that would go well in this which is similar to an omelette.

3+oz. slice-chopped fresh spinach, kale or other greens

Chop - slice everything and spread evenly in the baking pan. Add the bacon pieces.

⅔c flour mix - today it was ¼c each, coconut flour and oat bran

½t each, salt & pepper, 1t baking powder

2T ground flax, chia, sunflower, sesame and goji berry mix

Breakfast Bake, Salad w/Vinaigrette, Kohlrabi = 425 calories

Mix the dry ingredients well in a small bowl, then just before baking, add to the egg mixture in the glass container.  Whisk well, pour over everything in the pan and top with cheese.  Today I used 6 slices of American cheese and sprinkled the top with a little smokey paprika just before it went in the oven.  Bake 30 minutes or until it's nicely set.  Remove from the heat, cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.  This will keep well in the 'fridge for 3-5 days.  Since it makes a nice big pan, have a friend over for breakfast, bring some to your book or study group, or just about any hungry person you know, who needs to see your face! . .Lin

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Quinoa (millet and buckwheat)

I was putting together my Quarantine-Florentine Meatloaf, and kept looking at that pile of leftover spinach leaves.  Hmm, I have a really good mix of nuts, I have strawberries, green onion, even feta cheese.  And bacon!  And a balsamic vinaigrette I made a while ago... Okay, when the meatloaf is put together and baking, I'm gonna make a BIG salad.

a BIG handful of fresh spinach

4 big ripe strawberries and tops

2 very large green onions

¼c quinoa--mine was a quinoa-buckwheat-millet mix

½c+ water for cooking it

½c chopped mixed nuts--mine were macadamias, cashews and walnuts

for even more crunch, you could add sliced celery hearts or chopped water chestnuts

Slice or chop all the fresh ingredients into a big, BIG bowl.  I saw something on a cooking show or read an article by a chef recently - can't remember which - where it was mentioned we should be eating strawberry greens.  That they're like a little mini fruit salad that way.  Okay, I'm game!  Rinse the quinoa, then combine it with the water in a little pan, bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low until you hear that the water is gone. Add another drizzle of water, along with the chopped nuts, stir, cover and remove from the heat for another 5 minutes.  Combine in the big bowl with the fresh ingredients, toss, dress, top with crumbled bacon, feta cheese and some good black pepper to wake it all up!  Mmmm!  Salad!  I ate half of this, then later came back for the rest.  It seemed to need more acid and fruit.  I grated in some orange peel and cut up a CaraCara orange into what was left. Perfect! . . .Lin

Dandelion Greens, Bacon and Beans

3 lg. cloves garlic - minced

1 med. onion - chopped

¾c chopped pecans

2T bacon grease or EVOO

1 lg. bunch dandelion greens*

1c bean cooking water

2-3c cooked Heirloom Tepary Bean

¾c crispy cooked bacon crumbles

2t sugar

1T Better Than Bouillon - vegetable

Saute' the garlic, onion and pecans, in grease or oil, in a big, non-stick pan, covered, to get things going quickly.  Normally I would NOT use a purple onion for this since they usually turn a really odd purple-green color when cooked, but that doesn't really matter considering the color of the other ingredients.  When sizzling, reduce the heat and add the chopped greens. *(Dandelion greens are very bitter.  If you're not a fan of that, substitute a milder, dark green kale.)  Bring back to a sizzle again then add the water.  Cover and simmer 5 minutes.  Add the beans, half the bacon crumbles, sugar, cover and simmer again another 5 minutes.  Check the flavors and add the soup base only if needed, since there's a lot of salt in the bacon, but it did help counteract a little of the bitterness in the greens after I added it.

Pour this into a casserole dish, sprinkle with the remaining crispy bacon.

Refrigerate until ready to reheat and serve.

This is good by itself or with a bland, neutral meat such as fish or chicken.  Reheat, uncovered at 350⁰ for 10-15 minutes. . .Lin

Chili-Lime Vegetable and Bacon Egg Bake

In a medium glass bowl, combine:

3T corn flour

2t+/- baking powder

1½t Little's Cusine Chili Lime seasoning

~ whisk together then add:

⅓c sour cream

2T water

2T white balsamic vinegar

1c feta cheese crumbles

8-12 eggs

Whisk again then pour over 4-6 cups of whatever vegetables you have in your garden or 'fridge, in a greased 9"x13"x1" glass pan.

Top with ¾-1# chopped bacon you've precooked, drained and placed on brown paper, until crispy.

Bake this covered, in preheated 350⁰ oven for 20 minutes.  Uncover and continue baking another 10-20 minutes or so, until everything's looking nicely baked.

I used an 8"x11"x2" glass pan, which holds 30-40% more, so, due to the depth, my total time was more like 45-60 minutes.  After the first 20 minutes, I dropped the oven to 325⁰.  Check with a toothpick.  If it comes out clean and the top is set, it's done.

This is great, versatile option to have in the 'fridge for breakfast, lunch or dinner. . .Lin

Rainbow Chard Breakfast Pie - (gluten-free)

1 bunch of rainbow chard

a handful of garlic scapes

2 lg. cloves of garlic

⅓lg. red pepper

8 lg. eggs

½c half and half

3T corn flour

1t black pepper

½t baking soda

½t baking powder

¾c cooked, drained bacon crumbles

4oz. sharp hard cheese

Steam the finely chopped stems and cut up leaves, of the chard 10-15 minutes, drain.  Chop the next 3 ingredients.

In a medium glass bowl, whisk the eggs and half and half together.  When well blended, add the dry ingredients and continue to whisk well.  (1t of pink Himalayan is shown, but not listed.  The bacon provides enough sodium)  Butter a glass pie pan, add half the cooked chard, half the chopped vegetables, then half the egg mixture, repeat then sprinkle on the bacon and cheese.  Bake at 350° 20-25 minutes. . .Lin

Onion-Bacon-Provolone-Stuffed Beef Burgers

1½# ground chuck

1c finely chopped onion

2T tomato paste (in a tube)

4 lg. cloves garlic - minced

1c provolone cheese cubes

½c organic flax-chia blend

½c quick rolled oats

1c bacon crumbles

2 jumbo eggs

1t fresh ground black pepper

2t fresh ground garlic sea salt

Combine all the ingredients, mixing well with a wooden spoon and your hands, in a medium size bowl.  On a long sheet of waxed paper, divide the giant meatball into 8 equal 6 oz. parts and shape into patties.  I fried one and froze the rest.




Heat a little water and an equal part of butter or oil.  When it's sizzling or steaming, add the burger.  Cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes.  Flip and add broccoli florets, re-cover, and cook another 3-4 minutes. . .Lin

Savory Bacon and Cheese Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower

3-4T butter

seasoned salt

red and black pepper

Put the cauliflower in an ovenproof casserole with about ½c water.  Butter and season as shown.  Cover then bake or microwave until it's just partially tender.

¼c cooked-crumbled bacon

¼c gorgonzola or bleu cheese

Italian breadcrumbs - optional

Chop the cauliflower up a bit, sprinkle with the bacon, crumbled cheese (breadcrumbs?) and heat again to finish the cooking and melt the cheese.  Today this was my late breakfast and it was wonderful! . . . Lin