Spicy Corn Chowder

We were in Colorado this past weekend, where it actually felt like fall...and then winter.  A huge winter storm rolled in on Sunday and we made it out of town just in time.  Vail Pass was closed overnight because of the poor driving conditions and the next morning our neighbors reported that we had gotten over a foot of snow!  Hopefully this is a good omen for ski season.  And then we returned to the land of eternal summer, but I can still pretend it is fall and make all sorts of soups for the 90 degree weather.  This recipe is adapted from The Neelys on Food Network.

Spicy Corn Chowder

4 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small jalapeno, chopped seeds and ribs removed
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 large red potatoes, well scrubbed and small diced
1 cup half and half
16 ounces frozen corn
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Add the onions and red pepper, sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the jalapeno and garlic, saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour until thoroughly combined. Cook the flour until it reaches a slight blonde color, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken stock and the potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes; potatoes will become soft. Add the half and half, corn, cayenne and bay leaf. Simmer for 15 more minutes. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved bacon.

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Rigatoni all'Amatriciana

C is semi-obsessed with Mario Batali. Every time he visits New York City, he has to go to Babbo. His main obsession is the olive oil cake, but he loves every dish he has ever been served there. We are going to NYC in a few weeks, it will be Miss F's first ever visit, and he was sure to make reservations at Babbo as soon as possible. The funny part is that he has seen Batali twice on the street, once in Aspen and once in NYC, and he didn't have the courage either time to stop and say hello. This recipe from Batali was a huge hit in our family and it might be the best tomato sauce I have ever made. It was truly amazing.

Rigatoni all'Amatriciana

2 pounds fresh tomatoes
1 pound rigatoni
¼ pound thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick
½ red onion, halved and thinly sliced
¼ cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
½ cup freshly grated pecorino cheese, plus more for serving
½ cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

Seed and chop the tomatoes, add to a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until the tomatoes release their liquid, stirring often. Press the tomato mixture through a mesh strainer, making sure to extract as much of the liquid as possible. Discard the skins, reserve the strained liquids.

In a large saucepan, cook the rigatoni until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, add the bacon and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is beginning to brown, 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes moe. Add the tomato paste and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the strained tomatoes and bring the sauce just to a simmer.

Add the pasta and reserved cooking water to the sauce and cook over moderate heat, tossing, until the pasta is coated. Remove from the heat and stir in the ½ cup each of cheese and parsley. Season the pasta with salt and black pepper and transfer to bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve, passing more cheese at the table.

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BLT Wedge Salad

BLT Wedge Salad

6 slices of bacon, cut into ½ “ pieces
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 head of Iceberg lettuce
18 grape tomatoes, halved

In a small skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on a paper towel and cool. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, vinegar, pepper and garlic salt. Cut the lettuce into 6 wedges. Place the wedges on serving plates, top each with the bacon, tomatoes and dressing, serve.

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Four Ingredient Carbonara

I may never add cream to carbonara ever again. And since it shouldn't be used traditionally in carbonara anyhow, I am completely fine with that. The sauce is still incredibly rich with six eggs and a ton of parmesan cheese.  Unfortunately, pancetta is completely rejected by both C and Miss F, even though it is the traditional meat used in carbonara, I use bacon instead in order to get my family to eat what's on their plate without complaints.  Miss F even dunked her broccoli in the sauce, she loved it so much.  Now that school has started, I need meals that come together quickly in the evening since on some nights Miss F doesn't get home until after 5 pm.  Carbonara to the rescue for a quick and delicious meal.  Miss F requested that the broccoli be mixed with the carbonara next time I make it.  I think I could fry it in the bacon grease, how delicious would that be?

Four Ingredient Carbonara

6 slices bacon, cut into lardons
1 ¼ cups grated parmesan cheese
6 eggs
12 ounces thin spaghetti

In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain all but a tablespoon of the grease from the pan. Set aside. Separate 4 of the eggs, discarding the whites. Add the 4 egg yolks and 2 remaining whole eggs to a two cup measure. Add the parmesan cheese and whisk well to combine with the eggs. Prepare the spaghetti per package instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving the cooking water. Add the drained pasta to the pan with the bacon and pour the egg and parmesan over top. Toss well to coat, thin if necessary with the reserved pasta water. Serve with fresh cracked pepper over top.

