Bacon Jam

Our friends Jo and Mark were throwing a BBQ.  They love to get dirty in the kitchen like I do and are part of the crew that made homemade sausage at my house.  Knowing their appreciation for food I wanted to bring something special to their cookout and knew they would enjoy some bacon jam.  One of the basic & best recipes out there is from Martha Stewart.  I've made this jam a long time ago so I already knew what kind of taste I was looking for.  Sweet and savory.  Along the way while making the Jam, I tweaked it to my liking and adjusted what I think the recipe should actually be for a successful batch.  Please note that you WILL need a crock pot and a blender/food processor.  You must also prepare this the day before you plan to serve it, so it congeals in the fridge overnight to an awesome yumminess.

By popular demand, here it is...  The Bacon Jam Recipe

1 1/2 or 2 pounds sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces(I used Maple Flavored Bacon)

1 large diced sweet onion

4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3/4 cup brewed coffee (I just brewed a small cup on the Keurig of strong coffee)

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons fat from skillet (reserve for another use); add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and stir to combine.Step 2
2. Transfer mixture to a  slow cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid is syrupy, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Let cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers, up to 4 weeks.

Serve on something tasty like Rosemary Crackers or Garlic Rubbed French Bread Toasts.  Enjoy!!

Michelle's New England Bean Salad

I LOVE Texas Caviar.  It's got everything I like in it...jalapenos, peppers, beans, garlic, etc.  However, there are a ton of ingredients that are not really needed to suite my families taste.  So I have tweaked the recipe and actually made it easier and cheaper while doing so.  Enjoy!

1 can of black beans
1 can of either cannellini beans or pinto beans
1 can of sweet yellow or white corn
1 diced red bell pepper
1/2 diced red onion
1/3 of a bunch of fresh cilantro chopped
1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsps. of sugar
1 Tsp. of garlic powder

1. Pour the cans of beans in a colander and run cold water over it to rinse off the beans. 
2. Add the corn to the colander to drain the liquid from the can. 
3. Transfer the beans and the corn to a medium sized mixing bowl. 
4. Add the red bell pepper, red onion and cilantro to the bowl as well. 
5. In a small sauce pan combine the apple cider vinegar, sugar and garlic powder.  Heat the mixture up until the sugar looks dissolved(about 2-3 minutes) and let cool. 
6. Pour the mixture over the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and toss.  Sprinkle some salt for your liking if you would like.  That's it!