Tag Archives: bacon

Polenta Breakfast Bowl

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Polenta Breakfast Bowl

Eggs are our household go-to breakfast item, but I often find myself making the same thing over and over again (fried egg sandwiches, egg/avocado toast, scrambles and omelettes). This morning, I was feeling creative and with some extra time on my hands decided to surprise my husband with something new. I perused the garden, pantry and refrigerator for inspiration – the end result was this deliciously creamy polenta breakfast bowl filled with smoked bacon, veggies and roasted tomatoes topped with a pillowy poached egg.
  • 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 bell pepper, chopped (I also added a few shishito peppers from the garden)
  • 5 pieces of applewood smoked bacon, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 tomato, roasted
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup polenta
  • 2 eggs
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Baby spinach (crispy kale is also a great substitute)
  • Scallions, chopped for garnish
  • Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. While oven is preheating, place bacon pieces in a heavy skillet over medium heat and cook until crispy. Remove pieces with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Drain fat, leaving about a tablespoon in skillet for the vegetables.

Place sliced tomatoes on a small baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt. Roast in the oven for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until slightly chard.

Prepare two saucepans; add 1 1/2 cups of water to one for the polenta and fill other 3/4 way with water for the poached eggs. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to the saucepan used for the eggs. Bring both to a boil.

While water is boiling, add the peppers and onions to the skillet used for the bacon, season with a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat until tender. Transfer to a bowl.

Slowly stir in the polenta and continue to stir until all the water is absorbed. Reduce heat, add in the milk and butter and continue to stir until thick and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Keep pan on low until ready to serve.

Crack egg in a small bowl. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Using a spoon, swirl the water in one direction creating a whirlpool effect. Carefully slide the egg in the center of the whirlpool. Repeat with the second eggs. Let eggs cook for about 3-4 minutes (depending on how you like your poached eggs). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

Quickly wilt spinach (add pinch of red pepper flakes) in skillet.

To assemble, divide polenta into two bowls and top with onions/peppers, spinach, bacon and poached egg. Add in roasted tomato slices and season egg with salt and pepper. Garnish with scallions.

Serves 2

Polenta Breakfast Bowl

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Broccoli, Spinach & Bacon Frittata

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Bacon Broccoli Frittata

Good morning! All you need for this easy to make frittata is a cast iron skillet, eggs, cheese, bacon (optional, but why wouldn’t you add some smokey-salty-goodness?) and your favorite veggies.

  • 3-4 slices Applewood-Smoked bacon
  • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 – 1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
  • 7 eggs
  • Sea salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese
  • Green onions, garnish

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In an 8 inch oven-proof skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove from skillet and drain bacon on paper towel lined plate. Remove the bacon grease from pan and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the garlic and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and crushed red pepper and cook for 1 more minute. Add the water and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the broccoli, bacon, chopped spinach and stir together. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to skillet and heat over medium heat. Pour frittata mixture to the skillet, reduce heat to low and cook until sides have set, about 3 minutes.

Sprinkle cheese over mixture and transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until center is set, about 10-12 minutes.

Garnish with more cheese and green onions. Serve immediately.

Cheers!

Bucatini Carbonara with Brussels Sprouts & Bacon

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Aprons Bacon Brussels

While planning my friend’s Bridal “Meet and Greet” on Pinterest, I came across this easy-to-make pasta recipe from How Sweet It Is Blog, the perfect dish for a rainy night in.

Traditional pasta carbonara is made by coating pasta in a rich and creamy sauce of whole eggs, Parmesan cheese and pork. We elevated this traditional dish, by adding one of my favorite vegetables – Brussels sprouts! The sprouts added a nice rich, sweet and nutty flavor to the pasta.

Aprons Pasta Prep

  • 1/2 pound Bucatini (I love the thick noodles, but you can also use spaghetti)
  • 6 slices thick Applewood smoked bacon, chopped
  • 2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and roughly chopped*
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese

aprons_pasta

Fry the bacon in a large skillet over gentle heat until crisp. While bacon is cooking, begin boiling the water for the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Once bacon is crisp, transfer pieces with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Remove half of the bacon grease with a large spoon and set aside in a bowl.

Add Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and cook on medium heat for 6-8 minutes. (You want the Brussels sprouts to caramelize a bit, so cook without stirring for at least 4 minutes. Stir and continue cooking for 2-4 minutes). Add the minced garlic to the sprouts and cook for one more minute. Remove sprouts and set aside in bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole eggs and gradually add the cheese. Add a small dash of salt and pepper (you can add more later to the cooked pasta).

When the bucatini is cooked, drain pasta (reserve some pasta water, just in case **), add the reserved bacon grease to pot and heat on low. Add cooked pasta back into pot and coat with grease. Remove pot from heat*** and add the egg/cheese mixture, tossing several times until fully coated. Quickly add the bacon, Brussels sprouts and additional pepper / salt if needed. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately.

*In the spring, try replacing Brussels sprouts with peas
**If needed, add a few splashes of reserved pasta water to help loosen the sauce.
***It’s important that the pot has been removed from the heat otherwise the egg/cheese mixture will curdle. The heat from the pasta is sufficient to cook the egg mixture.
Thanks to Jessica Merchant from How Sweet It Is Blog for the beautiful recipe. Yield 4 servings.