Cooking

Everything is better with bacon.

A favorite local restaurant of our makes bacon pepper jelly that I just can’t get enough and that began my search for how to make it at home. This recipe isn’t the same as the restaurant, but I love it just the same.

Bacon Jam

adapted from Martha Stewart

• 1lb uncooked bacon
• 2 medium yellow onions diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 jalapeno diced
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 1 cup brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 6 4oz. jam jars with lids

First we need to cook the bacon. I prefer doing it in the oven, but if you prefer the skillet then do what works for you.

Let the bacon cool and reserve 2 tablespoons of the grease that cooked off.

In a skillet, pour in the bacon grease and add the onions, bell pepper and jalapeno. Cook until the onion start to become translucent in about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.

Next add the sugar, syrup, coffee and vinegar. Bring your concoction up to boil. Chop up your cooled, cooked bacon into 1 in. bites. Add the bacon.

You can leave the mixture in your skillet on medium low or put into a slow cooker uncovered for 4 hours. For both methods, the jam should cook at least 4 hours and can cook as long as 6 hours. Stir occasionally.

The jam is still going to seem very thin or watery even after the 4 hours are up, but don’t worry it will firm up when it cools down. After 4 hours, turn off the heat and let the jam cool for 15 minutes.

Once the jam has cooled some, pour into a food processor and pulse 5 – 8 times.

We are not going to officially can the jam, but the jars and lids should be sterile so be sure you boil them in hot water for at least 10 minutes before you spoon in the jam. Having the jars hot will also prevent the jars from breaking when you pour in your jam.

When your jars are ready, spoon in the jam leaving about 1/4 inch head space. Close the lids and let the jam cool for another 30 minutes before you store them in the refrigerator.

Jam should last 4 weeks in the refrigerator.

I had a mini pie-a-palooza over the last couple of weeks and this seems to be the winner of them all. This pie is most famous for belonging to In Jennie’s Kitchen. If you haven’t heard the story of Jennie and her husband Mikey, then you should go to her blog. In this season of giving thanks and being with loved ones, what has happened to them serves as a reminder that everything is temporary and we need to savor the good times while they last.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

(adapted from In Jennie’s Kitchen blog)
Serves 10 to 12
Crust:
9 ounces chocolate animal crackers
5 tablespoons butter, melted
Chocolate Layer:
4 ounces finely chopped milk chocolate
1/4 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts
Filling:
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup creamy-style peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Ganache:
½ cup heavy cream
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Whipped cream topping:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts

Add the cookies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Combine melted butter and cookie crumbs in a small bowl, and stir with a fork to mix well. Press mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake crust at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Melt the milk chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Pour over bottom of cookie crust and spread to the edges. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the melted chocolate. Place pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Pour 1 cup of the heavy cream into a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Beat the cream cheese and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth.

Stir in a scoop of the whipped cream into the filling mixture and then fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan. Put in the refrigerator to cool for one hour.

Chop of semisweet chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl. Warm ½ cup cream in a saucepan on medium heat until small bubbles start to form. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and let it sit for about two minutes. Stir the chocolate until it is smooth and melted. Pour over your pie to cover the top. Place the pie back in the refrigerator and let it set overnight.

When you are ready to present, whip the last one cup of cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a mixer until stiff peaks form. Place the whipped cream on top of the pie and garnish with more chopped peanuts if desired.

You can also drizzle the plate with melted peanut butter and chocolate to decorate. It’s best to let the drizzle harden in the refrigerator before placing the pie on top or serving.

It’s fall and the holiday season is right around the corner which means I start to go into hyper drive with cooking and crafting. I was inspired to make this brittle from the Spiced Pumpkin Seed Brittle post on Craftzine. I have a brittle recipe I love though, so I add some spices and pumpkin seeds to it. The brittle isn’t too hard and the spice is really mild. If you’re adventurous, I would recommend playing with different spices and nuts to suit your taste.

