Ellie had her last cyclocross race of the season. She misplaced her shoe and was not going to race, but changed her mind at the last moment. Ellie raced in her jeans and hoodie instead of her team kit - she said it felt funny, like a racer. She earned first place in the JW 13-14 division, which also moved her up to second place in the 2011 Colorado Cyclocross Cup. On the way home from Boulder we stopped by a great thrift store to look for more blue wool sweaters for the chair reupholstering project I am gearing up to do. It it much more difficult than I had anticipated to find the variety of blue wool sweaters that I am hoping for. I may have to actually knit up and felt some bits to achieve the look I am going for.
During the afternoon I was by myself as Larr and Ethan were at the Colorado School of Mines library doing research. Ellie was hanging out at Christy's house. This left me free to do a bit of digital scrapbooking.
On Sunday we did a lot of cooking. Ethan got a wild hair and decided to make some candied bacon. I know it is all the rage, that and chocolate covered bacon, but I had not planned on trying it. It turned out to be very tasty. Ethan called it "dog treats for humans."
I made a simple yellow lentil and bacon soup for Ethan's lunches this week. I also made a nice sausage and pasta dish, as well as some lemon bars so that Grandpa Don could enjoy a home cooked meal.
Pasta with Sausage and Cream Sauce
adapted from Creme De Colorado Cookbook
1.5 pound Italian Sausage, mild
2 cup Heavy Cream
1 cup Dry White Wine
1 TBL Fresh Parsley, minced
1/2 tea Nutmeg, ground
1/2-1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
12 oz. Pasta, cooked al dente, drained
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 TBL Fresh Parsely, minced
If your sausage comes in links, remove the casting. Cook the sausage in a skillet. Pour off any fat or grease that is in the pan.
Stir in the cream, wine, 1 TBL of parsley and nutmeg. Simmer 3-4 minutes.
Place the heated pasta in the serving dish. Stir in the nutmeg.
--
Simple French Lentil Soup with Bacon
adapted from SimpleBites.net
2 cups French lentils (rinsed, cleaned and soaked for 24 hours)
8 strips of bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
10 oz. spinach, chopped (I used a box of frozen spinach)
8 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups stock or water
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried Oregano
salt & black pepper to taste
Method:
1. Soak lentils in water for 24 hours, rinsing and changing the water every 12 hours or so.
2. Cook the bacon in a skillet until fat has been rendered, then pour it out.
3. Add onions, carrots and season with a pinch of sea salt. Sauté until onions are translucent, about another five minutes. Add garlic and cook a minute further.
4. Place the drained lentils, along with the cooked vegetables, the spinach, herbs and stock in a crock pot and cook for a at least 6 hours on high. Simmer until lentils are tender. If you in a hurry you can cook the soup in a pressure cooker. You can also cook it in the oven in a Dutch oven. Cover and simmer on low for 1 1/2 – 2 hours or
5. Taste and correct seasoning if desired. Serve hot with a dollop of crème fraîche.
--------------
Candied Bacon
via NourishNetwork.com
4 cups granulated sugar
4 cups water
1 (12-ounce) package center-cut bacon
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
Combine granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add bacon and cook 5 minutes or until bacon appears cooked around edges. Drain bacon on paper towels until cool enough to handle.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Thread each strip of bacon onto a wooden skewer. Combine brown sugar, mustard, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge bacon in brown sugar mixture, shaking off excess. Place bacon on the rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes or until crisp, turning bacon halfway through cooking time. Cool completely.
Makes 18 pieces
Lemon Bars
via The Enchanted Cook on More Than a Mount Full blog
Lemon Bars
adapted from Amy Parks as published in CHS Sweetheart Family Recipes
Makes 18 squares or 36 small triangles
Oven 350 degrees F
Crust:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), cut in small pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup confectioners sugar
Filling:
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1 ½ lemons)
Confectioners sugar for dusting
To make crust, place butter, flour and confectioners sugar in food processor and pulse until dough begins to come together.
Place in 9x13 baking dish and press dough until it covers the bottom and up the sides to form an edge. Bake in oven for 15 minutes, then remove to cool completely. Leave oven on at 350 degrees F.
Meanwhile, make the filling by mixing all the filling ingredients together.
Pour filling into crust and bake in oven for 25 – 35 minutes or until filling is set and no longer jiggly when moved gently from side to side.Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Dust with confectioners sugar. Or if you prefer, you can make a lemon glaze with 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice mixed with 1 cup confectioners sugar.
No comments:
Post a Comment