Quick Egg, Tomato, Bacon, and Cheese Mug

Another case of monkey see, monkey do. While I was enjoying a cup of coffee and reading through some new posts from blogs I follow I came to Dara's blog, Cookin' Canuck, and saw a recipe for something I've seen before but was never brave enough to try.

"Egg mug" recipes. The thought of cooking anything in the microwave was kind of a turn off. Another reason I was hesitant on trying a recipe like this is because eggs and I aren't the best of friends. I can only tolerate the texture for so long and have a preference for how I like my eggs cooked with each method.

What gave this time? I had all of the ingredients on hand and if it's good enough for Dara's two boys then it's good enough for me.

Dara's version had mushrooms and ham. I didn't have those items on hand but she stated how versatile the recipe is. You can change the veggies, meats, and cheeses so the possibilities are endless.

Now that I am toying with the idea of going back to work and having Itty Bitty in "school" means that my mornings are about to become pressed for time. It'll be important for me to have breakfast ready to go and us to be out the door on time. Quick and simple breakfast options will be needed.

This "egg mug" recipe is quick and easy to put together. You whisk your eggs and add the other ingredients of choice with some spices. Cook it in the microwave and top it with cheese. Breakfast took all of 5 minutes to make.

It was surprisingly tasty. I was a little put off by the amount of water that was settled at the bottom of my mug though. After draining the water off and transferring it to a plate I was back to enjoying my breakfast. I would make this again. Thank you Dara for sharing your recipe!

Quick Egg, Tomato, Bacon, And Cheese Mug

Adapted from Dara at Cookin' Canuck

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp water - I'm not sure if this amount was too much but next time I might not add any and see if that helps.
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 beefsteak tomato, no seeds or juice, diced
• basil - I just eyeballed the amount.
• oregano - I just eyeballed the amount.
• 1 slice pan fried bacon, crumbled

And Action:

Spray a 12 oz mug with cooking spray. Crack the eggs into the mug and whisk with the water. Stir in the tomato, bacon, black pepper, basil, and oregano. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir the mixture. Microwave for another 60 to 90 seconds. Mine took 2 minutes to get it to the doneness I prefer. Sprinkle with cheese. 

Sweet and Peppery Bacon

The only way to describe this Sweet and Peppery Bacon is candy for breakfast. What better way to take something already not so good for you and make it even worse? By sprinkling it with brown sugar and letting it roast in the oven to get a caramelized peppery crust. Heavenly!

The black pepper to brown sugar ratio is one to one. When I mixed the two and sprinkled the bacon with the mix I second guessed myself and figured the pepper was going to be overpowering for itty bitty to eat. I kept a piece plain just in case so itty bitty could still have something to go along with his breakfast.

While in the oven this smelled like how I envision Paula Deen's home to smell. Bacon and sweetness. It was such a divine smell. If I could bottle that smell I would.

When I pulled the baking sheet out of the oven I was giddy! First bite and all of my doubt melted away. Not overpowered by black pepper. Perfection. Tasted like candied bacon. Breakfast has never tasted so good. I can't wait to make this again along side those Cream Cheese Scrambled Eggs and Yukon Gold Potatoes Sauteed in Clarified Butter. That would be the perfect Valentine's Day breakfast. Why not go ahead and eat some of those Peanut Butter Truffles while you're at it?

Sweet and Peppery Bacon

MyRecipes.com and All You, December 2010

Makes 24 slices bacon

Stars of the Show:

• 24 slices bacon
• 2 to 3 tbsp black pepper
• 2 to 3 tbsp dark brown sugar

And Action:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil. Mist the foil with cooking spray. Arrange half the bacon slices in a single layer on the foil and sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven and place bacon on a paper towel lined plate. Pour the grease out of the tray and then repeat with the remaining bacon. Any leftover bacon can be wrapped in plastic wrap and reheated in the microwave. Leftovers? Puh-lease!

Culinary Smackdown Battle... interested in a little challenge? Please check it out and link your recipe. I would love for any and everyone to participate and look forward to seeing what you link, tasting, judging, and then picking a winner. Submit your recipe by February 27th, 2011 because Mr. Sideline Chef and I will be announcing the winner the following morning. Best of luck!

