Smoked Bacon, Beans and Chestnut Mushrooms

 A great weekend breakfast of smoked bacon, fried chestnut mushrooms, and baked beans. The bacon and diced mushrooms were cooked in the same skillet, half the time under glass at a medium heat, for just over twenty minutes. With a little olive oil. The bacon was turned a couple of times. Served with some ground white pepper. 

Black Pudding and Crispy Bacon Breakfast

Mostly I cook with olive oil. The major exception is fried eggs, which taste better if cooked with sunflower oil.

The black pudding was cooked at a medium heat in a small pan, seven minutes each side. The bacon was cooked in another pot, along with the tomatoes, until it was crispy. Watch by eye. After the bacon was ready and decanted to the serving plate, the egg was added along with some sunflower oil for a few minutes until it showed the usual signs of being ready.

Serve with a dash of black pepper and some American mustard (French's in this case). German mustard will do just as well.  

Hash Browns, Bacon and Beans

Great bacon breakfast with hash browns, and three strips of smoked bacon. The hash browns were cooked slowly in a skillet, as was the bacon. Dressed in black pepper on serving. The hash browns took about twenty minutes as a low heat, and so did the bacon (in a separate pan). If you prefer your bacon crispy, you need a higher heat. 

 

Black Pudding and Bacon Breakfast

Low fat black pudding and bacon breakfast, with parboiled and grilled chipped potatoes. The black pudding slices were cooked at a lowish heat in a lidded pan along with two strips of smoked bacon, without any added cooking oil. The puddings and the bacon were turned once. The halved baby plum tomatoes wee added after seven minutes. Cooked altogether for about twelve minutes. 

The chipped potatoes were started first, parboiled for ten minutes, and then grilled until browned, with a drizzle of sunflower oil and a sprinkling of salt. Judge progress by eye! Twenty minutes or so, depending on the grill. 

 

Smoked Bacon, Baby Plum Tomato, and Spring Onion Breakfast

Great breakfast, which is simple to prepare. Baby plum tomatoes, diced into three pieces, halved button mushrooms,and spring onion, cooked slowly in a skillet for 25 minutes in some sunflower oil. Stirred frequently. 

The cured and smoked bacon was also cooked slowly, but in another smaller pan, until it was on the edge of being crispy. 

The chipped potatoes were parboiled for ten minutes, and then grilled in the oven with a little sunflower oil until browned (turn once). Watch progress by eye. Served with tomato ketchup. 

 

Bacon Risotto

Smoked bacon, diced into small chunks, and cooked alone until crispy. Add par-boiled potato, cut into cubes. Basmati rice, pre-prepared. Plus julienned white onion, and diced yellow pepper.

Stir-fried in olive oil at a low heat for fifteen to twenty minutes.A little ham stock was added in the final ten minutes.

Dress in black pepper before serving.

Ham and Brocolli Soup

A simple but delicious dish made with ham (actually course cut smoked bacon), white onion, and half a head of brocolli. Plus pork stock.

The ham was fried in its own fat for twenty minutes, starting at a high heat, and then reduced to a low heat. Then the julienned white onion was added, and cooked with the ham for another twenty five minutes at a medium heat, stirring occasionally.

I diced half a head of brocolli into small chunks, including most of the stem, and added the pieces to the pan. Cooked for ten minutes, stirring frequently. Then boiling water was added to the pan, along with the pork stock.Plus a dessert spoonful of ground arrowroot, to thicken the soup.  Cooked slowly for an hour and a half.

Served with potato bread.

Chorizo, Onion and Baked Bean Breakfast

I chopped up a quarter of a chorizo ring, and fried the sausage in an omelette pan, along with a rasher of smoked bacon. No oil was required because of the oil which came from the chorizo.

Once hot, I added a julienned red onion, and turned down the heat after a couple of minutes. Cooked slowly for ten to fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion became semi-transparent.