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ABCLT Chopped Salad

In the summertime, I could eat a salad every night for dinner. I do get picky about proteins in my salad, I always prefer them to be warm, cold meats just don't do it for me. I made this salad the first night back from our amazing vacation to Fiji and New Zealand. I didn't have high culinary expectations for either location, but I was pleasantly surprised by both...especially Fiji.   This salad is a take on one of my most favorite sandwiches, the ABCLT.  C was happy to trade his tomatoes for my croutons and Miss F was with my parents, so there was minimal whining about having a salad for dinner.

ABCLT Chopped Salad

4 slices bacon, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 cups chopped green leaf lettuce
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, seeded and chopped
¾ cup croutons
½ to ¾ cup ranch dressing (I like Confections of a Foodie Bride’s recipe)

Heat the bacon in skillet over medium low heat, cook until crisp. Remove the bacon to a plate and drain all but 1 tablespoon of the grease from the skillet. Add the chicken and pepper, sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and croutons. Pour ½ cup of the ranch dressing and toss well to coat. Add more dressing if necessary. Divide among for plates and serve.

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Orecchiette Carbonara with Peas

This may be my new favorite carbonara. It's quite genius, actually. The little orecchiette cups the sauce perfectly and sometimes even a pea sneaks in there. This also may be the richest carbonara recipe I have ever made. 6 eggs for only 12 ounces of pasta, but the result is a lovely sauce that is velvety smooth.  I needed about 1/4 cup of pasta water to thin the sauce.  I can't wait to try the same sauce with my usual thin spaghetti, but I am also excited to try orecchiette carbonara with other add ins.  This recipe is adapted from the New York Times.

Orecchiette Carbonara with Peas

12 ounces orecchiette
5 ounces bacon, cut into lardons
1 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 cups frozen peas
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
2 eggs
4 egg yolks
1 ¼ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta per package instructions, reserving the pasta water.

In a large sauté pan, cook the bacon over medium high heat until crisp, then drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add the garlic, peas and thyme; cook for 3 minutes more. Add the drained pasta to the pan and turn off the heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and cheese. Pour the eggs and cheese into the pan with the pasta, stirring constantly and adding pasta water if necessary to thin the sauce. Top with fresh cracked pepper and serve.

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Crockpot Bolognese Sauce

I had planned to make my usual Bolognese, but our life had other plans.  There was just no way to make the cook time work with our schedule.  We had a house showing and not enough time to get the sauce made, not to mention we had a huge TexMex lunch.  So Bolognese was pushed off until the next day, which necessitated finding a recipe for the crockpot...and one that also aligned well with the ingredients I had purchased for my usual recipe.  I used a Skinnytaste recipe as my inspiration, but I made quite a few changes.  It was a huge hit and I loved that it simmered in the crockpot all day instead of simmering on the stove for a couple hours...much easier for me.

Crockpot Bolognese Sauce

3 slices bacon, cut into lardons
½ white onion, minced
2 carrots, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound lean ground beef
¼ cup white wine
1 - 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
salt and fresh cracked pepper
¼ cup half & half

In a skillet, cook the bacon on low heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add onions and carrots, cook on medium low until soft, about 5 minutes more. Add the tomato paste, sauté for one minute more. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the ground beef and sauté until browned. Drain off the fat, then add the wine, cook for 3 minutes more. Add the meat mixture to the crockpot, along with the tomatoes and bay leaf. Stir to combine, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Stir in the half and half, taste and add any additional salt and pepper needed, then serve over pasta.

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Corn Chowder

I am somewhat obsessed with corn chowder. It has about all my favorite things in it: corn, potatoes, bell peppers and bacon. I saw a recipe that started out by making a corn infused stock on Spoon Fork Bacon.  I used the infused stock from the recipe, but not much else.  I simplified things a bit so that Miss F could help me make it.  She is an excellent corn shucker, except that it always ends up in corn silks in every nook and cranny of the kitchen.  I loved this soup.   This may be my new go to corn chowder, I am not sure I will make it again without making a corn stock.  It was so incredibly simple, but added so much sweet corn flavor to the soup.

Corn Chowder

3 ears corn, kernels removed from cob
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
4 slices bacon, diced
½ medium yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 red potatoes, diced
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup heavy cream

Place ½ of the corn plus the cobs in a pot with the chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove the cobs from the pot and discard. Puree the corn and stock, set aside.

In a large pot, sauté the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the grease from the pan. Add the onion, garlic, poblano, bell pepper, potatoes and remaining corn to the pan. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the flour and stir, sautéing for 3 minutes more. Add the stock to the pan, stirring constantly and simmer for 5 minute to thicken. Stir in the oregano, salt and cream. Simmer for 5 minutes more , serve.

