For Dad Bacon And More Bacon

 Every man - even the vegans and vegetarians ;pve bacon.It could be made from prk, turkey plants and even beef. Dads love these crispy ,salty strips on their own or with other foods. Give them this for a great day to celebrate them.

What is bacon exactly? It'straditionally a cut from the pork belly , hence the streaks of fat in the strips. The Chinese first started salting and curing it as early as 1500BCE and the Amglo Saxons made their version called bacon - where we get the word from. Tomorrow morning would be the perfect time to serve this classic. Think a piled breakfast sandwich on a toasted English muffin.Piled with chive infused scrambled eggs and then add on the bacon. Another tasty breakfast dish is a riff on Eggs Benedict assemble the sandwich with a poached egg and then layer on the bacon. Pur on a mix Hollandaise sauce or a homemade one. A scratch Hollandaise  sauce is easy to make.It requires whisking melted butter and lemon juice in egg yolks - usually three - and then a dash of Cayenne pepper is blended in. Keep in mind that both egg dishes can  be made vegan by using  Just Egg plant based egg substitute,Morningstar Farms vegan bacon strips and Melt Bitter for cooking the eggs. What about the Hollandiase sauce?It's more trickier with some recipes requiring up to twenty-five (!!!) ingredients. One only has eight an d that one requires tahini and nutritional yeast to sub in for the egg yolks. A tiny pinch of turmeric is used to get that rich yellow yolk color.

Lunch and dinner can also have dad's favorite too. Nothing beats a simple BLT.TUse good quality bacon and sour dough bread for the best bite. Time tomatoes can be beefsteak but the Caprese or Roma actually have a sweeter richer flavor. Lettuce should be crispy. Try Iceberg for the best results. Again a  good mayo is crucial here so try to use Duke's or Hellman's .Again the vegan version involves Hellmans vegan mayonnaise and Morningstar Farms plant based bacon strips. PIle on the bacon and greasy on the other two fillings. You can vary it by having sliced avocados or caramelized onion in the sandwich as well. Every man love a good bacon burger or good cheese burger. This can be made out on the grill. Remember that the bacon too can be grilled outdoors as well. To avoid any flare ups from fat dripping into the flames. create a foil tray for the bacon to cook in. Any leftover bacon can be used for a sundae for the special guy. This can be any ice creamed topped with chocolate syrup, caramel, sauce ,nuts  and slice so f bacon on top. You can create a vegan version too using plant based ice cream and vegan bacon strips.If you have time bake Dad some bacon maple cupcakes using maple syrup as the main ingredient with a smattering of bacon bits added in. If you;re using the strips let them get cold first. Hot bacon can throw off the batter. and won;t allow it to bake and rise properly.

It;s Dad's day. Serve him his favorite food in any way you can. He;ll love this bacon fest all for him !!

A Fun Snowy Day In The Kitchen

A snowy day means a lot of fun to kids. It's a day out sledding down hills and making snow angels.It also can be a fun day inside, teaching the kids how to make everything from haute cuisine to fast food favorites.

Before you do anything, make sure you have all the ingredients. It's no fun running out of milk or flour and either braving the weather to go to the store or heading over to the neighbors with an empty measuring cup.If you're making any kind of dough, then have a five-pound sack of flour. Also have other essentials on hand too. Get extra eggs, cheese and tomatoes. Make sure the pantry is stocked with pizza and tomato sauces along with packets of easy to make sauces such as Hollandaise. Also, make sure you have enough milk. You'll need it for both cooking and making hot chocolate. The cooking fun can start with breakfast. French toast is an easy cook and can be made with any kind of bread, from challah  for a rich , chewy slice or whole wheat for a somewhat healthy start the day nosh. Older kids can even make it themselves. Younger home chefs can learn how to make maple butter - an easy mix of maple syrup and butter. You can add pumpkin pie spice for a zippier flavor. Kids can have fun with making omelets, adding favorites such as pepperoni and cheese for added taste.Breakfast sandwiches are also fun and kids can have a ball creating their own combos.

For the more sophisticated little gourmands, introduce them to Eggs Benedict This can be made not only for breakfast but also for lunch and even dinner.Again it's an easy cook that even six year olds can do. Depending upon their skill level, they can toast the Engish muffins or poach the eggs. Packaged Hollandaise sauce is a cinch to make.It's just adding melted butter and then stirring until well mixed. Those English muffins can also make neat pizzas too. Who doesn't love a personalized pizza dripping with tangy sauce and gooey ,mozzarella cheese. Load on your favorite toppings, from black olives to mushrooms to even salami. Stock up on several packages of English muffins because no one can stop at just one mini pie. For a more of a challenge, try tacos Kids not only love eating these , they also love making these as well. Again they can learn safe chopping techniques as they cut up the tomatoes and lettuce to cooking the meat fillings. Other fun Mexican  style treats are guacamole and salsa which again any baby novice chef can whip up. A snowy day also calls for spaghetti and meatballs. They're easy to make, especially the meatballs. It's the perfect time to introduce them to family recipes along with the enjoyment of making a satisfying meal.

A snowy day means fun , especially in the kitchen, Show the kids how to make favorite recipes to while away the hours. They'll enjoy not only cooking but making delicious dishes too.