The beans were fridge leftovers, and were heated in a separate small pan. Once ready, they were decanted onto a slice of wheat-free toast (not buttered in this case). Quick to prepare, and easy.

Bacon and Chorizo Soup

Bacon and chorizo soup, with a whole green pepper, celery and turnip.

The bacon was fried first until crispy, then all of the vegetable ingredients were diced and added to a pan of boiling water. Simmered under glass for thirty to forty minutes, and then mashed.

The crispy smoked bacon was diced, along with about 100g of chorizo sausage, and added to the pan. Simmered under glass for forty minutes.

Add the ham stock, black pepper and the herbs (Oregano and Basil in this case). Cook for another ten minutes, when it is ready to serve. Delicious!

Garlic Naan Bread with Egg, Bacon and Mushroom

Something like a standard English Sunday breakfast, but instead of buttered toast, I used a toasted garlic naan bread. This works really well!

The bacon was cooked in a skillet. Often it does not require any oil, since it produces its own as it cooks. But sunflower oil will do, if it does.

The garlic naan bread was toasted in a toaster, after being cut in half. The egg was cooked in the skillet after the bacon and the naan bread were ready.

The quartered mushrooms were cooked in a separate small pan in a knob of butter (mushrooms and butter - mmm!). Served together with a couple of squirts of tomato ketchup, and some black pepper.

Black Pudding, with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

A simple breakfast dish - two slices of black pudding, and a rasher of crispy smoked bacon, cooked at a medium heat in a skillet. Plus quartered mushrooms, chopped cherry tomatoes and a diced spring onion, cooked in a little sunflower oil in an omelette pan.

The black pudding slices were cooked first, in total for fourteen minutes, seven on each side. After five minutes, the rasher of bacon was also added to the skillet, and turned once. Both items were cooked in their own fat.

The vegetables were cooked for ten to twelve minutes, and stirred frequently.

The vegetables and the black puddings were served on top of a lightly toasted (and unfolded) seeded flat bread. The dish was dressed in freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of basil. Delicious!

Vegetable and Smoked Bacon Soup

A soup packed with goodness to the point of almost being a broth. Made with onion, carrot, courgette, Brussels sprouts, celery, potato, spelt, oats, and fried smoked bacon.

I started the soup with three small diced carrots, half a courgette, also diced, and a julienned white onion. Cooked for half an hour until soft. I then added celery and 250g of peeled and tailed Brussels sprouts, some preboiled potato, and a handful each of spelt grain and ground oats, and half a teaspoonful of turmeric.

Simmered under glass for another half an hour, and then the contents of the pan were mashed.

I added a little sunflower oil to the soup, some mixed herbs (tarragon, parsley and sage), two small pinches of cumin, and vegetable stock. Add a dash of Worcester sauce if you like. Once it had cooled, the soup was stored in the fridge overnight (soups are always better the next day).

I diced two rashers of smoked bacon, and fried the pieces at a medium heat until crispy. The soup was reheated, and the bacon pieces added and stirred through. Ready to serve!

Egg and Bacon with Hash Browns and a Seeded Flatbread

Another variation on a British breakfast. What they serve you in hotels often seems to be an attempt to kill you on the spot (sausages, black pudding, deep fried potato bread, etc.). Less is more.

I started with the raw potato slices (semi skinned), which were fried in a large flat non-stick pan, altogether for about twenty minutes at a medium heat, and turned a couple of times.

After the first ten minutes I added two strips of smoked bacon, which were cooked to the point where the fat sizzled, and were also turned a couple of times.

Next the quartered mushrooms were added, along with half a dozen halved cherry plum tomatoes. All cooked at a medium heat, and not under glass.

I toasted a seeded and folded flatbread in a toaster (pre-damped), and placed it on the serving plate. The egg was added to the flat pan three minutes before all the other elements of the meal were decanted to the serving plate.

Served with a drizzle of American mustard, and some freshly ground black pepper! 

