Bacon Candy

The name says it all.

Bacon Candy

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp chile powder

20 slices of thick-cut bacon (1 1/2 lbs)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil.  In a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar with the chile powder.  Arrange the bacon strips on the foil and coat the tops with the chile sugar.

Back for 20-25 minutes, until caramelized and almost crisp.  Transfer the bacon to a rack set over a sheet of foil to cool completely.  Serve.

The bacon candy can be made earlier in the day; store at room temperature.

Original link:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/bacon-candy  

Oven-Roasted Cod Crusted with Herbs

This recipe is really tasty.  The lemon zest is a fantastic compliment to the cod.  And last night we threw our leftover garlic and lemon zest in a pan with some zucchini chunks.  Delish.

Oven-Roasted Cod Crusted with Herbs

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 large cloves garlic
1 lemon, zested
Coarse salt
4 (6 to 8-ounce) cod fillets
Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Pile parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and a little coarse salt on the cutting board. Finely chop the lemon-garlic mixture, then combine with plain bread crumbs.

Brush the top of each fillet with olive oil and dip in to the bread crumb herb mixture. Brush a little bit of olive oil in the bottom of a baking pan then place fillet in the pan, crust side up. Roast fillets in oven until firm to the touch, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Original link:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/oven-roasted-cod-crusted-with-herbs-recipe/index.html 

Potato Leek Soup

I started with a basic recipe (link below) and made some key modifications for this creamy potato leek soup.  Not to say that my modifications were particularly healthy (I think at one point I actually poured some bacon grease in the pot of soup) but they sure were delicious. :)

Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients

8 potatoes, peeled and cubed (note: if using red potatoes or similar, feel free to leave the skins on.  I used a mix of russett and reds)
4 cups chicken broth
1 lb bacon (note: surprisingly I didn't use a full lb. and I still had plenty of bacon awesome-ness)
3 leeks, sliced
1 cup heavy cream (note: I noticed mid-cooking that I only had regular cream, so I added a couple tbsp of butter)

Other optional ingredients:

Garlic (minced)

Shallot (sliced)

Spices, such as paprika, bay leaves, salt and pepper, etc.

Directions

In a large saucepan or stockpot, bring potatoes and chicken broth to a boil.  (Optional: add spices; remove bay leaves before serving.) Cook until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of grease and set aside. Saute the leeks in the frying pan with the reserved bacon grease 8 to 10 minutes. (Optional: if adding minced garlic and shallot, saute garlic first for about 1 min until fragrant, then add leeks and shallots).

When the potatoes are tender, stir in the fried leeks, heavy cream and bacon. Stir to blend and remove from heat. Serve hot.



Original link:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-potato-leek-soup-ii/