Grilled Sandwich, With Brie, Bacon, Pear & Mustard

A Bloody good sandwich this is, even if I do say so myself!

Recipe:

bakery san juan multigrain bread
brie cheese
crispy bacon
pear, thinly sliced
french mustard
butter
olive oil

Set the oven to 350* - lay a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Put the bacon onto the paper so the rashers are not touching, and pop them in the oven.  Cook until crispy.  You will love how easy the clean up is, cooking bacon this way!

While that's happening, lay out all the other ingredients, and start building the sandwiches, spreading mustard on the bread first, then the cheese and pear.

Put a little olive oil and butter in a large heavy pan.  Now put your feet up, and have a glass of wine!  I love meals like this, no racing around with four pans going and stuff flying all over the place.  I call a dinner like this a night off from cooking!

When the bacons done, tuck a few rashers in to the sandwich, and start cooking, about two minutes each side on medium low heat.  Watch multigrain bread, it burns easy.  So keep the heat lower than you  normally would.

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Warm Jerusalem Artichoke Salad With Bacon & Egg

Sometimes I find it really hard to move into the winter, after having just wonderful summer salads!

So here's a warm salad that will stop you having the blues!

Recipe for four:

6 jerusalem artichokes, peeled and sliced thick
6 rashers bacon, cut into 1" pieces
4 eggs, boiled for 7 minutes then chilled, peeled and quartered
1 avocado, cubed
3 large hearts of romaine lettuce, ends removed and cut on the diagonal
olive oil
salt and pepper
pinch chili flakes
sherry vinegar

First fry the artichokes in a little oil until browned.  Set them aside in a dish.  Using the same pan brown the bacon and set that aside.  Pour the fat from the pan into a large stainless steel bowl, (not more than about two tablespoons).

Place the bowl on the stove over medium low heat, add the vinegar and cook it for a bit so it blows off some of the acid.  Now add some salt, pepper, chili flakes, bacon, artichokes and lettuce.  Toss the bowl or stir you have to to combine the ingredients.  Barley warm the lettuce, it should be warm but not to wilted.

Plate onto slightly warm plates, and then add the egg and avocado...

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Jerusalem Artichoke Warm Spinach Salad With Bacon, Egg & Parsnip Chips

Freaking great warm salad, it's crazy good!

Recipe for four:
6 Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and sliced
1 parsnip, peeled and sliced
4 eggs, boiled for 7minutes, peeled and cut in half
6 slices nitrate-free bacon, cut into 2" pieces
1 container organic baby spinach
Olive oil
1 T sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
Pinch chili flakes

When boiling eggs, well, just do it this way!  Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water and a little sea salt.  Bring to a boil and set the timer for 7 minutes, reduce heat to a gentle roll.  When done chill eggs under cold water for a few minutes then peel.

First fry the bacon in a little olive oil until brown, then keep warm in the oven.  Do the same with the parsnips and artichokes.

In a stainless steel bowl add the oil and fat from cooking the bacon, parsnips and artichokes.  Then add the vinegar.  Put the bowl on the stove over medium low heat until the vinegar bubbles, then reduce the heat to low and add the spinach, bacon, artichokes and parsnips, now toss and add the seasonings.  Don't cook it, just warm the spinach a little, when it starts to melt, then plate it!  Serve on warm plates with the egg.

Please note:  If you want to live a healthy life, use 100% organic and nitrate-free products!

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Egg And Bacon Breakfast Sandwich On Toasted Sourdough

Here's a quick breakfast idea to help keep the kids heads out of the cereal box!

This is quick and they can eat it the car.

All you do is fry some nitrate free bacon until crispy.  When done keep it warm in the oven, and then fry the eggs in the same pan with the bacon drippings.

Serve on some toasted Bakery San Juan's sourdough bread with some mayo and a touch of salt and pepper!

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Sunday Morning Breakfast Pizza!

The word YUM comes to mind!

For the pizza dough recipe, see my December 30th 2011 blog.  It's always a good idea to have a few 2 ounce portions of dough in the freezer, for those special times...

OK then, let's get the pizza stone in the oven and turn it on to 500* or higher!  Now roll the dough out on a floured counter, until it's very thin.

Cook up some bacon so it's nice and brown, but not quite done, then set aside.  When the oven's hot, take the stone out and lay the thin pizza dough on it.  Then brush some olive oil on the dough, now grate some cheese of your choice right onto the pizza, add some bacon, and tomato and crack a few eggs on top.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until done.  Sprinkle a little fresh ground nutmeg onto the eggs!

Bon Appetit!   Chef Hobbes

Awesome Warm Spinach Salad, with Bacon, Egg and Roasted Red Peppers

Quick, cheap and easy to prepare salad that will satisfy the taste buds...

Recipe for two:
5 slices of uncured bacon cut into 2" pieces
1 shallot thinly sliced
1 tub organic baby spinach
1 roasted red pepper cut into strips
4 eggs (see my egg recipe in an older post for the perfect egg)
1 three finger pinch of red chili flakes
1 three finger pinch of both salt and pepper
2 T sherry vinegar
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup dried cranberries
balsamic drizzle

You will need a large stainless steel bowl for this recipe.

First cook and peel the eggs, and cut in half and set aside.  See my egg recipe in an older post for the most perfect egg.  Now fry the bacon, when done remove bacon from the pan and keep warm in the oven.  In the same pan cook the shallots with the bacon fat.

Place a stainless steel bowl on a burner over low-medium heat.  Add the shallots to the bowl with the fat, add the bacon, chili flakes, salt and pepper, vinegar, olive oil, cranberries and toss and mix together.  When the vinegar and oil starts to sizzle add the spinach.  Now toss all the ingredients together, melting the spinach just a little, but don't over-do this step, you just want to warm and slightly melt the spinach.

Transfer to warm plates and garnish with eggs, red peppers and a balsamic drizzle.

Bon Appetit!