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Brussels Sprout Carbonara

I wonder if there isn't anything I wouldn't eat in Carbonara. I can't think of a single green vegetable that wouldn't be made better tossed in egg yolks, cream and Parmesan.  I combined a couple of my go to recipes: Brussels Sprouts in Bacon and Easiest Ever Carbonara into a complete meal.  Miss F firmly rejected the Brussels sprouts, she only ate one half, which was quite frustrating.   How can anything cooked in bacon grease not be good?

Brussels Sprout Carbonara

4 egg yolks
2/3 cup cream
½ cup grated parmesan
½ teaspoon salt
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 package frozen Brussels sprouts, thawed and halved
1 pound angel hair or thin spaghetti

Whisk the eggs, cream, Parmesan, and salt together in a two cup measure. Fry the bacon until crisp, drain all but one tablespoon of the grease and set aside the bacon. Fry the halved Brussels sprouts in the bacon grease for 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the pasta per package directions. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the Brussels sprouts, reduce the heat to low. Pour the cream mixture overtop and toss well to coat. Top with the reserved bacon and serve.

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Mexican Street Corn Pasta

I am obsessed with fresh corn in the summer. I could have it every meal, no matter all the corn silks lurking on my kitchen floors. This recipe was inspired from Half Baked Harvest via Pinterest.  I had to make several changes.  I don't have a grill and in the original recipe, the bacon was an afterthought.  I figured everything tastes better when sautéed in bacon grease, so I cooked the corn in it instead.  This pasta was absolutely incredible.  The sauce was rich with white cheddar and parmesan while the bell pepper and corn added a great crunch.  Miss F and I loved the lime juice squeezed on top, C was very happy without.  This is a huge winner in our house!

Mexican Street Corn Pasta

1 pound pasta
6 slices bacon, chopped
3 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
½ onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 lime
1 ½ cups half and half
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chile powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup shredded white cheddar
1/3 cup grated parmesan
½ cup fresh basil, julienned

Prepare the pasta per package instructions. In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and reserve for later use. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of grease from the pan. Add the corn, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno. Saute for 5 minutes, squeezing the juice of half the lime over top. Add the half and half, paprika, chile powder and salt to the pan. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cheddar and parmesan, keep stirring until all the cheese has melted into the sauce. Add the pasta and basil, toss well to coat. Serve, topped with the reserved bacon and lime wedges.

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Gnocchi with Bacon and Peas

I tried to trick Miss F and convince her that we were having "puffy pasta" instead of gnocchi for dinner. She didn't buy it for one minute, she instantly knew the gnocchi were potato based and firmly rejected the meal. I really don't understand her potato aversion and it is quite frustrating. C and I loved this dish, it is a great use for otherwise useless leftover mashed potatoes. I have yet to make gnocchi without them, it seems like a lot of effort. By using mashed potatoes, the gnocchi come together quite quickly. The gnocchi recipe is from Martha Stewart and the sauce is my own, just a simple bacon based alfredo with an addition of peas.  I wasn't particularly neat with my gnocchi rolling this go round, but no matter, they still tasted great.

Gnocchi with Peas and Bacon

2 cups mashed potatoes
1 egg
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt

6 ounces bacon, cut into lardons
1 cup peas
1 cup half and half
2/3 cup parmesan
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Stir together the mashed potatoes and egg. Stir in the flour and salt until well incorporated, turn out onto a floured board and knead for 30 seconds. Divide the dough into four, roll each into a ½“ thick log. Cut into 1” pieces, set aside. Boil a large pot of salted water.

In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the grease. Add the peas and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Stir in the parmesan, salt and pepper.

While the cream is simmering, add the gnocchi to the boiling water. When each gnocchi has floated to the top, transfer using a slotted spoon to the cream sauce. Serve, topped with the bacon.

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Corn and Chicken Chowder

Old Bay is one of my weaknesses. I am a Maryland girl at heart, you can put it in almost anything and it makes it so much better. It is ideally poured over blue crabs, but those aren't always available.  This recipe for Corn and Chicken Chowder looked great, but I made quite a few changes.  Fresh corn isn't in season, so I opted for frozen instead, but I will be trying this again this summer with fresh corn.  There is something so delicious about the liquid from the cob, it tastes like summer.  Too bad summer here means 100 degree days, not exactly chowder weather.  Miss F refused all potatoes, but C went back for seconds.  A huge success!

