Recipe: Best Baked Beans

'Tis the season for hearty comfort foods, and what says comfort better than baked beans? This is an easy recipe that is sooo good. If you want it healthier, omit some of the sugar, and cook your own beans - it's easy!

Best Baked Beans
(Serves 6-8.)

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 pound center-cut thick bacon, cut into 1" pieces

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon brown mustard

15 oz dark kidney beans, drained (or 1 cup dry kidney beans - cooked & drained)

15 oz butter beans, drained (or 1 cup dry butter beans - cooked & drained)
30 oz pork and beans, undrained

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Sauté onion in olive oil over medium high heat until it starts to soften. 
• Add 1 pound center-cut bacon and cook until crispy. With a vented spoon, remove bacon and onions from pan and place on folded paper towels. Blot with extra paper towels to remove as excess fat.
• Add ketchup, sugar, brown sugar, white vinegar and mustard to a large oven-proof dish. 
• Add drained kidney and butter beans along with undrained pork and beans. 
• Add bacon and onions to bean mixture. Stir well to combine. 
• Bake uncovered at 350° for 45 minutes.

Recipe: Egg Cheddar Sourdough Breakfast Casserole

This tasty breakfast combines the nutritional punch of eggs with tomatoes, onions, and cheese for a delicious, filling meal that covers all the food groups! Since most of it is made ahead of time, it doesn't take too long to prepare in the morning. This one also makes a great "breakfast for dinner" option if you prepare the ingredients earlier in the day.

Nestled Egg Cheddar Sourdough Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 pound sourdough bread, cubed
4 tablespoons melted butter
12 ounces bacon
1 large onion, sliced
28 ounces diced tomatoes, drained 
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese 
4 green onions, chopped
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
Salt
6 free-range pastured poultry eggs

Directions:

• While preheating oven to 350 degrees, in a large mixing bowl toss the sourdough bread and butter. Spread the sourdough evenly on a large baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until bread is golden brown.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Once the bacon is cooked, transfer it to a paper towel lined plate. Save 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease, pouring out the rest. 
• Add the onion to the skillet and cook until caramelized (approximately 10 minutes). 
• Now add the tomato and cook until all the liquid has evaporated (approximately 5 minutes).  
• In a large mixing bowl, pour the onion mixture and add the bread, bacon, green onion, stock and cheese. Stir together until well mixed and season to taste with salt. 
• Spread this mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish and cover with tin foil, and refrigerate overnight. 
• To bake:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Keep the tin foil on the baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. 
• Now, remove from oven and make 6 indentations in the bread. Once the indentations have been made, crack 1 egg into each indentation. Once all 6 eggs have been added to the indentations, bake for another 15 minutes or until egg whites are set.

Gluten-Free Recipe: Bacon Parmesan Spaghetti Carbonara

With gluten appearing in so many foods, as we discussed on Monday, it can sometimes be hard to figure out what is safe to eat if you are gluten-sensitive or intolerant. Not to worry - we've got lots of tasty gluten-free recipes for you to try out! This week we're sharing a couple of hearty winter favorites, in a gluten-free version. Today's recipe is very simple, and delicious!

Bacon Parmesan Spaghetti Carbonara - Gluten Free
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 box (16 oz) gluten-free brown rice spaghetti
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup light cream or half & half
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan
8 strips bacon, diced and fried crisp

Directions:

• Cook the spaghetti according to package directions; drain and set aside.
• In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil, and when hot add the garlic, stirring and cooking for just 1 minute.
• Turn burner down to low, then add the cooked spaghetti.
• Add the cream and bring to a low simmer.
• Slowly add the beaten eggs, stirring constantly until eggs set up and are cooked through.
• Add the Parmesan, stirring until melted slightly, then sprinkle the bacon pieces in, stir to combine. 
• Serve immediately.