Spaghetti and Bacon, with a Blue Stilton Napoletana

I diced two rashers of smoked bacon, then fried the pieces in a large saute pan in a little olive oil. I then added a julienned onion, and half a diced pepper. The ingredients were stir-fried for twenty minutes at a medium heat, until the onions began to brown, and the bacon became crispy.

I mashed a tin of peeled plum Italian tomatoes in a bowl and added them to the saute pan, along with about 400mls of boiling water. Stirred through the dish thoroughly, and add vegetable stock. Then I added about 40g of pieces of Blue Stilton cheese. Stirred for about seven minutes at a medium heat, until the cheese had entirely dissolved in the salsa.

The hob was turned down to a low heat, and was allowed to simmer for half an hour, with occasional stirring. Add black pepper, oregano, and some basil.

Served in this case with a wheat-free spaghetti from Sainsbury's, which behaves in the pot just like  durum wheat spaghetti. The pasta was cooked at a fairly low heat for twelve minutes, in salted water with a pinch of turmeric. Stir frequently!

Polenta frita with Salsa Napoletana

The Polenta Frita:


The inspiration for this dish is referenced at the end of this post, along with the original ingredients and recipe. However I made some changes. I had no leek, so I used some onion instead. I chose to allow the juices of the the fried and boiled vegetables to cool in a bowl after the vegetables were removed, and then added the cornmeal slowly, whisking with each dessert spoonful added.


When the mixture was at the right sort of consistency, I added butter to a hot omelette pan (non-stick!), and used a medium sized cookie-cutter to get the circular shape for the polenta. The mixture was spooned into the cookie-cutter, and then the cutter was removed from the pan.


Cooked for six minutes on each side, starting at a high heat, and then reducing to the lowest heat on my electric hob. Three of those minutes on each side were spent under glass, which means that the polenta had the opportunity to cook thoroughly, without becoming dry.


The Salsa Napoletana:


The same variation on salsa Napoletana I made yesterday. I diced two rashers of smoked bacon, and fried the pieces in a large saute pan in a little olive oil. I then added a julienned onion, and half a diced pepper. The ingredients were stir-fried for twenty minutes at a medium heat, until the onions began to brown, and the bacon became crispy.


I mashed a tin of peeled plum Italian tomatoes in a bowl and added them to the saute pan, along with about 400mls of boiling water. Stirred through the dish thoroughly, and add vegetable stock. Then I added about 40g of pieces of Blue Stilton cheese. Stirred for about seven minutes at a medium heat, until the cheese had entirely dissolved in the salsa.


The hob was turned down to a low heat, and was allowed to simmer for half an hour, with occasional stirring. Add black pepper, oregano, and some basil.


***

The original ingredients and recipe:

1 cup Cornmeal
6,5 cups water
salt
piece of leek, carrot, celery (to give an extra flavor to the Polenta)
1 TBPS butter

1. in butter, brown the vegetables, then add water, salt and boil.
2. once boiled, take out the vegetables, add cornmeal little by little, please watch out, the meal does not form little balls, you need a whisk.
3. cook in low heat by mixing slowly for about 5 minutes.
4. transfer to a square plate and let it cool down. This took me about 1 hour.
5. form your Polentas, any form you like.
6. in a pan add butter and fry them, 5 minutes each side.
7. serve with your favorite sauce.
Inspiration from Susana at 'Delicioso y Divertido'.

Pasta and Bacon Napoletana

Always risky to try a variation of an established dish if it is Italian! This one is fairly simple however, and should not annoy. It involves only two extra ingredients - Blue Stilton cheese, and diced green pepper.

I began by dicing two rashers of smoked bacon, and frying the pieces in a large saute pan in a little olive oil. I then added a julienned onion, and half a diced pepper. The ingredients were stir-fried for twenty minutes at a medium heat, until the onions began to brown, and the bacon became crispy.

I mashed a tin of peeled plum Italian tomatoes in a bowl and added them to the saute pan, along with about 400mls of boiling water. Stirred through the dish thoroughly, and add vegetable stock. Then I added about 40g of pieces of Blue Stilton cheese (bargain buy from the local co-op over Christmas!). Stirred for about seven minutes at a medium heat, until the cheese had entirely dissolved in the salsa.

