Better in Bacon

I was making some steaks for dinner the other day, and totally forgot to make a side- I usually make garlic mashed potatoes or sweet potato fries and a few veggies.

Luckily, I found some asparagus and pears in the fridge... well that wasn't enough for me so I decided to experiment a little and add some bacon to the mix.

I know this doesn't sound like a very healthy or vegetarian option- but was it ever delicious!

I ate so many bacon-wrapped pear slices that my dog had to finish half of my 12 dollar steak.

They can also be quick and simple appetizers- just leave the toothpicks in.

Here is what I used:

1 Bunch of asparagus

2 Pears

1 pack of Bacon

Brown sugar to taste

Salt and Pepper

Cut the Pear into medium slices

Now, start wrapping! To keep the bacon in tact- secure with a toothpick on each end.

season with salt and pepper and sprinkle some brown sugar before baking...the sweetness complements the saltiness of the bacon.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees.

Serve right away while the bacon is hot. These make for a great side as well!

Stuffed Winter Squash

This is a great starter or side which combines all the great savoury fall and winter ingredients. Perfect for a holiday dinner paired with a flavourful Zinfandel or a full bodied Shiraz.

Ingredients:

2 small acorn squashes

¼ cup bulgur

1 tbsp butter

½ cup pecan pieces

¼ cup chopped onion

2 tsp chopped garlic

6 oz white Swiss chard

1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup grated Gruyère cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper

The dish looks complicated but it is very easy to make. It can be a starter/side/vegetarian main.. whatever you want. Personally, I can't have a meal without meat or poultry so I added sweet n sour grilled chicken breast on a bed of the bulgur stuffing on the side.

1. Cut the 2 squash in half and bake at 375F on a baking sheet skin side up. Bake for about 40 minutes or until squash had browned.

2. While the squash is baking, place bulgur in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 15 minutes until it absorbs all the water. On the side, roast the pecans in some butter on low heat.

3. In a frying pan, sautee the mushrooms, swiss chard and pecans with olive oil. Half way through add the bulgur and chicken stock. Wait until the stock evaporates and add the Triscuit and cheese.

4. Turn over the squash and scoop the bulgur-veggie mix into each half.

5. Bake for 20 more minutes and it is ready to serve.

Classy Cheese Balls

I am obsessed with Cheese!! There's so much you can do with it: eat it on crackers, make pasta sauces, grilled cheese sandwiches...

On my recent trip to Paris- I was served these cheesy puff pastries before dinner instead of bread. They were served hot with some light butter on the side.

So ofcourse I decided to recreate them.

[The 3 puffs on the plate]

For my recipe I used a personal favourite- Gruyère cheese!

This is what you will need:

6 Tablespoons Butter

1 Cup Water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Cup flour

4 Eggs

1 Cup Gruyere Cheese (grated)

In a medium pot on high heat, combine water, butter and salt and bring to a boil.

Stir in the flour and keep stirring until the consistency looks like this:

Then transfer the dough in a mixing bowl and add the eggs mixing on low speed.

Leave the mixer on until the bowl feels cool to the touch (may take several minutes).

Finally, mix in the cheese..

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F

Transfer the mixure into a freezer bag or ziploc bag and cut off a corner so it acts like a pastry bag.

Line a baking sheet with wax paper to avoid making a mess and START SQUEEZING!

As you can see I'm not the greatest at making pretty puff pastries but they were still really delicious!

Bake until they look golden brown or for 25 mins.

This recipe made about 40 puffs, but I didn't make them very big- just bite sized.