bacon love***

....this is a blog for my sister Frannie, and a thank you to her from so many reasons but one thing in particular, broccoli "salad" i use the term lightly until i can come up with another term, but atleast it does have something good for you, broccoli and i LOVE broccoli!

but first things first, the long awaited (on Frannie's behalf)------->

Bacon & Tomato Dressing

5 roma tomatoes, diced

(or 2 beef steak tomatoes)

2 shallots, sliced

8 slices of bacon, chopped

(thicker cut bacon is better)

1/2 c. sherry 

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. cider vinegar

1 c. olive oil

s/p to taste

start by rendering your bacon in a pan then add shallots and tomatoes, then deglaze with sherry and vinegar...then add in sugar and oil and season with salt and pepper.

***serve warm with spinach, Mmmm Mmm good!

Broccoli Salad

(thanks to Frannie, with an Aly twist!)

2 hd. broccoli, 

cut into bite size peices

1 red onion, diced

1 c. raisins, 

rehydrate in 1 c. warm water and 1/2 red wine

(When soft, drain off liquid)

8 slices of bacon, chopped and rendered (save fat)

(I prefer to use the pepper bacon for a little added zip!)

1/4 c. sunflower seeds

(***I love to coat them in a hot pan with sugar, salt, and cayenne! 

its a great addition to any salad, sweet, salty, and crunchy!***)

3 T. sugar

1/2 c cider vinegar

1 c. Mayo

3 T canola oil

1 t onion powder

mix dressing in bottom of bowl adding in the bacon fat, vinegar, sugar, mayo, oil, onion powder and salt...then add in all other ingredients! ToSS & EnJoy....

**best to let it marinate all together for 1/2 hour

...the is THE best BLT mayo of ALL time!

Black Pepper Aioli 

(save the bacon fat from the rendered bacon)

1/8 c. bacon fat

1 c. mayo

3 T cracker black pepper

1 T dijon mustard

salt

Just try it, you will LOVE it!

...to be continued***