I know I am not the only person on this planet that loves, yes I said LOVES, hotdogs. Here is a little different way to prepare them.
This will take about 6-7 minutes to make up and you can make a 6 of them.
- 3/4 cup diced fresh pineapple (eyes removed and cored)
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- 6 bacon slices, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 6 hot dogs, halved lengthwise
- 6 slices havarti jalapeno cheese, halved
- 6 hot dog rolls, sliced open along the top, not the side.
In a frypan, saute the pineapple in butter until starting to turn a light brown; add the maple syrup and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Grill the hotdogs for a minute on each side and keep warm.
Place the cheese slices along the bun and warm until the cheese begins to melt, and then add the hot dog, and top with the pineapple and crumbled bacon. OMG! This is soooo tasty.
Another Breakfast Quiche
It is simple and we used it in our Bed and Breakfast occasionally. Bring it up with different flavours with anything you like to have. This is a favourite of ours.9 inch pie crust (homemade or frozen)
- 12 bacon slices (I like the maple bacon)
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups half and half cream
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 1/2 cups grated Havarti cheese
- 1 tsp. onion salt
- 1/2 cup chopped asparagus in 1 inch pieces (woody ends cut off)
Blind bake the pie crust, making sure to dock the bottom with a fork.
Fry the bacon crisp and cut in bite size pieces.
Whisk the eggs and cream together. Line the pie crust with the cheese, then add the bacon and asparagus and finally the egg mixture poured over all. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese and bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven to 300 and bake a further 30 minutes.
Test the center with a knife. Let stand for 10 minutes then serve with a nice green salad and warm roll and butter.
This is a lovely breakfast or perfect light lunch.
Carmelized Onion and Bacon Mini Quiches
Nothing makes a hostess super great except by being prepared and not a slave in the kitchen when you have a house full of company. They came to see you, talk to you and enjoy all you have to offer. Your job, however, is to plan ahead, make ahead and only allow last minutes tasks to take place.
That means candles lit, nuts, candies in dishes spread around for easy access by everyone and double check before the doorbell rings that your bathroom is sparkling clean and then greet them, put a drink in their hands and bring out the “oh my” quiches.
- Use ready-to-use mini pastry shells.
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 oz. bacon, cooked crisp
- 3 tsp. whole grain mustard
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 -3/4 cup half and half cream
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a skillet until hot and add the onion, cooking over medium heat for about 30 minutes until golden. This brings out the sweetness of the onion. (so they say).
Remove the onion and allow to cool. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Add the onion to this and 3 tsp. of the mustard. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Beat the eggs until foamy and add the cream, blending completely. Into the tart shells, add equals amounts of the onion mixture and carefully spoon the egg mixture over the top. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet(s) and bake for 15-18 minutes until puffed and golden in colour.
Make sure each guest has a small plate and napkin. Enjoy and I hope you have more …they’ll be asking.
Now….where did I put my wine glass?
Grilled Caesar Focaccia
This is a great way to have ‘homemade’ focaccia bread. It is easy, tasty and everyone will love it. You may have to make two at a time.
- 1 lb. store bought pizza dough
- 2 tbsp. cornmeal
- 8 slices of bacon, cooked crisp
- 1 portobello mushroom, gills removed and cut in 1″ strips
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- pepper and salt to taste
- 1 bag of shredded 4 cheese
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- Caesar salad dressing
Place the dough in a greased large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit to room temperature (about 1 hour).
Preheat the barbecue to medium high for 10 minutes or until temperature reaches 400 degrees. Clean and lightly oil the grill.
Invert a baking sheet and sprinkle the cornmeal generously over it. Place the dough on the sheet. Using your fingers, push the dough out gently but firmly over the entire baking sheet.
Drizzle the mushroom slices with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 2 minutes on each side. Set aside.
Carefully slide the dough off the baking sheet onto the center of the barbecue grill.Close the lid and cook for 4 minutes or until the bottom is a golden brown. Using tongs, carefully turn the dough.
Arrange the mushrooms, bacon and cheese over the top and close the lid again for another 4 minutes or until the bottom is a golden brown. Do not burn. Remove to a cutting board.
