Oh, and, uh, bacon. Clearly.
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It’s Spring and that means swimsuit season is coming. As a result I’ve been trying to eat healthier and a lot of times that means trying new grains and sometimes eating Vegetarian.
While I may have bacon almost every day, even the most awesome food items need a break every now and again. Normally when I stuff peppers I use rice but I’ve been trying to figure out a way to work quinoa into my diet more.
If you aren’t familiar with quinoa, it is a grain indigenous to South America. It’s gluten free, good for you, and quite tasty (the Incans regarded it as being a sacred food).
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I was craving some warm, comforting flavors and here’s what I came up with.
Prosciutto is like ham’s fancy cousin (which makes it closely related to our good friend bacon) and is one of those meats that “plays well with others” and can be easily added to many dishes.
Risotto is equally versatile and can be part of many dishes, no matter the season. It can be a process to make, simply because you need to add lots of liquid and stir often, so when making risotto it’s always helpful to have a kitchen partner in crime.
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I get excited when stuff I like goes on sale at the grocery store. Like eggplant. I haven’t really done a whole lot with eggplant except fry it.
And let’s be clear…frying = awesome. To be more clear, frying in a cast-iron skillet = heavenly.
Instead of the traditional parmesan-style of preparation, I make mine into little sandwiches. It’s the same thing I do with a lot of fried round objects (fried green tomatoes, fried apple rounds, fried squash rounds). Take two little round fried lovelies and put some cheese in the middle. Mmmmmmmmmm…
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Apparently I’m as obsessed with kale as I am with bacon. Kale seems to be popping up in all of my recipes lately. So today, let’s combine my two loves and have a dish with bacon-y (and kale-icious) goodness! This dish can also easily become both vegetarian and vegan by removing the bacon and replacing the bacon grease with olive oil.
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Today’s recipe is made just for you inspired by one of you! I got an email from reader Shannan who wanted to know how to make her favorite chinese soup at home. She’s a vegetarian so the recipe below is also herbivore-friendly, but I added pork to mine (as you’ll note in the pictures). She is a kitchen newbie, so I’ve provided more in-depth directions in certain places.
If you add ground pork to yours you can either cook this separately and add it into the soup, or (and I prefer this method) slice the pork into long strings and add the raw pork during the broth step and allow the heat from the broth to slow cook the pork pieces with all the flavors of your soup.
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It’s cold where a lot of you are (and buried in snow if you’re anywhere close to the East coast!) and perhaps you’re feeling a little stir crazy. Summer is a great time for barbecues and outdoor revelry, but what about when you’re cooped up in the winter?
I earned my Jr. Adult status recently by hosting a dinner party with some of my favorite people. They helped by each bringing an ingredient and their smart selves for fabulous conversation. I had scrabble and the Olympics in case the conversation lulled, lots of wine, antipasto as appetizers, sorbet for dessert, and a delicious hearty stew as our main focus.
What’s key with a dinner party is to have either a variety of dishes or make dishes that can be easily adapted to fit the dietary needs of your guests. We had one pescetarian and one pescephobic in our midst so I made a small separate pot without the sausage, and simply dished out the fish-haters bowl of stew before adding the mussels to the rest of the pots.
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Recently I had the pleasure of being invited to a dinner party hosted by some lovely folks from Israel. Our food was Mediterranean themed and our gracious hosts made such wonderful dishes as falafel, Israeli salad, hummus, roasted chickpeas salad, and chicken shawarma with fresh pita.
Traditionally shawarma refers to meat that has been slow-roasted on a spit rotisserie style. It is often served as a sandwich or wrap with a pita and fattoush salad. Our version has been adapted for home cooks without access to a rotisserie (or hours for slow cooking).
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Generally, this website is reserved for recipes and other tips like pantry stocking or planning that are directly related to making meals. Today however, I leave you the video below. I know it is 22 minutes long. But I promise you, it is 22 worthy minutes. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t have placed it here.
Jamie Oliver–perhaps known to you as “The Naked Chef”–has been working on a “food revolution” for the past seven years. Many of the folks highlighted in the below talk come from a third generation of folks who have never cooked their own food. Ever.
When I started this blog, it was cheekily named “Bacon and Other Bad Habits.” I love bacon. There’s no doubt about that. But I also consciously eat healthily most of the time. Many of the recipes here reflect special diet restrictions. Vegans and folks who are gluten intolerant can find recipes here. Carnivores, Herbivores, Pescetarians can find food here.
I write and I cook for the same two reasons–I love to.
Perhaps you’re learning to cook and that’s why you’re here. Perhaps you are an excellent home cook and you love the tips, tricks, and recipe ideas we feature here. Frankly, today it doesn’t matter exactly why you’ve come here. Please, this is what I ask you to come away with
So I present you with a challenge:
Watch this. And please, teach someone how to cook. Even just one meal.
xoxo, Leah.
I have loved bacon ever since I was old enough to gum on its salty goodness. At an early age I declared I wanted to marry bacon and was sad to find out that little girls could not marry food products.
I was a vegetarian for a time—I could totally write love songs about kale—but bacon was the gateway drug that led me back to being an omnivore. So, my love of bacon and love of veggies collided, and here we are. The food is great. The pictures, so-so.
xoxo, Leah
