Being a weekly look at bacon and other comestibles…
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Southern Pies – by Nancie McDermott |  |
Vinegar Pie
Ingredients:
Pastry for 9″ single crust pie
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tblsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs beaten well
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tblsp evaporated milk, 1/2&1/2 or milk
1/3 cup vinegar – apple cider or white, not flavored
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Line 9″ pan with crust.
Small bowl, combine sugar, flour, salt; mix with fork.
Medium bowl whisk/beat eggs, butter, milk.
Add sugar/flour mix and stir well.
Add vinegar and stir well.
Pour into piecrust.
Place on bottom rack & bake 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 325°
Bake until edges puff up & center fairly firm when shaken gently; takes 35-45 minutes.
For those celebrating Passover or just hungry for simple food: Matzo Brei
I’ve seen this made with 1 egg/matzo or 2 eggs/matzo.
I make it with 1 egg per 2 matzos. I’m not looking for scrambled eggs here.
Large skillet with vegetable oil.
Per person:
1 egg beaten.
Whenever I scramble eggs fresh from the fridge, I add a small splash of hot water – eggs whip up better.
Once whipped, I add a small splash of milk and beat it up again.
Break up 2 matzos in a medium bowl, pieces no bigger than about 1/2″ square.
If it’s finer than that, it would be called farfel brei. 🙂
Add warm water to the bowl and get the matzo thoroughly wet, let soak 30 seconds.
Drain water – some say squeeze out the water but that would break up the matzo too fine and the water will evaporate quickly when you start the frying.
Optional: Dash of salt and pepper
Add the beaten egg and mix well – by hand is easiest way to mix without crushing the matzo smaller.
Heat the skillet on high and wait a minute or two until the oil is hot.
Some use butter but oil takes the high initial heat whereas butter would burn.
Optional: Some saute a bit of chopped onion at this point. I don’t.
Dump the soggy matzo-egg mix in the skillet and spread it out over the pan.
After about a minute, turn the heat to low.
Will tend to cook as a solid mass, so break it up with a spatula and flip frequently – the goal is to get bite-sized chunks browned crisp on both sides.
When it’s nicely browned, I put a paper towel on a plate to soak up oil and dump the skillet on the towel, trying to avoid dumping any excess oil.
Pull the paper towel up, turning the matzo brie into the plate.
Some sprinkle sugar on it, some add sour cream and/or applesauce. I eat it naked (the matzo brie, not the cook 🙂 ).
More to life than bacon? Yes! Brown Sugar Bacon!
Ingredients:
Thick-cut bacon as needed
Brown sugar as needed – I use light brown sugar but it’s up to you.
Optional: Cayenne pepper & coarse black pepper, maple syrup
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375°
If youa have a large enough pan with edges, just line it with foil.
If not, make an aluminum foil ‘pan’ with edges folded up to prevent
drippings from running out and put it on a baking sheet.
(To be safe, I usually make a 2nd foil ‘pan’ for the shelf below. I hate to mess up my oven).
Cover foil with brown sugar, need not be thick, just enough to cover.
Lay down bacon
Optional: Sprinkle LIGHTLY with pepper if desired.
Sprinkle brown sugar on top to cover bacon.
Optional: Drizzle a LITTLE maple syrup over bacon.
Bake about 20-25 minutes.
Let cool.
Because Opening Day stirred an appetite for a proper hot dog…
Sabretts Onions in sauce
Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons Olive Oil
2 Medium Onions, sliced thin and chopped
3 Cups Water
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 teaspoons Corn Syrup
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 Cup Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Cup Vinegar
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Sauté sliced onion in oil for 5 minutes, until onions are soft, but not brown.
Add 3 cups water, tomato paste, corn syrup, corn starch and salt; stir.
Bring to a boil, then reduce hear and simmer for 45 minutes.
Add vinegar.
Continue to simmer an additional 30-45 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced and the sauce is thick.
Chocolate and vinegar! 🙂 My mom used to make this for us when we were little
Wacky welfare cake
Henceforth, for any recipe I add to More to Life than Bacon, assume that it ends “… and, of course, the bacon of your choice.”
I cook for two extremely finicky eaters (wife and daughter). The only cut of beef they’ll eat is Filet Mignon with prime rib getting an occasional approval. Imagine my surprise at their response to this recipe from Epicurious (a great site). They liked it and added it to the six or seven meals they’ll actually eat without griping.
The yogurt sauce makes the meal, in a big way
Roast Chicken Breasts With Garbanzo
Beans, Tomatoes, And Paprika
Bon Appétit | May 2008
by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon smoked paprika*
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
4 chicken breast halves with bones
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 12-ounce container cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
Preheat oven to 450°. Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Pour 1 teaspoon spiced oil mixture into small bowl; whisk in yogurt and set aside for sauce. Place chicken on large rimmed baking sheet. Rub 2 tablespoons spiced oil mixture over chicken. Add beans, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup cilantro to remaining spiced oil mixture; toss to coat. Pour bean mixture around chicken. Sprinkle everything generously with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cilantro. Transfer chicken to plates. Spoon bean mixture over. Serve with yogurt sauce. …and, of course, the bacon of your choice.
Vinegar pie? I wonder who’s been watching ‘Courage the Cowardly Dog’
Afraid I predate that show by many decades.
I’ve always loved vinegar and pies, so when I got the chance to combine them I never looked back. 🙂
It’s a sweet-and-sour thing – my granny used to put a touch of vinegar in her mince pies but her recipe is long gone. 🙁
Don’t get me started on Paula Deen, I don’t want to get kicked off another website.
Steeleweed, have you tried putting the bacon in the vinegar pie? I think you might have something there, like German potato salad in pie form. Maybe add apples for bulk and texture? The trick would be keeping the bacon crisp, too bad bac’o bits would be a bit heretical.
This looks good, off the beaten path. I will have a recipe a little later but I had to share this from Paula Deen – this one is a guaranteed coronary – what a joke Butter Bacon Burgers Can you imagine. Why not just skip the burger and eat the stick of butter, straight up with a whip cream chaser;)
Paula has lately adopted a low fat, low sugar approach after she got a big endorsement offer (taking advantage of her diabetic condition): “Coming to terms with diabetes wasn’t easy for Deen, who says she lived in denial and ignored the diagnosis for over a year and a half. But after agreeing to an endorsement deal with drug maker Novo Nordisk that she announced in January 2012, Deen got serious.”
Paula also has a recipe for deep-fried butter balls and I’ve seen deep-fried butter-on-a-stick at our county fair.
It may be healthier but most fat-free stuff tastes like cardboard IMO.
I suppose it’s a question of moderation.
Eat right, don’t smoke, get plenty of exercise – and get hit by a bus. 🙂
“You only live once, but if you go about it right, once is enough.”