Bacon Balsamic Vinaigrette Food

BALSAMIC AND BROWN SUGAR BACON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with foil. Place wire rack on foil.
• Arrange bacon in single layer on rack. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together brown sugar and balsamic vinegar.
• Turn bacon over; spoon brown sugar and balsamic mixture over bacon slices. Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove from rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

WARM BACON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp; remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 T drippings in skillet.
• Cook shallots and garlic in hot drippings for 3 minutes, or until tender. Add brown sugar and cook stirring constantly for one minute or until sugar is dissolved.
• Process garlic mixture, orange juice, and remaining ingredients in blender until combined.
• FYI the cooked bacon is not actually used in this recipe, but you can top your salad with it if desired.

GREEN BEANS WITH BACON-BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Cook beans in boiling water for 2 minutes.
• Drain; rinse under cold water.
• Drain well; set aside.
• Cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp.
• Remove bacon, crumble.
• Set aside.
• Add green onions to bacon fat in skillet; saute 1 minute.
• Remove skillet from heat; let cool slightly.
• Add sugar and vinegar to skillet; stir until sugar dissolves.
• Stir in crumbled bacon.
• Pour vinaigrette over beans, tossing gently to coat.
• Sprinkle with almonds.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON AND BALSAMIC

Steps:

• Combine Brussels sprouts and bacon in a cast iron skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until Brussels sprouts start to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Drizzle 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar on top.
• Transfer Brussels sprouts and bacon to a serving platter; drizzle remaining balsamic vinegar on top.

COD WITH BACON & BALSAMIC TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels., Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Add fillets to bacon drippings; cook over medium-high heat until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork, 4-6 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm., Add tomatoes to skillet; cook and stir until tomatoes are softened, 2-4 minutes. Stir in vinegar; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until sauce is thickened, 1-2 minutes longer. Serve cod with tomato mixture and bacon.

BALSAMIC ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a 15x10-inch baking pan with foil.
• Place Brussels sprouts into the prepared pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat.
• Roast in the preheated oven until Brussels sprouts are crisp-tender and brown, stirring every 5 minutes, 15 to 20 minutes total.
• While the Brussels sprouts are roasting, place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels. Crumble when cool enough to handle.
• Drizzle roasted Brussels sprouts with remaining 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with crumbled bacon and lemon zest.

WARM BEAN SALAD WITH BALSAMIC-BACON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• To make the dressing, put the bacon in a medium heavy nonstick skillet set over moderately low heat, cover and cook until it's crisp and browned and has rendered it's fat out, about 8 minutes Add the onions, cover and cook until they are wilted, about 5 minutes adding 1 Tbls of water if necessary to prevent sticking Remove the lid and continue cooking until the onions are golden brown, about 8 minutes Add the bay leaves, balsamic vinegar and water, simmer for 30 seconds.
• Stir in the beans and salt to taste.
• Simmer 5-10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the beans are heated through Pepper generously and stir in the parsley.
• Serve warm.

BACON-BALSAMIC DEVILED EGGS

Steps:

• Place the eggs in a large pot in a single layer and fill with water to cover by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil; immediately remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes. Drain. Cool the eggs under cold running water in the sink. Peel and halve lengthwise. Separate the yolks from the whites, placing the yolks in a bowl; arrange the egg whites with the rounded side down onto a serving platter.
• Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate; chop.
• Mash the yolks with a fork. Add the bacon, mayonnaise, onion, sugar, vinegar, celery salt, and pepper; stir until thoroughly combined. Spoon the mixture into the egg whites. Garnish with parsley.

BACON AND BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Slice bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and fry until just crispy. Drain on paper towels.
• Remove bacon from pan, and all but 2 Tbsp of the bacon fat.
• Gently saute the onion until just soft, making sure not to brown.
• Add the brown sugar, blend in and then add the vinegar. Reduce for a minute or two.
• Add the olive oil, as much as to your taste and the salt and pepper to taste.
• Cool, but do not refrigerate. Dress your salad just before serving.
• Serve this warm or at room temperature over a salad of hearty greens like romaine. I usually add some very finely sliced red onion rings, mushrooms and homemade croutons, but let your imagination work here. I've thought of trying it in the summer with just onions and fresh sliced strawberries.

BROCCOLI WITH BALSAMIC-BACON VINAIGRETTE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the sauce: In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally until crisp, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a dish lined with paper towels, leaving the fat in the pan.
• Add the shallot to the bacon fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes (if you want to reduce the fat, use a nonstick pan and discard all but a tiny bit of the bacon grease).
• Add 1 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and scrape with a spoon to dissolve brown bits stuck to the pan.
• Off the heat, stir in the remaining vinegar, the lemon juice and mustard.
• Gradually whisk in the oil (don't worry if the sauce doesn't emulsify).
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook the broccoli: Bring an inch or so of water to a boil in a pot fitted with a steamer insert. Put the broccoli in the steamer; sprinkle with salt, cover tightly and steam until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
• The broccoli should be neither crisp nor soft, but exactly in between. To check, bite into a piece you quickly run under cold water, being careful not to burn your tongue. Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Briefly reheat the sauce if necessary. Drizzle over the steamed broccoli, sprinkle with the bacon bits and serve.

BALSAMIC-BACON VINAIGRETTE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small (1-quart) saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a dish lined with paper towels, leaving the bacon fat in the pan. Add the shallot to the bacon fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 Tbs. of the vinegar and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spoon to dissolve the browned bits stuck to the pan bottom. Off the heat, stir in the remaining 1/2 Tbs. vinegar, the lemon juice, and the mustard. Gradually whisk in the olive oil (don't worry if the sauce doesn't emulsify). Season with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper, or to taste. Drizzle the sauce over steamed vegetables and sprinkle with the cooked bacon bits.

BACON-BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels (reserve as garnish for Spinach Salad with Shrimp and Fennel). Remove skillet from heat. Reserve 3 tablespoons drippings in skillet; mix in oil. Whisk vinegar, shallots, garlic and brown sugar in small bowl. Add to drippings in skillet. Stir over medium-low heat just until warm. Season with salt and pepper. Use warm.

SPINACH SALAD WITH SHRIMP, FENNEL AND BACON-BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Mix 6 tablespoons oil, fennel seeds and crushed red pepper in small bowl. Thread shrimp onto skewers. Place on rimmed baking sheet. Pour oil mixture over; turn to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush fennel wedges with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill fennel until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to large bowl. Grill shrimp until opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to plate; tent with foil.
• Add spinach and tomatoes to fennel. Toss with enough vinaigrette to coat. Divide salad among plates. Sprinkle with bacon reserved from vinaigrette. Remove shrimp from skewers and arrange around salad. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds.