Cuisine: Bacon

Spinach & Tomato Dutch Baby

I found this recipe in a magazine while I was at my mechanic's getting a new car battery! He's got hundreds of great magazines. I made this Spinach & Tomato Dutch Baby, which turned out to be incredibly good. A Dutch baby pancake, sometimes called a German pancake is a large American popover or British Yorkshire pudding. It's very versatile. You can change the type of cheese, change the spinach to basil, etc. This takes no time to make.

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Quiche Lorraine with Zucchini Crust

I don't know if you have noticed that I have been making a lot of quiche with alternative crusts lately. My husband was not exactly thrilled with the idea of a zucchini crust, but I did it anyway. The key is to make sure you squeeze ALL the water out of the zucchini. Here is a tip - it you have a potato ricer (if you don't, go buy one!), it is really good to squeeze water out of zucchini, spinach, etc. My potato crust works well too. 

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Santa Maria Pinquito Beans

Classic Santa Maria country barbecues include the Pinquitos (AKA Pink Beans) and a beef tri-tip. Pinquitos are a very small, chili-type bean that is loaded with California history. These beans are delicious and meaty and the perfect match for any barbecue, chili or even salad. If you're like me and always forget to soak the beans overnight, you can do it in an Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker. I have also included the stovetop version.

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Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts & Cabbage with Peanuts and Bacon

My daughter Zoe made this Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts & Cabbage with Peanuts and Bacon. A friend of hers from Bon Appétit came to visit and gave her a copy of Carla Lalli Music's new cookbook called Where Cooking Begins: Uncomplicated Recipes to Make You a Great Cook. The original recipe is stir-fried celery, so Zoe changed it slightly to Brussels sprouts. My girls have learned how to adapt recipes to suit their own tastes. Can you see me beaming with pride?

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Grilled Four-Cheese Sandwiches with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Heirloom Tomato, and Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli

Growing up in Indiana, I ate many grilled cheese sandwiches, which consisted of Velveeta and Wonder Bread. This classic sandwich is one forged in childhood memories. My palate has matured a bit and taken it up a notch or two with this recipe for Grilled Four-Cheese Sandwiches with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Heirloom Tomato, and Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli. There really is nothing more comforting than a good grilled cheese sandwich.

By Leslie Blythe

Cranberry Bean Soup

I bought these Cranberry Beans online from Rancho Gordo. They are amazing heirloom bean producers located in Napa, California. I decided to make this Cranberry Bean Soup. These beans are absolutely incredible, very creamy inside. These beans are versatile and velvety, this thin-skinned Borlotti bean produces a rich, indulgent bean broth, making it perfect for classic Italian dishes as well as simple pot beans. The soup was so easy to make. I actually made it in a slow cooker.

By Leslie Blythe

Cuban Inspired Ham & Swiss Pizza

I know this is deeply weird, but this Cuban Inspired Ham & Swiss Pizza is absolutely delicious. I'm mean pickles on pizza?! Don't knock it until you've tried it. I love having pizza night and ask your guests to bring their own toppings.

By Leslie Blythe

Caesar Salad with Pancetta

This is Ina Garten's Caesar Salad with Pancetta. It has crispy cubes of pancetta, which is an Italian bacon made of pork belly meat that is salt cured. She also adds roasted cherry tomatoes that are bursting with natural flavor.

By Leslie Blythe

The Original Hollywood Brown Derby Cobb Salad

From Hollywood’s Brown Derby restaurant and named for its owner, Robert Howard Cobb, the Cobb Salad is the original chopped salad. 

There’s some dispute about the recipe’s genesis. Was the first Cobb salad made by Cobb and theater mogul, Sid Grauman, while rummaging through the restaurant’s cooler for a late-night snack in 1939, or, by the restaurant’s executive chef Robert Kreis, who created it for the restaurant’s 1929 launch? Either way, the Cobb is one of America’s longest-standing salad favorites, inspiring dozens of different renditions. The original recipe consisted of a head of lettuce, watercress, avocado, tomatoes, cold breast of chicken, hard boiled eggs, cheese, crumbled bacon and some old-fashioned French dressing.

By Leslie Blythe

Black Eyed Peas for New Years Day

Eating Black Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day is a Southern Tradition for Luck and Prosperity in the New Year.  I think we could all use some luck in 2019!

By Leslie Blythe