Chicken BLT Salad

Now that the weather is hotter than ever, nothing beats the heat like a cool summer salad. Bacon, lettuce, and tomato are the perfect combination for a satisfying summer dinner. Paired with garlic seared chicken breast and a rich bacon dressing, this is a restaurant quality salad you will want to serve again and again.

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh free range chicken breast
4 strips of nitrate free bacon
3 cloves fresh garlic minced
1 tablespoon onion minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Fresh grape tomatoes sliced
Organic spring mix salad greens
Dry white wine
Seasoning (sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper)

Method:
1.) Dressing: In a large cast iron skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove and place on a paper towel. Add garlic and onions to bacon grease and cook 3-4 minutes or until garlic and onions are tender. Poor mixture into a glass dish. Whisk in red wine vinegar. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. *Add more or less red wine vinegar to your liking.
2.) Use a meat tenderizer on the chicken to slightly flatten and make the chicken even in shape. Season chicken generously with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder. Add cayenne pepper to taste.
3.) In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO over medium high heat. Add chicken to skillet and cook for 4-6 minutes per side or until chicken is lightly browned and cooked through. Add a slash of dry white wine to the chicken during the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Remove skillet from heat and let chicken rest 5 minutes.
4.) Slice chicken and serve over salad greens. Top with crumbled bacon, sliced tomatoes, and dressing.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Bacon wrapped dates are an amazing alternative dessert or sinful appetizer that everyone should try! Rich crispy bacon surrounds warm gooey dates that perfectly captures the combination of sweet and salty. Just remember to make more than you plan on eating because these tasty treats will disappear in a blink of an eye ;)
Ingredients:
10-15 strips of nitrate free all natural bacon
20-30 pitted dates
20-30 toothpicks

Method:
1.) Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut strips of bacon in half.
2.) Wrap one half piece of bacon around one date and secure with a toothpick. Place on baking sheet.
3.) Continue wrapping bacon around remaining dates, secure with a toothpick, and place on baking sheet.
4.) Place baking sheet in oven for 10 minutes. Turn or flip dates and continue baking 10 more minutes or until desired crispness is achieved. Be careful not to burn bacon. Remove from baking sheet and serve!

*Black forest bacon works well in this recipes along with Applewood smoked bacon. You can also try stuffing the dates with a pecan or cranberry before wrapping with bacon. Have fun experimenting with this great appetizer.

Turkey Pear and Bacon Salad

Forget your traditional Thanksgiving turkey and say hello to a fresh, delicious and oh so tasty way to make a bistro turkey salad. Turkey is a versatile protein that can be fixed in so many ways and its perfect pair is what else, BACON! This turkey pear and bacon salad is sweet, savory, and filling.  Perfect for a family get together or weekend lunch!

Ingredients:
1 pound turkey tenderloin cutlets
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 tablespoon organic mustard
1/4 cup fresh walnuts chopped
3 pieces of nitrate free bacon
2 cloves fresh garlic minced
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
2 fresh pears (D' Anjou pear) thinly sliced
1 bag fresh baby greens salad with arugula
Dry white wine

Method:
1.) Season turkey with sea salt and pepper to taste.  Brush turkey with half of honey and mustard.
2.) Dressing: Cook bacon in cast iron skillet until crisp and remove. Add in garlic and walnuts and saute until lightly brown.  Whisk in remaining mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, and a splash of white wine.  Cook for 30 seconds then remove to serving cup.
3.) Add 1/2 tablespoon of EV coconut oil to cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Cook turkey in even layer for 4-5 minutes per side or until cooked throughout. Remove from heat.
4.) Top salad with turkey, fresh pears, crumbled bacon and drizzle with dressing.  Serve with a dry sweet white wine.

*For variations add pears to turkey for last few minutes of cooking time.  For dressing, try a splash of balsamic vinegar.  Have fun with your food!

*For Primal option, add freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Bone-in Pork Chops with Bacon Apple Walnut Relish

Bone-in pork chops have an extraordinary flavor that can not be matched by boneless chops.  With the additional topping of onions and garlic caramelized in bacon fat with apples, walnuts and celery, this is not your average shake and bake pork chop recipe.  This dish is not only simple to master, but amazing in presentation and taste!

Ingredients:
4 bone-in 1 in thick pork chops
3-4 pieces of nitrate free bacon
3 garlic cloves
1/2 onion
1/4 cup organic walnuts chopped
1 large or 2 small stalks of celery diced
1 large apple (Fuji or Honeycrisp)

Method:
1.) Season both sides of pork chops with sweet Spanish paprika, sea salt, garlic powder and fresh coarse ground black pepper.  Leave on plate for 30 minutes prior to cooking.
2.) In the mean time, cook bacon in cast iron until crisp and remove from skillet.  Add onions to bacon fat and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.  Add in celery and cook 3 minutes.
3.) Add garlic and walnuts to skillet and cook 4 more minutes or until onions start to caramelize.  Be careful not to burn garlic or walnuts.  Add apple to skillet, toss and remove from heat.
4.) Remove onion apple mixture from cast iron and wipe out skillet.
5.) Add 1 teaspoon EV coconut oil to skillet on med-high heat.  Once hot, add pork chops.  Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side or until chops life easily from skillet.
6.) Add onion apple relish on top of pork chops and place under broiler (500 degrees).
7.) Broil 2 minutes then rotate skillet and broil 2 more minutes or until pork chops are done.  Be careful not to burn relish or over cook pork chops. (There should be a nice golden brown crust over the pork chops and relish).
8.) Remove from broiler and let rest 5-8 minutes.  Serve with a salad, sweet potatoes, or pureed winter squash (recipe to come).

Turkey Bacon Avocado Lettuce Wraps

Some nights you just don’t feel like cooking a gourmet dinner or even cooking in general.  Soup and sandwiches are a simple and delicious way to be “lazy” in the kitchen.  Lettuce wraps are a great substitute for bread and really showcase the flavors of meat and vegetables used.  Cut corners by spicing up a store bought organic gluten free soup. For easy and delicious entertaining, make a fun wrap station with different kinds of deli meats, sausages, veggie toppings and condiments so everyone can make their own custom sandwich.

Ingredients:
1 ½ pound fresh deli roasted turkey breast (nitrate free if you can find)
1 head iceberg lettuce
4-6 strips cooked nitrate free bacon
1-2 Roma tomatoes thin sliced
1 avocado (mashed with a splash of fresh lime juice and garlic powder

Method:
1.) Remove core from iceberg. Carefully peel outside lettuce leaves off, keeping rounded shape.
2.) Place avocado spread in lettuce leaf.  Add turkey, bacon, tomato, and any other veggies or all natural condiment you prefer (mustard is great).
3.) Start by folding up the thicker “core” end of the lettuce, following with the sides until you make a wrap.  Easy and delicious!

*Make it Primal with Grass Fed Sliced Cheese
 *Goes great with sweet potatoes in coconut oil and all natural gluten free soup.
Soup idea: Store bought Organic Winter Squash Soup with fresh garlic, sweet peppers, and green onions added in.  Season with cayenne pepper and basil.