The hob was turned down to a low heat, and was allowed to simmer for half an hour, with occasional stirring. Add black pepper, oregano, and some basil.

Served in this case with a wheat-free pasta from Sainsbury's, which behaves in the pot just like  durum wheat penne. The pasta was cooked at a fairly low heat for twelve minutes, in salted water and a drizzle of olive oil (to prevent sticking), and some chopped garlic. Stir frequently!

Brussels Sprouts, with Smoked Bacon, Onion, and Garlic

Brussels sprouts are boring? Try this simple and delicious two-pot dish!

The bottom of each sprout was trimmed, the dark leaves removed, and each sprout was halved. Then the sprouts were added to boiling salted water, and cooked for six minutes, after which they were drained and allowed to cool.

I browned some julienned onion for fifteen minutes, stirring frequently, in a dessert spoonful of olive oil, at a medium heat, in a flat skillet. After that the onion was removed to a dish, and the bacon (two smoked rashers, diced) was added to the pan. Again, cooked for fifteen minutes at a medium heat until crispy. Also removed to another dish.

Add the sprouts to the pan containing the olive oil, and cook for ten to twelve minutes at a medium heat, until they begin to brown. At this point add the onion and the crispy bacon to the pan, and stir together thoroughly. 

Add a crushed and diced clove of garlic, half a dessert spoonful of vinegar, and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir together, and heat for two to three minutes before serving. Dress with some more black pepper.

Scrambled Egg and Bacon

Fabulous breakfast! The scrambled egg was made with two eggs, a pinch of salt, plus a quarter cup of whole milk, cooked slowly in a melted knob of salted butter. I used a small pan for that. Stirred about four or five times until ready.

The smoked bacon strips (two) were cooked slowly in an omelette pan in their own fat. Cooked until crispy at the edges.

Three quartered mushrooms were cooked slowly in the small amount  of bacon fat remaining, until they browned.

Served in this case with a squirt of American mustard and a dusting of black pepper.

Excellent served with buttered toast or slices of potato scone.

Lentil & Bacon Soup

Made with four strips of smoked bacon, diced, chopped onion, diced brussels sprouts, a handful of diced spinach leaves, a third of a cup of red lentils, vegetable stock, and some onion gravy granules.

The bacon was fried first in a small pan, in some sunflower oil. The vegetables were prepared at the same time (the bacon was stirred frequently along the way). Once the bacon began to brown, the onion was added. Once the onion began to become transparent, the brussels sprouts and spinach were added to the pot. Cooked for another fifteen minutes.

The ingredients were then decanted to a larger pot, and about 400mls of boiling water was added. Followed by the third cupful of red lentils, and the onion gravy granules. Stirred frequently. Cook for at least another half an hour, adding the vegetable stock after about fifteen minutes.

Served with two toasted potato scones. Simple and delicious! Lentil and bacon soup is a Scottish staple dish (the recipe is flexible in its ingredients, according to availability).

Bacon and Cheese Omelette

A simple but satisfying cheese omelette, made with spring onion, peas, green pepper and grilled cheddar cheese.

The diced bacon rashers were cooked first, until browned. The bacon was removed from the pan. Then the onion and green pepper were cooked in a lttle sunflower oil. When the onion began to brown, the peas were added, followed shortly by the bacon strips, and by the slightly salted (and herbed) two beaten eggs (with a little added water). Cooked for about five minutes on the hob at a low heat.

Rectangles of cheddar cheese were added to the top of the omelette, along with several dashes of Worcester sauce. The omelette was then put under the grill and cooked until all of the cheese had melted. It was kept near the front of the oven to avoid damage to the omelette pan handle, but it was turned to the left and right during the time the cheese took to cook (about ten to fifteen minutes, depending on the grill).

Served with a dusting of freshly ground black pepper.