Bacon, Cheese and Zucchini Fritters

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1 grated zucchini 

1 cup grated cheese 

4 rashers of shortcut bacon, diced finely 

1 onion diced finely 

2 eggs

1/2 C milk

1 cup SR flour

Salt and pepper

Optional - diced red capsicum, grated carrot or sweet potato.

Do This -

Combine in a bowl and add a little bit of oil to a non stick frying pan. 

Cook in batches. I do four at a time. Flip when you see bubbles forming on top. Cook for another 5 mins.

Easy Potato Bake

Serves 4

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4 potatoes, peeled and sliced
125g diced bacon
1 onion, diced
300ml cream
1 cup grated cheese

Do This - 

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Spread half of the potatoes in a layer in the base of a greased ovenproof dish. Add half the onion, bacon, cream and cheese. Repeat with a layer of potatoes, then the remaining onion, bacon, cream and cheese. Finish the last top layer with cheese.
3. Bake in the oven until potatoes are tender and top is browned. (about 30-40 minutes)

Zucchini Slice

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6 eggs

2 large zucchinis, grated

1 cup self-raising flour

1 onion, finely chopped

200g bacon, diced
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt & pepper to taste

Do This -

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line a 20 x 30cm baking tray with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, add the flour and combine well.
3. Add all other ingredients and mix.
4. Pour the contents into the prepared tray and bake for 30 minutes or until brown.
5. Allow to cool slightly, then slice.

Easy Fried Rice

Image from Taste.com.au

Serves 2


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1 cup cooked and cooled white long grain rice
2 eggs
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 bacon rashers, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 shallot, trimmed, finely sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus extra to serve
1 teaspoon fish sauce


Do This -

1. Using a whisk, lightly beat eggs in a small bowl. Heat oil in non-stick wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Add eggs. Swirl over base to form an omelette. Cook 2 minutes. Turn over. Cook 2 minutes until set. Transfer to a chopping board. Set aside to cool slightly. Cut into short strips.
2. Add bacon to wok. Cook 4 minutes until light golden. Add carrot. Stir fry 1 minute. Add shallots, peas and rice. Cook, stirring, 3-4 minutes. Add egg, soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir until heated through. Serve immediately.

(This recipe was found at Taste.com.au)

Spinach, Ricotta and Bacon Crustless Quiche

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2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bunch English spinach, stems trimmed, washed, dried, coarsely chopped
125g (1/2 cup) smooth ricotta
100g feta
2 bacon rashers, diced
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
Freshly ground black pepper



Do This -

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and bacon and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until aromatic.
3. Add spinach and tarragon and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until spinach just wilts. Remove from heat.
4. Whisk the ricotta, feta, eggs and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Season with pepper.
5. Put onion and bacon mixture into a greased pie dish and spread to cover the base evenly.
6. Pour the egg mixture over the top.
7. Place in oven and cook for 40 minutes or until quiche is set.

4 Ingredients - Creamy Bacon & Sun Dried Tomato Chicken

Fi's Minestrone

I found this recipe on Fi's blog Mummy Daze and thought it looked so good and so easy that I'd give it a go! It's absolutely delicious!!

Not my image, as per usual!

Serves 4 - with enough for seconds and leftovers

Get This -

2 tablespoons oil
ham/bacon/salami
onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons tomato paste

800g tinned tomatoes

2 teaspoons stock powder

4.5 cups cold water

2 medium potatoes, cubed

1 large carrot, diced

zucchini, sliced

1/2 broccoli, chopped finely

1/2 cup frozen peas

750g tin cannellini beans, rinsed and strained

1/2 cup macaroni/broken spaghetti pieces

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 cups fresh baby spinach (if you have some)
salt & pepper

fresh basil

serve with a dollop of pesto

Do This -

1. Add diced bacon, onion, crushed garlic and oil to large pot. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes or until onion is softened.
2. Add tomato paste, tinned tomato, stock and water. Cover, and bring to the boil. Add potato and carrots. Cook, uncovered for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
3. When you are nearly ready to serve, add the beans, zucchini, broccoli, peas and pasta. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is just tender. Add sugar and vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in baby spinach leaves just before serving.
4. Ladle into bowls and dollop with pesto and basil. Serve with toasted bread or oven-baked rolls - whatever you have handy.

I served it with parmesan instead of pesto, and fresh basil.

Bacon & Cheese Mini Muffins

from Taste.com.au

Makes 30

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1 tablespoon olive oil

4 short-cut bacon rashers, finely chopped

2 cups self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1/4 cup coarsely grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup extra light olive oil

1/4 cup light sour cream

2 eggs

Do This -

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a 12 x 1 1/2-tablespoon (30ml) capacity mini muffin pan.
   
2. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add bacon. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Drain. Allow to cool.
   
3. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in sugar, cheese and bacon. Whisk milk, oil, sour cream, eggs and pepper in a jug. Add to dry ingredients. Use a metal spoon to combine.
   
4. Spoon mixture into muffin holes to almost fill them. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Stand for 5 minutes in pan before turning onto a wire rack. Repeat with remaining mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature.

From Taste.com.au and tweaked a little.

Fettuccine with Asparagus, Parmesan, and Prosciutto

Serves 4

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1 teaspoon olive oil
100g thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into strips (or 4 finely chopped bacon rashers)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup pure cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper
500g fettuccine
2 bunches of asparagus trimmed and cut into pieces
1 cup grated parmesan
¾ cup chopped fresh basil

Do This -

1. Cook fettuccine as per instructions on the pack.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick pan over medium heat until just smoking.  Cook prosciutto until lightly browned and crisp, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to paper towel-lined plate.
3. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in cream and lemon juice and simmer until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add asparagus to the pot of pasta with 4 minutes left of cooking time.  Reserve 1 cup cooking water, drain pasta and asparagus, and return to pot.
5. Add sauce, ½ cup reserved cooking water, parmesan, and basil to pot and toss to combine, adding remaining cooking water as needed.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle portions with crispy prosciutto.  Serve.

Mushroom & Tomato Frittata

I'm still a little shocked at how easy and quick and tasty this recipe is!
It's a new favourite!!
I found it on Taste.com.au and changed a few things.
I added some bacon, changed the parsley to coriander and cooked it in the oven because I don't have a grill.

from Taste.com.au
 

Serves 4

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• 20g butter
• 200g Swiss brown mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 4 eggs
• 75g mature cheddar, coarsely grated
• 2 bacon rashers, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander roughly chopped

Do This -

1. Preheat the grill to high or the oven to 180deg.
2. Melt the butter in a non-stick frypan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, bacon and tomato wedges, and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until tomato and mushrooms have softened.
3. Lightly beat eggs with 1 tablespoon water in a large bowl. Stir in cheese, coriander, and the mushroom and tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Melt remaining butter in the frypan over medium-low heat. Add the egg mixture, stir briefly, then cook for 5-6 minutes until golden underneath and nearly set. Place pan under hot grill for 3-4 minutes or until just set and top is golden. Or pour the mixture into a flan/quiche dish and bake in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes until just set and top is golden.
5. Serve with your favourite salad.

Rice Cakes

Tonight I had some left over cooked rice.
I'd usually make fried rice with it, but I did that 2 nights ago, so I went looking for something else.
I found a recipe on Taste.com.au for rice cakes that used smoked chicken. But I didn't have any chicken so I substituted bacon and added some sour cream to make sure they wouldn't be too dry.

They were really tasty! A bit like mini quiches, but without flour, which is always good for me!

Makes 12

Get This -

1 - 1 1/2 cups cooked basmati rice
4 bacon short cut rashers, diced
2 tablespoons semi-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup grated cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1 tablespoon sour cream
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup basil leaves, finely shredded
3 eggs, lightly beaten
salt and pepper

Do This -

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 12 hold muffin pan.
2. Fry the bacon until cooked, then leave to cool.
3. Place rice, bacon, dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cheese, parmesan, onions, basil, eggs, salf and pepper into a large bowl. Mix well to combine.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cakes are firm to the touch and light golden. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Run a flat-edged knife around edges of cakes. Turn onto a wire rack.
5. Serve with salad. Tonight's salad was coral lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, capsicum, lebanese cucumber, fetta and avacado dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

These would also be great lunch box idea.

Chicken BLT Salad

I love salads on a Summer night.
This one is perfect!!




 Serves 4

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Olive oil
500g single chicken breast fillets
4 lean bacon rashers, excess fat trimmed, cut into thirds
2 baby cos lettuces, leaves separated, washed, dried
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 avocado, halved, stone removed, peeled, thinly sliced
4 boiled eggs
caesar salad dressing

Do This -

• Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and cook for 3 minutes each side or until well browned. Thickly slice the chicken across the grain.
• Add the bacon to the pan and cook for 4 minutes or until crisp.
• Remove the bacon and place chicken back into the pan. Stir until cooked well all through.
• Divide the lettuce, tomato, avocado, chicken and bacon among serving bowls. Drizzle dressing over the top. Finish with a boiled egg cut in half.

*I like to add some shaved parmesan as well. You could also have it with croutons.

Impossible Quiche

I've tweaked a couple of recipes on Taste.com.au to come up with this.
It's good, trust me!