Spicy Pumpkin Seed Brittle

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup butter (plus more for coating a cookie sheet)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda sifted
• 2 cups roasted, salted pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Special Equipment: Candy thermometer

In a 3-quart, nonstick, heavy saucepan clip on your candy thermometer and then combine sugar, butter, corn syrup and water and stir occasionally until melted and it reaches 275 degrees. This will take some time to get that hot, so in the meantime, take out your cookie sheet and coat it liberally with butter and place it on a heat resistant surface so you’ll be ready when the candy is done.

When the sugar mixture reaches 275 degrees, add in the pumpkin seeds. The temperature should drop when the seeds are added and stir them in well. Keep stirring occasionally until the thermometer reaches 295 degrees. At that point, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. It will start to foam and you should work quickly, plus be very careful. You’ve got hot lava here! Pour the candy onto your coated cookie sheet and let cool for 1 to 2 hours.

Once the candy is cool and solid, break up the pieces carefully (the edges are sharp!) The brittle should be stored in an air-tight container and should last about a week.

This blog is quickly becoming the Distracted Chef. I’m certainly on a cooking kick lately and this following recipe is something I mixed up a few weeks ago and is something I swear I could eat every day. I was inspired by The Pioneer Woman’s Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork, but I had to put my own twist to it. This recipe is super easy and the spices and the root beer are just a miracle together.  The only problem is that it takes so long too cook!

Adobo Root Beer Pulled Pork Recipe:

• 4lbs pork shoulder (sometimes called Boston Butt or Pork Butt)
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 12 oz. bottle root beer (I used St. Arnold’s Root Beer)
• 7.5oz can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• Black pepper

Start your oven at 275 degrees.

In a dutch oven over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. When the oil is heated, add the onion and  shallot and let cook until it begins to become translucent, usually 5 – 10 minutes. Next step is to add your spices, the oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, a few grinds of black pepper and the garlic. Let that cook for about 2 minutes to give the garlic a chance to start smelling good. Add the root beer and let it cook for another 7 – 10 minutes to let it concentrate, but do not boil.

Meanwhile, get out your pork shoulder and give it a good massage with salt and pepper.  Once the root beer has had its chance to cook down, add the pork and top it with the whole can of chipotle peppers. Be sure to get all the sauce you can out of the can, it is priceless.

Put the cover on your dutch oven and place it in the oven for 4 hours to cook. After the first hour, turn the pork over once.

At the four hour mark, start checking your pork for doneness. Mine usually is done 4 1/2 hours in, but it depends on your oven and the size of your pork. The pork should be easily pulled apart using a fork.

When it is ready, remove from the oven a let it sit for 15 – 20 minutes to cool down some. Remove the pork from the pot and set aside to shred.

Skim off the fat that has risen to the top of your sauce in the pot. When that is done, strain the sauce through a sieve to catch the onions and peppers, squeezing out all the sauce you can. Return the sauce back to the pot and start cooking it on medium heat on the stove to concentrate the sauce a bit more.

Using two forks, start pulling apart your pork being sure to weed out any bones or pieces of fat. When all your meat is shredded, add it back tot he pot and let it reunite with the sauce. This is the place where you will want to sing “O Happy Day”.

This is great served with corn tortillas or onion buns or even just on its own. It is so good!

It is like 1,000,000,000 degrees outside still and the only thing I can think about is ice cream. I’ve been churning out ice cream, sorbets and popsicles for months now. This one is my favorite and is pretty trendy right now. It’s just delicious.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream Recipe

• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 teaspoon  sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups 2% milk (you can use whole milk for a richer ice cream)
• 3 large eggs
• An ice cream maker

When it is a hundred million degrees outside, this is the perfect thing for lunch or dinner. I love bruschetta and this pasta is so much less work and is just delicious. The bonus is that you only have to turn your stove on for a few minutes to cook the pasta. Heaven knows, you don’t need any more heat going on.