A Vegan Birthday

Can vegans have a tasty food filled birthday?After all nothing beats a pepperoni pizza or cheeseburger followed by an egg and butter laden  cake. Yet - suppose you're a hardcore animal lover who eschews any animal products or you have allergies that prevent you from eating dairy and meat? Can you still have a fun party? Of course you can! It's easy with a wide variety of choices.

Barbecues aren't  limited to just meat lovers. Vegans can celebrate their special day , thanks to companies like Morningstar Farms who make a variety of burgers and dogs . They have twelve (!) different kinds of patties to choose from, like a spicy black bean to a quinoa and mushroom one. They also have added soy turkey burgers and there are yummy chicken patties. Their hot dogs are just as tasty and even meaty as the real thing and they are delicious roasted over a fire. If you're looking to have a meat free party then buy their soy crumbles to turn into a hearty pot of chili or taco stuffings.If you're throwing a birthday brunch, you can easily use Morningstar's soy bacon strips for the base of Eggs Benedict. As for the Hollandaise sauce that goes over it. you can make it without the eggs, using avocado and lemon pureed to make a creamy sauce. Pepperoni pizza is a snap to make too , especially when you just add soy pepperoni on top. Also everyone loves a build your own pizza bar too.There are also soy meatballs and sausages for a tasty, and healthier marinara sauce.

Birthday desserts can be tricky.Most do have egg and butter in them as binders.Melissa Clark had a recipe for dairy free ice cream in her A Good Appetite column in Wednesday's New York Times Food section.It's taken from the Van Leeuwen Brothers cookbook on ice cream. The brothers have a small chain of ice cream shops featuring both dairy and non dairy cold treats. To create a milk free scoop sub in  cocoa butter and coconut oil  to replace the necessary dairy and egg. It creates a smooth, creamy texture that is exactly the same as milk and cream based kinds.Cakes are another vegan conundrum. How do you get a perfectly light creation without the use of vital ingredients? You can use substitutes  for the eggs and milk such as Ener-G - Egg replacer  along with soy, almond or cashew milk. Trying to make a vegan frosting has always been the hardest but now you can , thanks to using coconut oil in place of butter.  Arrowroot powder can be used to make it thicker but it does result in a  fluffy topping that can be dyed pretty colors for variety and fun. Of course if there's a vegan bakery nearby, take advantage of it because they can create some awesome treats and even favors.

Yes , vegans can have a tasty, treat filled birthday. Use soy products along with stand ins for creating a no cruelty party .It's not only healthy but kind too!

Your Mother's Day Recipe Guide

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and with that comes a plethora of home made dishes, every one made with love and a few egg shells. These are your basic ones. Anybody can make them.They're pretty easy to whip up not just for Mother's Day bot for all year round.

MIMOSA

This is an all time Mom favorite. Add a pretty blossom to jazz it up.

Champagne or sparkling white wine
Orange juice

Fill 2/3 of a champagne flute with fresh squeezed or bottled orange juice. Top off with the champagne. if you want a boozier version fill glass with 1/3 champagne.


EGGS BENEDICT (for four)

4 English muffins split and toasted
4 eggs
Hollandaise sauce
Canadian bacon

Hollandaise sauce can be home made or made with packets of pre made powder. Of course it tastes better with the real deal.
Hollandaise:
makes 4 servings. This is a microwave recipe taken from allrecipes.com        

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

•                         
  4  egg yolks
•                         
  1/2  lemon, juiced, or to taste
•                         
  2 pinches salt

•                         
  2 pinches cayenne pepper
•                         
  1/2 cup salted butter, melted                             

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1. Beat egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper together in a microwave-safe bowl until smooth. Slowly stream melted butter into the egg yolk mixture while whisking to incorporate.
2. Heat in microwave for 15 to 20 seconds; whisk.

Poach eggs in a large skillet, using an inch of water. Drop eggs into water and cooked until the white is solid. while the eggs are cooking brown the bacon .When done top each muffin slice with the meat first and then the egg. . Top with three to four tablespoons of Hollandaise sauce.

Variations: Eggs Florentine- sub in spinach for the Canadian bacon
Eggs- Benedetto, use pancetta for Canadian bacon
Seafood Benedict Add cooked crab meat instead of meat

Quick Omelet

2 eggs
your choice of extras, such as ham, olives, any kind of cheese or veggie, mushrooms,

Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet Beat eggs until frothy and add ingredients. Be creative or make what mom likes.Serve with toasted croissants .

Eat Your Veggies Chopped Salad

Romaine lettuce, cabbage, iceberg lettuce,
Mom's favorite veggies
Croutons/Almonds/Sunflower Seeds
Mom's favorite dressing

Using any of the above greens or all three as a base, chop into bite sized pieces. Chop what ever Mom likes, whether tomatoes, broccoli or carrots. If you want a colorful salad toss in red, green and yellow pepper.For crunch you can choose from croutons, almonds slices or sea salted sunflower seeds.Drizzle on the dressing right before serving. You can add a hot buttered roll with it to finish ot off.

You have these easy recipes.Go to the kitchen and make your mom the best breakfast lunch, brunch or even dinner ever!