(serves 4)

Get This -

• 125g ham or bacon, chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 carrot, grated
• 1/2 zucchini, grated
• 1/2 cup grated tasty cheese
• 1/3 cup self-raising flour
• Salt & freshly ground pepper, to season
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk

Do This -

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 5 cup capacity pie dish.
2. Combine and scatter, ham/bacon, onion, grated vegetables and cheese over base of dish.
3. Whisk flour, eggs, milk, salt & pepper together in a large jug and pour over ham mixture. Cook for about 40 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool slightly. Serve warm or cold.

.

Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake

Serves 4

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250g dried macaroni pasta
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
3 bacon rashers, cooked and chopped
100g broccoli
300ml light thickened cream
1 can tomatoes
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Do This

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease an  8-cup capacity baking dish.
2. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water for 10 minutes or until tender. 
3. Drain pasta and return to saucepan. Add cooked chicken and bacon, broccoli, cream, tomatoes and parmesan. Toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared dish. Top with mozzarella. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.

Creamy Pea and Bacon Spaghetti

I had bacon in the freezer, cream in the fridge, and that was about it.
So I made this, and I'll be making it again...YUM!

(serves 4)

Get This -

300g spaghetti
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
6 rashers streaky bacon, rind removed, sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 garlic cloves, crushed
80g soft or cream cheese
300ml thin cream
1 cup (100g) grated parmesan cheese

Do This -

1. Cook pasta in a pan of boiling, salted water according to packet directions. Drain, then toss in a little olive oil.
2. Heat oil and butter in a large frypan over medium heat, then add bacon and cook until crisp and golden. Add peas and garlic and cook until garlic is no longer raw.
3. Add cream cheese and cream, then stir over low heat until cheese has melted.
4. Season with salt and plenty of cracked black pepper and stir in half of the parmesan. Add cooked spaghetti and toss. Serve topped with remaining parmesan.

Caesar Salad

I love caesar salads, but I hate those pre-packaged ones.  You may as well be eating cardboard, I think.  So here's my real do-it-yourself one.  I do buy a bottled dressing but if you get a really good one this salad tastes just as good as one from a cafe or restaurant.

Serves 2

Get this -

2 cos lettuce hearts
2 boiled eggs, quartered
2 bacon rashers
1 clove garlic
4 - 6 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon capers
baguette
parmesan
bottled caesar salad dressing

Do this -

1. Cut baguette into slices, rub both sides with garlic, butter lightly or spray with oil and crisp in oven or in a sandwich press.
   
2. Separate lettuce leaves and place into a salad bowl.
3. Dice bacon and fry until crisp.
4. Sprinkle bacon, anchovies (chopped or whole) and capers over lettuce.
5. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently.
6. Arrange egg wedges and toasted croutons on top.
7. Shave parmesan over salad and serve.
   

TIP - Add cooked prawns or chopped barbecued chicken for a light summer dinner or heartier lunch.

Savoury Muffins

I am sooo not a baker.  But I felt like some savoury muffins today and thought my kids might like to try them, too.  Well, of course, I loved them and my kids wouldn't even taste them!  Oh well, I'll keep trying.

 Makes 12

Get This -

• 2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• salt and pepper
• 125g melted butter, cooled
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon herbs
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 2 bacon rashers, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 small red capsicum, diced
• parmesan to top

 

Do This -

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Fry onion, bacon and capsicum until onion is soft.
3. Sift flour into a bowl.  Add cheese and season well with salt and pepper.
4. Whisk eggs, milk and herbs together.
5. Make a well in the flour, add milk mixture and butter, fold until well combined.
6. Fold in bacon and onion mixture.
7. Spoon into greased muffin tray, top with parmesan.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

 

Try to eat just one!!

Chicken Pasta Bake

If you like pasta bakes you'll love this one...easy and tasty...mmm mmm!


Serves 4


Get This -

300g of your favourite short pasta
1 onion, finely chopped
300ml cream
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 barbecue chicken, roughly chopped
3 bacon rashers
salt and pepper
1 cup tasty cheese


Do This -

• Preheat oven to 200C.
• Cook pasta in a large pot as per packet instructions.  Drain and set aside in baking dish.
• Meahwhile, cook bacon, chop, set aside.
• Saute onion in a little oil until softened but not brown.
• Add cream, bring to simmer and cook for 2 minutes.
• Stir in corn, peas, parmesan, bacon and chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add to pasta in baking dish, add salt and pepper and stir to mix well.
• Sprinkle cheese on top.
• Bake in oven for about 20 minutes or until golden on top.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley if you like.

I guarantee you'll want seconds!