What You’ll Need:
Serves Two

• 12 oz bag of cherry tomatoes, stems removed and tomatoes quartered
• 1 bunch fresh basil, julienned
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Teaspoon balsalmic vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon kosher salt
• Couple of grinds of black pepper
• Pasta of your choice

Mix all ingredients (except the pasta) in a bowl and cover tightly at room temperature for 4 hours letting the tomatoes macerate. Take a moment to look at the tomatoes and basil together – just beautiful.

If you plan on waiting longer than 4 hours, put the mixture in a refrigerator. You don’t really want to wait longer than 12 hours to eat this though.

Cook and drain your pasta. Mix the tomato mixture with your pasta to coat and you’re done. I bet you didn’t even break a sweat.

I love a good cheese ball.

You’ve probably heard of cake pops from the crazy talented Bakerella and now here are some pops on the savory side, cheese pops. I got inspired from the Bacon Pops post on The Kitchn, but to be honest I just wanted an easy way out so I cut a few corners.

I started with goat cheese and a cream cheese that already had herbs and flavorings, namely Chavrie with basil and roasted garlic and some Alouette sundried tomato and basil cream cheese. The bacon and pecans are very real and very delicious. Ready to cut some corners? Let’s get started.

What You’ll Need:

Goat Cheese Pops (makes 10)

• Chavrie (I used flavored with basil and Goat Cheese, but use whatever flavor appeals to you)
• 4 ounces Cream Cheese
• 3 Bacon strips, cooked and diced finely
• 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
• Black Pepper
• Lollipop sticks
• Ice cream scoop, 1 tablespoon size (optional)
• Plastic gloves (optional)

In a bowl, combine the goat cheese and the cream cheese. Add pepper to taste and add a few pinches of the bacon pieces and continue to mix. On a plate, mix the remaining bacon and pecan pieces and set aside.  Using an ice cream scoop, start scooping out balls of of cheese. If you don’t have a scoop you can use a measuring spoon for 1 tablespoon. With your plastic gloves on, roll the cheese into balls. and then roll the ball on the plate of pecans and bacon. Place the finish ball in a dish and insert the lollipop stick. Once all your pops are done, put the pops in the freezer for 20 minutes and then keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

For the sundried tomato cream cheese pops, follow the same method except you just scoop the cheese directly out of the container, no mixing or additions necessary. Alouette has many flavors, so choose one that sounds good to you.

You could also remove the sticks and just serve them as mini/personal-size cheese balls.

What is Fall without some caramel apples? You see these fancy apples in gourmet stores these days and they can cost $10 or more. For the same $10 you can make a batch for you with plenty left over for gifts.

I use Honey Crisp apples for this since they are huge and they’re sweet and crisp hence the name I’m guessing, but they’re great. You can use whatever apple that appeals to you.

Which ever apple you choose, be sure to put them is some boiling water for a minute to get the wax off the skin. If you skip this step, all the caramel goodness will slide right off your apple.

A really great tutorial for making your own apples can be found at The Yummy Life.

A recipe in pictures first. The real recipe is below.

During my youth in Louisiana, I became acquainted with hush puppies at an early age. I’ve never been crazy about seafood, so hush puppies were always my favorite part of any fish fry. Like many foods, I miss how my mother made them and never can seem to find good hush puppies in restaurant. I’m a hush puppy purist. No corn or jalapenos please!

This weekend, I gave hush puppies a shot myself.

Put cornmeal, baking soda, salt sugar and flour in a sifter….

In a separate bowl, combine 1 egg and milk….

Mix the egg/milk with the cormeal/flour. Add 4 chopped green onion, cayenne, tabasco and Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning.

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees and then grab a ice cream scoop to measure out your dough. Gently drop the dough scoops in the fryer and wait until they are golden brown. You may want to move them around a little while they are cooking so they don’t stick together. They are usually ready in 4 minutes depending on how big your scoop is of course.

Fried deliciousness!