Date Night, You Had Me at Bacon!

Filet topped with bacon and Gorgonzola

Bacon and Pork Sausage Rolls Served with Beetroot Sriracha Tomato Puree

Twice Baked Potatoes

Bacon Wrapped Roasted Asparagus

Authentic Rum Cake

Bacon and pork sausage rolls served with beetroot sriracha tomato puree

  yield: 2

1/2 sheet puff pastry, thawed, cut into 2 or 4 rectangles

1/4 onion, chopped

1/8th fennel root, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 strips bacon, cut small and, grease saved

1 cup pork loin, minced or ground pork

2 tablespoons panko

1 teaspoon mustard

4 sage leaves, chopped

BEETROOT SRIRACHA TOMATO PUREE

Reserved bacon grease

1 beetroot cooked, kept warm

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoon tomato ketchup

1-2 tablespoon sriracha

Preheat the oven 400″F

In a skillet or saucepan over medium heat cook bacon, once bacon is cooked to desired crispiness, remove grease into a small container and reserve. Add onion and fennel to the pan with bacon and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add in pork and break into small pieces while cooking, once fully cooked, turn heat off and add mustard, panko, and sage. Taste. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide mixture between puff pastry and roll puff pastry over pork mixture. Place the seam side down on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and cut 2 holes on the top for ventilation.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown

While cooking, blend all beetroot puree ingredients in a food processor while warm, and blend until completely smooth. Serve alongside sausage rolls.

Steak topped with bacon and gorgonzola

  yield: 2

Choice of steak

2 strips of bacon cut into small pieces

1/4 cup gorgonzola

1 teaspoon butter

1 sprig of rosemary

1 garlic clove, crushed

in a skillet over medium high heat cook bacon to desired crispiness, remove from pan and set aside. Season steak with salt and pepper then place into a pan with bacon grease. Lower temperature to medium and cook for 5-8 minutes, flip and cook for another 5-8 minutes depending on desired internal temperature. Once ready, add butter to the pan along with rosemary and garlic clove and cook slightly in butter then place on top of steak and spoon butter over top of steak. Spoon about 8-10 spoonful of butter before removing rosemary and garlic from top of steak and placing steak on a warm plate to serve. Top with cooked bacon and cheese.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Yield: 2 servings

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 large russet baking potatoes, thoroughly washed

1 slice thick cut bacon, finely chopped

¼ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon chives or scallions, finely sliced (dried works as well)

¼ cup cheese of choice

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Prepare large pastry bag with star tip.

  Pierce each potato with a fork 3 times. On a small rimmed baking sheet, bake potatoes until fully cooked. Remove from oven, slice in half lengthwise and holding potato half in a clean towel, scoop insides into a small mixing bowl leaving ¼ inch of flesh on the skin. Mash thoroughly with potato masher or ricer. Work quickly while potato is still very hot or it will become pasty.

  Add salt, pepper, bacon, butter, chives/scallions  and sour cream to cooked potato insides. Whisk thoroughly to incorporate. Scoop into prepared pastry bag and pipe into potato shells and set aside until 20 minutes before needed. Top with cheese

  Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until peaks blown lightly. Garnish with chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Bacon wrapped asparagus

  yield: 2

½ bundle asparagus

4-6 strips of bacon cut, length wise

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil for finishing

Preheat oven 400”F

Wrap asparagus in bacon and place on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Place in oven and cook for 15-25 minutes or until desired crispiness appears. Pull out of oven and drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Rum cake

  yield: 1 cake

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

½ cup water

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup dark rum

½ cup butter

¼ cup water

1 cup white sugar

½ cup dark rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the bottom of the pan

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Mix in the eggs, 1/2 cup water, oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts in the pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto serving plate. Brush glaze over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze and repeat until all glaze is used.

To make the glaze: in a saucepan, combine butter, 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup rum.