Corn and Chicken Chowder

6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 10 ounce package of frozen corn
8 scallions, chopped
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk
3 cups chicken broth
2 small or 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
grated cheddar, for garnish

In a large stock pot, fry the bacon pieces until crisp over medium heat. Remove from the pan, reserving the drippings, set aside. Add the corn, the white portion of the scallions and the chicken, sauté until the scallions are softened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour, constantly whisking for 1 minute. Pour in the milk and chicken broth, whisking until the mixture is smooth. Add the potatoes, Old Bay, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with the bacon, scallion greens and cheddar cheese.

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Spring Vegetable Carbonara

I have been wanting to try Confections of a Foodie Bride's carbonara for the longest time, then last week she posted about asparagus carbonara and I took it as a sign. I added peas to my version and went with a pound of pasta instead of her carb cutting half pound, I knew asparagus would be rejected by Miss F, so the peas worked as her vegetable for the evening. She methodically picked out every piece of asparagus. I had a convinced for a minute that they were green beans, but she caught on too quickly for that scam. As always, we love carbonara. The whole meal comes together in about 15 minutes, which is ideal for the nights when everyone is home late and of course, starving.

Spring Vegetable Carbonara

8 slices of bacon, cut into lardons
½ pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces
1 cup frozen peas
¾ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 pound thin spaghetti
1 egg
3 egg yolks
1 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for plating

In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, set aside. Drain all but one tablespoon of the bacon grease from the skillet. Saute the asparagus and peas for 5 minutes, season with the pepper. While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the pasta, reserving the pasta water. Add the pasta to the pan with the vegetables, tossing well. Whisk together the egg and egg yolks, stir into the pasta. Stir in the Parmesan. Add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water, adding more if necessary. Serve immediately, topped with additional Parmesan.

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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

C proclaimed this his second favorite vegetable I make, only broccoli is better. Miss F was not as thrilled to have Brussels sprouts, but after some bribery, she ate two. And I think she didn't mind them, but at that point, she had put up such a fight, she had to stay strong in her grouchiness. I had originally planned on using fresh Brussels sprouts, but the only ones available were a nearly $10 stalk full of them. I opted for the $1 frozen variety instead, since they were being doused in bacon grease anyhow. They did not disappoint at all, this side will go into regular rotation at our house.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

4 slices bacon, chopped
1 package frozen Brussels sprouts, thawed and halved
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, drain on paper towels, reserving the grease in the pan. Add the brussels sprouts, salt and pepper to the pan and saute for 10 minutes, until brussels sprouts begin to brown. Serve topped with the bacon.

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Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Years ago, I received a Taste Book of my friend's family recipes as a gift. I use several of the recipes in the book, but the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin is the one I go back to the most often. I swapped out the seasoning for my Maryland friendly Old Bay, but other than that, I am very true to the recipe. Miss F loves bacon in any format, so this tenderloin is always a hit. This would be great for a dinner party because you could prep it in advance and cook it while you socialize with your guests.  Be sure to broil it at the end to really crisp up the bacon, there is nothing worse than soggy bacon!

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 teaspoon Old Bay
1 clove garlic, sliced
5 slices of bacon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle the Old Bay all over the outside of the pork tenderloin, making sure to coat the meat evenly. Make slashes in the meat with a knife every inch or so, nestle a garlic slice in each notch. Wrap the tenderloin in the bacon and place in a baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes, until the pork has reached an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Turn on the broiler and broil for 2 to 4 minutes to crisp the bacon. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes, slice and serve.

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Hatch Chile Carbonara

I asked C to bring me my camera just before serving this dinner. He was incredulous, "haven't you made this pasta 1000 times already?" Well, um, maybe...my carbonara obsession is real y'all!  I will say I was thrilled that I roasted the hatch chile in the afternoon and I didn't get a single complaint from C about the smell, so that was a win.  Miss F devoured this pasta and she loved the roasted hatch chiles.  I loved it so much, but this is no shock considering how much I love carbonara.  Now I just need to roast a bunch of hatch chiles and freeze them so that I can enjoy this dish year round.

Hatch Chile Carbonara

4 egg yolks
½ cup cream
¼ cup grated parmesan
¼ teaspoon salt
6 slices bacon, cut into lardons
1 roasted hatch chile, chopped
2 cups corn kernels
1 pound thin spaghetti

Whisk the eggs, cream, Parmesan and salt together in 2 cup measure Fry the bacon until crisp, drain and set aside. Drain all but one tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan. Saute the chilis and corn in the grease for 1 to 2 minutes. Prepare the pasta per package directions. Add the drained pasta to the pan with the chilis and corn, pour the cream mixture over the pasta and stir over low heat for 1 minutes, top with the bacon and serve.

