Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Wrap It In Bacon!

When I was in high school, my mother would take hard bread sticks, wrap them in bacon then pop them into the microwave. These would be quick, and supper easy appetizers.  I do not think even my daughter or my niece, Kylie could screw these up… well wait, they might. Both seem to have, a bad track record with that appliance. So let me amend my last statement… These would make quick appetizers, which the majority of new cooks would find supper easy to make.
Have you tried, bacon wrapped potatoes?
You will need:
3 pounds of small 1” baby potatoes, scrubbed clean
25 to 30 slices of thin bacon
Bamboo skewers, soaked for twenty minutes in water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F
Wrap each potato with 1 or 2 slices of bacon.
Slide bacon wrapped potatoes on bamboo skewers leaving one inch between each potato.
Bake for 40 minutes on a roasting pan or grill pan.
For a dipping sauce:
Combine 1 cup sour cream, 2 minced or finely grated garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of chives and ¼ teaspoon of bacon drippings.
Place skewered potatoes and dipping sauce on a platter and serve.

Have you tried bacon wrapped water chestnuts? These take a little pre-planning since the water chestnuts have to soak for several hours.
You will need two 8 ounce cans of water chestnuts, whole, drained. 1 pound bacon, slice each piece in half, toothpicks and 8 ounces of light soy sauce.
Soak water chestnuts for six to eight hours in soy sauce.
Preheat oven to 350°F
Line a baking dish with foil for easy cleanup
Using half a slice of bacon wrap the water chestnut and secure with a toothpick.
Place in baking dish and cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the bacon is crispy.

The next is wrapped asparagus, except we are not going to use bacon you will need: 1/3 pound of prosciutto, 14 spears of asparagus and olive oil.
Wrap each spear in one slice of prosciutto, brush with olive oil and place on a grill. Cook until the prosciutto turns golden brown. The asparagus should be tender but crunchy. Remove to platter and sprinkle with black pepper.