Sauteed Turnip Greens with Bacon

Turnip greens made their way onto my last grocery list with the intent of making a warm turnip green dip. Plans changed when I couldn't demonstrate self control and ate an entire box of Triscuit crackers and all of the Smoked Salmon Cardamom Spread within a day and a half. That spread was the best smoked salmon spread I have ever had. Now what was I to do with a 32 oz bag of turnip greens?

When it comes to leafy veggies I think of one of my favorite "hole-in-the-wall" joints for eating indulgent comfort food for cheap. We have a soul food place here in Houston, Texas called My Food's All That and they serve up some collard greens that I rave over but Mr. Sideline Chef on the other hand isn't much for green leafy veggies. He also doesn't like sauteed spinach. It's not like me to make a dish knowing that he doesn't like it. These are turnip greens. I have never cooked turnip greens before so I figured I give it a shot and maybe change his mind. If all else fails he can just stuff himself off of the honey yeast rolls I made to go with dinner.

Yes. I had to search the Internet for a "how to" on turnip greens. Even the bag they came in just said bring to a boil and simmer until tender. I need a roundabout time. After reading a handful of recipes I decided to just wing it and add bacon. You can never go wrong with bacon. Mr. Sideline Chef is on a bacon kick right now so it only seemed right.

I brought 16 oz of the turnip greens to a boil and then simmered for about 30 minutes. Nice and tender. After they drained I figured what better to do next then decrease their nutritional value? That's right! Sauteed in bacon drippings with the crumbled bacon. Isn't this what any good Southern home cook would do?

Mr. Sideline Chef wasn't persuaded by the crumbled bacon and after one bite my veggie serving became two. Okay. I now know he doesn't like spinach, collard greens, and turnip greens. Mustard greens! Maybe he'll like those.

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

When coming up with our Christmas dinner menu nothing was tempting me into the kitchen. I looked to Mr. Sideline Chef for his suggestions and after he sat there playing his video game I figured he was too deep in concentration that he had selective hearing. I had my back to him at the laptop doing my "research" when I hear, "Pork tenderloin. We haven't had that in forever." What? He speaks. Oh it's halftime on his game, figures. Haha!

After entering pork tenderloin into the search engine on my favorite recipe website, MyRecipes, there it was at the forefront, Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin. The search was over and I couldn't wait to eat bacon for dinner. Bacon makes me giddy.

This recipe was a snap to put together and with only 3 ingredients it didn't take much mental power or motor functions making this an ideal entree for our Christmas dinner. Mr. Sideline Chef would tell you the star of the show was the pork tenderloin but I would tell you it was the bacon after I stole all of the bacon off of the rest of the pork tenderloin. For dinner I had bacon with the Squash and Parsnip Gratin. The bacon had crisped and had such an amazing flavor combination from the Montreal Steak Seasoning. It was incredible. I'm drooling on the keyboard while typing this. The original recipe stated that this would take a total of 35 minutes to cook but all of my past pork tenderloin experiences had me scratching my head wondering what super oven they cooked theirs in. After cooking for the initial 25 minutes uncovered I had to cover it with foil to prevent it from drying out and lowered the temperature to continue cooking it another 30 minutes until it reached 160°.

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

MyRecipes.com and Southern Living, April 2008

Makes 4 servings

Stars of the Show: (A standing ovation for BACON!!!)

• 1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin
• 1 tsp steak seasoning - I used McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning.
• 3 bacon slices, cut in half - I went bacon happy and lost count after layering on slice number three. Who's counting anyway? I turn a blind eye when it comes to bacon.

And Action:

Trust the meat thermometer first and foremost for your cooking times. I found mine needed to be cooked longer. Preheat oven to 425°. Sprinkle the seasoning over the pork tenderloin. Wrap the pork with the bacon slices and secure with wooden toothpicks. I sprinkled more seasoning on top of the bacon but you can either do so or not. Place the pork tenderloin on a lightly greased aluminum foiled lined roasting pan.



As you can see I don't follow instructions and forgot to lay down the foil.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 155° in the thickest spot of the meat. Turn the oven to broil. Broil 5 inches from heat for 3-5 minutes until bacon is crisp. Remove from the oven and cover the pork with foil and let stand for 10 minutes until the meat thermometer reads 160°.