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Sweet Corn Fettuccine

This pasta is "pinspired" by this recipe I had pinned from Fearless Homemaker.  The end product ended up being quite far from the original, but right now I am taking full advantage of my parents' vegetable garden when I can.  The bell pepper, tomato and basil were all homegrown, so they made the dish infinitely better.  The tomatoes melt into an amazing sauce that is quite full of flavor.  Miss F was mainly a fan of the bacon and bell pepper, she prefers her corn on the cob.

Sweet Corn Fettuccine

12 ounces fettuccine
6 slices bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup corn kernels (from 1 to 2 fresh ears, or frozen)
½ cup dry white wine
¾ cup half-and-half
hand full of fresh basil

Prepare the fettucine per package instructions, drain and set aside.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, drain on a paper towel and remove all but one tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan. Add the bell pepper, tomato, garlic and corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the white wine, cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the half and half, salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the fettucine with the sauce, corn and bell pepper. Top with the bacon and sliced basil, serve.

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Spaghetti Carbonara with Asparagus

Is there anything that doesn't taste better when added to carbonara? There were gorgeous asparagus stalks at the market and I knew they were destined for a big plate of carbonara. Miss F refers to them as "celeragus," I have no clue where she got that, but at least she eats them!  I love how quickly carbonara comes together and it tastes like you have been working in the kitchen all day.  I also like that it is a one dish meal, you cannot get any easier than that.

Spaghetti Carbonara with Asparagus

6 slices bacon, cut into lardons
1 pound asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
3 egg yolks
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup cream

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Drain all but one tablespoon grease from the skillet. Saute the asparagus for 3 to 5 minutes.

Prepare the spaghetti per package instructions.

Meanwhile, in a two cup measure, whisk together the eggs, Parmesan and cream. Drain the spaghetti and add it to the pan with the asparagus. Pour the egg mixture overtop and toss well to coat. Stir in the bacon and serve.

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Easiest Ever Carbonara

Tuesday is always the craziest dinner day at our house. Miss F has gymnastics and dance class on Tuesdays and is usually "starving" as she dramatically proclaims, when we get home. Carbonara is a go to meal on these nights because it comes together so quickly and she will eat a couple servings of it. This Carbonara is one of the quickest meals to get on the table, under 15 minutes usually, and I know Miss F will no longer be starving when she is finished. As long as she also has yogurt, a mess of blackberries and a cupcake for dessert.  I adapted this recipe from a recipe I pinned from Key Ingredient.

Easiest Ever Carbonara

2 egg yolks
⅓ cup cream
⅓ cup grated parmesan
1 tablespoon minced parsley
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ pound bacon, cut into lardons
½ pound angel hair

Whisk the eggs, cream, Parmesan, parsley, salt and the red pepper together in a bowl. Fry the bacon until crisp, drain and set aside. Prepare the pasta per package directions. Drain the pasta and while still warm, pour the cream mixture into the pasta and stir over low heat for one to two minutes. Crumble the crisp bacon over the top & serve with additional Parmesan, fresh cracked pepper and minced parsley.

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Salmon Club Sandwich

I do not like lunchmeat. I will eat ham, if forced, but I don't enjoy it. Sliced turkey is just a no go. So a club sandwich has never been an attractive sandwich for me. But I adore salmon more than any other fish.  When I saw a recipe for avocado aioli in Food & Wine, I knew the perfect use would be on a salmon club sandwich, where the boring sliced turkey is swapped out for salmon sautéed in bacon grease.  Yum!  Miss F wasn't having any part of this sandwich, she enjoyed a plain bacon sandwich instead, which is what my grandma always served to me.  And equally as good as a salmon club sandwich.

Salmon Club Sandwiches

8 slices bacon
½ pound salmon filets
6 slices sandwich bread
½ avocado
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 roma tomato, sliced
½ cup baby spinach

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until cooked through. Remove to a paper towel and drain all but two teaspoons of the bacon grease. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Add the salmon and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until cooked through. Remove any skin from the salmon and flake into large chunks.

Toast the sandwich bread.

In a small bowl, mash the avocado with the sour cream, garlic and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon ¼ of the avocado mixture over one slice of toast. Layer ¼ of the flaked salmon over top, then two slices of bacon, then add a couple tomato slices and a layer of spinach leaves. Top with a second slice of toast, spoon ¼ of the avocado mixture, then salmon, bacon, tomato and spinach. Top with a third slice of toast. Secure with two toothpicks and slice in half. Repeat for the second sandwich.

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