Tag: Recipes

Candied Bacon (and butter pecan ice cream)

kevinriley1 Comment

So the other night I was fixing bacon for dinner, baking it in the oven, and I realized a few pieces would have to go on a separate cookie sheet. I figured that since they were on their own sheet I could do a little something different, so I decided to try my hand at candied bacon. Having never candied bacon before, I didn’t know what to expect, and though desecrating bacon is tantamount to sacrilege I decided to try it any ways and I’m glad I did.

This is just my first attempt and by no means a perfected recipe but it will give you an idea how simple it really is. I cannot recommend highly enough that you try it for yourself.

Ingredients

  • Bacon (I only used a few pieces)
  • Brown sugar (I used too much)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F
  2. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper
  3. Layout bacon on parchment paper with one hand and sprinkle brown sugar on it with the other, flipping to get a light dusting on both sides.
  4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, being careful not to burn
  5. Let cool for 5-10 before serving

Additional Thought:

  • Again, this is just the initial recipe so changes will be coming, probably even to baking time and temp
  • A lot of recipes suggest using a combination of brown sugar, rice vinegar and maple syrup, but again I went simple the first time out
  • Other recipes also suggest adding salt, pepper (black or cayenne), cumin or even nuts. I might have to try some/all of these next time.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

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Cookie Jar

Guys, I know baking can be intimidating, especially if you’re new to it. But this is one of my favorite recipes, not just because it is so good, but also because it is sooo easy that I have yet to mess it up. It also doesn’t require a lot of hard to find ingredients, so I almost always have the ingredients in my cabinets. I’ve even started keeping maraschino cherries on hand, just in case I have a craving for these cookies. These are great for any occasion, whether it’s a family get-together, a PPV fight, or my personal favorite, just trying to make your wife/girlfriend happy.

Ingredients
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips (I recommend semi-sweet or dark)
1 (10 oz.) jar Maraschino cherries (drained and chopped into pieces)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer, mix the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined.
  5. Sir in the chocolate chips and cherries.
  6. Chill cookie dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  7. Roll dough into small balls about the size of a golf ball and place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
  8. Bake 12-14 minutes or until light brown.
  9. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet to cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Additional tips:

  • Do not be afraid of over-mixing the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla extract; with this recipe, the more, the better
  • Feel free to try substituting other chips such as caramel or white chocolate, or even mixing them
  • DO NOT try to substitute baking powder for baking soda. That’s not how baking works
  • Parchment paper is not required but it makes cleanup easier and without it, the cookies are more prone to stick. Keep an eye on them

Pork Cutlets with Mustard Sauce

kevinriley1 Comment

So the first recipe I’m posting on the new site is actually my most recent. We eat a lot of pork because we find it on sale quite often, buy in bulk, and freeze it. This saves us a lot of money and generally means we have something available when we don’t know exactly what we want. Pork is very versatile, and I’ve got a ton of great recipes for it but the other night I wanted to try something a little different, so I came up with Pork Cutlets with Mustard Sauce. This turned out great so I thought I’d share it right away.

This recipe, served with some steamed vegetables and a side of wild rice or pasta, looks very elegant and would definitely impress your girlfriend, or that hot chick you finally worked up the courage to ask out (my wife loved it) but it’s also very quick and simple. There’s not a lot of prep work, and it cooks rather quickly, giving you more time to enjoy your evening.

Pork
4 pork cutlets, about ½” thick
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Mustard Sauce
1 cup chicken stock (or 1 cube chicken bouillon dissolved in 1 cup water)
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ cup water
1 tsp – 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Bring chicken stock to a boil and cook until reduced by ½ cup

While stock is reducing, preheat grill, season both sides of pork and cook 3-5 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Remove the pork from the grill and cover with aluminum foil, allowing the meat to rest for an additional 5 minutes.

Once stock is reduced turn off heat, whisk cornstarch into water (1 tsp will result in a thinner consistency and 1 tablespoon will result in thicker, almost gravy like consistency), then add mixture to stock, whisking thoroughly. Whisk in mustard, salt and pepper, then remove from heat.