In a bowl, toss the dressing over the lettuce. Cut the focaccia into 4 pieces, mound the caesar salad on top and serve immediately.
Make sure the wine is white, crisp and well chilled. Yummy.
Maple Bacon Salad
Whoever said everything was better with bacon was…..right! This is sooooo easy to make and even easier to eat.
- 12 slices of thick-sliced bacon
- maple syrup for brushing on the bacon
- 2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tssp. Dijon mustard
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp. avocado oil
- 2 heads of lettuce
On parchment lined cookie sheets, lay out the bacon and brush with maple syrup. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake until crisp. Remove to a paper towel and drain the excess fat. Cut into 2 inch strips.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper , then add the oil in a slow stream and continue whisking until emulsified.
Add the lettuce and broken bacon pieces.
You only need to add roasted garlic toast, glass of wine and you will be some happy people. This serves 8 people so be sure to invite only the bestest of friends.
Breakfast Tortilla
Always thinking of breakfast (must be because we ran a Bed and Breakfast for so long) and this is a fun way for a busy family on the weekend. This recipe will serve 2, so if more wanting to eat, simply double or triple or…..
- 4 slices of bacon, chopped
- 6 eggs
- 3 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly shredded basil
- 2 slices of swiss cheese, chopped
- Creme fraiche, homemade
- Tortillas
Chop the bacon and place in a skillet over medium heat, cooking until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towelling.
In a bowl beat the eggs until thick and pale in colour. Add 2 tbsp. of the parmesan cheese and the chopped swiss cheese.
Shred the basil.
In a large skillet, put the bacon back in, pour in the egg mixture and the basil. Stir with a wooden spoon until you get thick, soft curds (about 4 minutes).
Warm tortillas in the oven and equally fill each one with the egg mixture and drizzle with some homemade creme fraiche (recipe on site) . Roll up. Serve with pan fries (homemade, of course), a salsa of your choice, add a glass of juice, pour a cup of coffee and the rest of the day awaits. Would I lie?
Crusted Potato Gratin
As part of the entree from the Hester Creek Cooking Class Dinner, these were prepared and served. These are yummy, yummy, yummy.
- 6 medium red flesh potatoes, peeled
- quart of half and half
- 1 cup Swiss Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Fresh Thyme/Italian Parsley/ Sage
- 1 tbsp. nutmeg
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 4 slices of bacon, diced and fried crisp
Peel potatoes, tie the thyme, parsley and sage in cheesecloth and tie up, placing in the pot with the potatoes and cook in cream until almost cooked. Drain and add the crisp bacon.
In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, slice the potatoes and layer them out, add the cheese and sprinkle the Parmigiano over the top. Bake in the oven until the cheese melts and a light golden crust appears on top.
When preparing to serve, use a wide mouth dessert bowl or 3 inch round cookie cutter. What we saw was almost like a salmon can size and cut out circles. Carefully transfer to the plates. Looks so cool!
Thanks Chef Gillespie.
West Texas Baked Beans
Don says to tell you this is “our” style. They are good…just not as good as mine. Now, how’s that for competition? No, truly, they are really tasty. I am only teasing him.
- 3 cups navy beans
- 1/2 lb. bacon
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tsp. chile powder
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 can beer (your choice)
- 1/8 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tbsp. worchestershire sauce
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
Soak beans overnight. Bring to a boil for 30 minutes, let stand and then drain.
Cook bacon until crisp and set aside, reserving 3 tbsp. of fat. Add the onion, chile powder and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and set aside. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of beer.
Return the beans to the stockpot, adding water at least 2 inches higher than the beans. Add the sauteed onions and deglazing liquid. Add the remainder of the beer (I hope you didn’t drink it already) and the remaining ingredients.
Simmer on the stove for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Finish in a 250 degree oven for a further 1 1/2 – 2 hours until the beans are nice and thick).
Now, add your own steak, pulled pork sandwich, hot dog….you get the picture.