Recipe: Tangy Hot Bacon Spinach Salad

Mmmm....just reading this one will make your mouth water! Tangy vinegar meets the spice of onion and pepper, contrasts with the richness of bacon, and melts into the smoothness of hard boiled eggs, under which the tender bite of fresh spinach provides the perfect foil!  For a truly healthy meal, be sure the eggs and bacon are free-range raised on pasture, and that the spinach is organic - if it's from your own garden, even better!

Tangy Hot Bacon Spinach Salad
(Serves 4.)

(Photo credit: jeffreyw)

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
salt and black pepper to taste
4 cups fresh baby spinach, washed and dried well
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
hot pepper flakes or smoked paprika for garnish

Directions: 

• In a skillet, cook bacon pieces until crisp; remove to paper towel to drain.
• In same skillet with bacon drippings, add the onion, cooking until just starting to get translucent, then add the apple cider vinegar, stirring to combine and get brown bacon bits from bottom of skillet.
• Turn heat to simmer, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
• To serve, divide washed spinach between 4 salad plates, immediately drizzle hot dressing from skillet over each serving, tossing slightly.
• Sprinkle bacon pieces over each serving evenly, and finally arrange the egg slices evenly over the top. If desired, sprinkle a few hot pepper flakes over each salad or a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

Recipe-Linguini Carbonara with Organic Bacon & Mushrooms

I came up with this recipe this week when I was in the mood for pasta. I had just gotten some naturally raised pork bacon in my CSA share, and also had loads of yummy fresh organic veggies on hand from my Winter Veggie CSA, so I wanted to come up with a fairly quick dinner. The results were great, though I wished I'd had  more Parmesan cheese (I've included the amount I wished I had, in the recipe below).

Linguini Carbonara - Finished

Linguini Carbonara with Bacon & Mushrooms: (Serves: 4-6; Difficulty: Intermediate)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb shitake (or other) mushrooms
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 strips natural cured bacon
2 c. whole milk (preferably non-homogenized, or at least organic; may also use half-and-half, or lower fat milk cut with cream)
2 TB flour
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
8-oz dry linguini or other pasta (I like mixing whole wheat with some regular, for texture and variety of taste)
1 bag (approx. 12-oz to 1-lb) fresh spinach, rinsed and chopped
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste


Directions:
1. Bring large pot of water to boil for the pasta.
2. Fry bacon in large skillet over medium heat, flipping occasionally, until slices are crispy. Then remove and drain on paper towels. Pour off some of the bacon grease into a dish (save this in case you need a little later), and reserve about 1 TB in the skillet.
3. Meanwhile, prepare onions and garlic,  wash mushrooms and remove stems. Discard stems, and slice shitake caps into strips.
4. Add onions and mushrooms to bacon fat in skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and saute about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, 'til tender and onions are golden brown. (You may cover the skillet for part of this time, if you want them to cook a little faster.) Add a bit more bacon grease if needed.
5. Add minced garlic, fresh ground pepper, and salt, and cook and stir for about 1-2 minutes more.
6. Add pasta to boiling water in pot, stir well, lower heat to medium, and cover. Stir occasionally.
6. Sprinkle flour into the skillet over vegetables, and stir well to coat. Increase heat to medium.
7. Begin adding milk gradually, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until sauce is smooth and the consistency of thick cream. Do NOT let it boil. If sauce still seems to thick, add a bit more milk, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
8. Remove skillet from heat.
9. Add spinach into pasta pot and cover.
10. Dice bacon finely, add to sauce in skillet, and stir well.
11. Stir pasta, test for doneness, and if done, drain pasta and spinach in colander.
12. Put pasta and spinach in large bowl, and pour sauce over. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and mix well.
13. Serve hot, with a fresh green salad.

As always, experiment, and have fun! Some possible substitutions: different types of mushrooms, diced green or red bell peppers, Romano or other similar cheeses instead of Parmesan, also, try adding shrimp - it would probably be great in this dish - I just didn't have any on hand. If you add shrimp, add it with the garlic, and then cook and extra minute or two until it is pink, before you add the milk/cream.

Enjoy! And feel free to share your thoughts or ideas below!