A Date with Bacon

When I was a vegetarian, I missed one big thing about meat – BACON! My husband used to send me out in the hallway in our apartment building when someone was cooking with bacon just so I could breathe it in. To. Die. For. As I started eating meat again, bacon was definitley an occassional favorite treat but it has never shined for me like it does in this appetizer. Truly one of my favorites and I have a good friend to thank for it. You have not been to a dinner party until you have been invited to my friend Bob’s house. You may have thought you threw a good party - well you didn’t. Not like Bob. So when I was throwing my own little holiday soiree I decided to steal Bob’s recipe (actually I did ask permission) for Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Wrapped in BACON. And as usual it did not disappoint. With the exception of finding good dates, it is a very easy appetizer to make and one that is sure to wow your guests. I have seen this dish done – sometimes with almonds, sometimes with basil leaves, sometimes with added salt. No need – these flavors do not need anything to make it any better. They belong together. Gosh, just writing this I wish I would have stashed some away for myself.

I had to go to a specialty produce store to find nice plump dates, but I also found that if the dates are to small  you can splice them together and add your goat cheese, roll them in your hand a bit and wrap your bacon slice around it and bake! Just don’t forget to remove the pits.

Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon (adapted from Saveur Magazine)

• 24 large moist dates, such as medjool
• 12 slices of bacon
• 2 oz. softened goat cheese

Move oven rack to upper third of oven and preheat oven to 500 °. Pit dates, tearing them open as little as possible. Set dates aside. Halve the 12 slices of bacon crosswise. Put the goat cheese into a pastry bag fitted with a round, plain 1/4″ tip. Pipe goat cheese into each stuffed date. Wrap 1 piece of bacon around width of each date. Put dates on a baking sheet, seam side down, at least 1/2″ apart. Bake until bacon is golden and crisp, 6-8 minutes. Set aside to cool briefly before serving.

Tags: goat cheese stuffed dates bacon appetizer

The Quick Thinking Cook

I’m not a great cook, but what I lack in skill I make up for in resourcefulness. I don’t have the patience for a souffle, I scoff at recipes with more than six steps and I avoid baking whenever possible, but I can make a little something out of a lot of nothing as my husband can attest to night after night.

Until I met the roast chicken. I’ll be honest. It wasn’t love at first site. I had avoided  him for years – my oven was too small, it was too much of a commitment, I had a headache….I just wasn’t into it. Turns out I didn’t know what I was missing.

First off, roasting the chicken was much easier than I thought it would be – especially after the upside down turkey incident on Thanksgiving. Day one of the chicken was thorougly enjoyed by two hungry tree decorators. But day two left me with a dilemna – what to do with the chicken next? I’m someone who normally does not like leftovers. I like variety. And unlike most people, I despise chicken noodle soup so that was out. But minutes before my husband came home from work I found some inspiration with a can of crescent rolls from Thanksgiving. Chicken Pot Pie! So I sliced some mushrooms, grabbed some frozen peas, and went to work on my pot pie. A little flour and milk, some thyme, salt and pepper and we were cooking. I threw the crescent roll dough on top and in the oven it went. The result was better than I anticipated – my husband told me it was one of his favorite dishes so far. So I will take that as a success. Next up? Chicken salad with toasted walnuts and apples.

Why have I never made a roast chicken before?? See what happens when you give a guy a chance…

Tags: chicken pot pie, chicken salad, crescent rolls, roast chicken