Bacon Mushroom Soup
I mentioned before, and had previously put in one of the recipes from the cooking class with Chef Justin, (Walnut Beach Resort) that he made four different dishes. This is another of the recipes and believe me, you have never tasted a soup as delicious as this one.
- 8 slices of bacon, diced
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups of sliced mushrooms (your choice)
- 6 tbsp. flour
- 1 litre vegetable stock, hot
- 1 cup half and half cream
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
In a hot soup pot, saute the bacon until crispy and remove from the pot and set aside. Discard the bacon fat EXCEPT for 2 tbsp. you leave in the pot.
Place the pot back on the heat and saute the onions on high to get some quick colour. Once the onions are lightly browned, add the mushrooms and saute.
Once this has cooked, stir in the garlic and flour to make a thick paste. Slowly add the vegetable stock to the mixture, in four equal parts, stirring to incorp- orate the stock in between each addtion.
Add cream and the sprigs of thyme.
Bring the soup to a boil then drop to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes minimum.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the sprigs of thyme. When plating, add a dollop of chive whipped creme fraiche in the middle of each bowl.
Chive Creme fraiche
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. sour cream
- 2 tbsp. fresh chives, finely chopped
Whip the cream until medium peaks appear, then fold in the sour cream and chives.
As mentioned many, many times before I shudder at the mention of chives, BUT and a big BUT, it was fabulous in the soup. You could’t taste them but it enhanced the soup.
Thanks again Justin!
Homemade Baked Beans
I pulled this from a newspaper some 25 years ago and use it all the time and it has been adjusted to suit our tastes. It is great for family barbecues and also when company comes for dinner.
- 2 lbs. dried navy beans (approx. 4 cups)
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 lb bacon slices, chopped
- 1/2 lb salt pork
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. To make the soaking time much shorter, in a large pot cover the beans with cold water and bring to a boil and simmer for two minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for one hour. Now again bring to a slow boil, reducing the heat and let simmer for one hour or until the skins burst. Drain the beans reserving all the liquid. Place the beans in a baking crock that has been sprayed with Pam.
Combine all the ingredients adding one cup of the reserved liquid. Pour over the beans mixing in and adding more liquid to cover the beans. Stir in the bacon pieces.
Cover the salt pork with boiling water and let stand two minutes. Drain and cut one inch gashes every half inch without cutting through the rind. Push the pork down into the beans until all but the rind is covered.
Cover the crock and bake in the oven for at least eight hours. Check every hour and add liquid as needed to keep them moist. During the last hour of baking, remove the lid and let the beans brown, stirring to mix. I like it when the liquid become a little thick.
Note: The ginger is added to remove the gas it gives us humans. Honest it works.
Cheese and Bacon Muffins
This will make 6 large muffins. These are absolutely marvelous when served with scrambled eggs.
- 8 strips of bacon, reserving drippings
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups grated Balderson’s Cheddar Cheese
- 3 tbsp. melted butter
- 3 tbsp. bacon drippings
- l large egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup grated Balderson’s Cheddar Cheese for topping.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cook to crisp and drain bacon, reservings the drippings. When cool, crumble the bacon.
Combine the first six ingredients. Melt the butter and add to the drippings. In a medium bowl, beat the egg lightly with the milk and add to the butter/bacon dripping mixture.
Now add this to the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly being careful not to over mix.
Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Bake for twenty minutes. Scramble some eggs, add a juice and/or coffee. This is getting one step closer to heaven……
Potato and Bacon Chowder
I love chowders and this one has a lemony taste to it. Give it a try!
You will need:
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 garlic clove
- 3-4 large gold potatoes
- 2 sticks of celery, ribs peeled,
- 1 small carrot, chopped small
- pinch of salt/pepper
- zest from one lemon
- 5-6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 2 cups whole kernal corn (off cob or drained canned corn)
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- fresh dill, chopped
- Cook bacon until crisp and crumble. Set aside.
In a large pot combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes (until tender) and liquid has reduced and thickened a little. Add the lemon zest and cream, continuing to simmer for about 5 minutes. At this point do not bring to a full boil.
Serve in a pretty bowl and garnish with the bacon and a touch of fresh dill.
