Spicy Bacon-wrapped Shrimp

These spicy bacon-wrapped shrimp will disappear so quickly that you might want to make a double batch. Serve them with some spicy bacon mayo for extra oomph.

I’m not going to give you a big song and dance story today about me and my avid relationship with bacon because no one should have to wait for bacon! My love of bacon has been fairly well documented, to the point that friends and family often send me links to bacon recipes or bacon roses, for which I am grateful. When I read that bacon was chosen as this week’s Sunday Supper theme, I sat down and wrote a list of possible recipes I’d like to share. SO MANY CHOICES. Then I headed to the grocery store.

My list went out the window when I came across the shrimp. Large and luscious, they cried out to be wrapped in bacon! Because my brain works in mysterious ways, I was already picturing them all lined up and skewered so they'd remain upright and their tails would curl up in the oven, creating the perfect little handles with which to eat them.

And so it was.

Ingredients
For the bacon-wrapped shrimp:
22 large shrimp – about 1.15kg or 2 1/2 lbs - before cleaning and peeling
1 lb or 450g bacon (normal, not thick cut)
3-4 hot chili peppers, cut into thin strips
Small handful chives, cut into pieces about the length of your shrimp

Extra equipment: wooden skewers

For the spicy bacon mayo dipping sauce:
1/2 cup or 125g mayonnaise
1 tablespoon bacon/shrimp drippings from baking pan
1 small clove garlic, grated finely
1 teaspoon or more hot sauce
1 tablespoon chopped chives

Method
Preheat your oven to 425°F or 218°C.

Peel and clean all the shrimp but leave the tails on.

Use a sharp knife to split the thick part of the shrimp so that they are open enough to put in one or two strips of pepper (depending on your heat threshold) and a couple of pieces of chive.

Cut the bacon slices in half.

Wrap one half bacon slice around each shrimp and secure it with a wooden skewer, cut side up.

Continue wrapping and skewering all the shrimp, cut side up, making sure to leave space between the shrimp.

Place the shrimp in one or more ovenproof pans. The tails should have enough space to curl up as the shrimp cook, creating the little handles I imagined.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is golden and crunchy looking.

When the spicy bacon-wrapped shrimp are done, whisk together all the dipping sauce ingredients.

Serve with warm shrimp.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to our event manager, Shelby of Grumpy’s Honeybunch and Erica of The Crumby Cupcake for all of their hard work behind the scenes. Check out all the wonderful bacon recipes my Sunday Supper group are sharing today!

Bacon in Appetizers

• Apple and Bacon Jam Quesadillas by Nik Snacks
• Bacon Barbecue Nachos by Where Latin Meets Lagniappe
• Game Day Bacon & Cheddar ‘Tater Skins by Powered By BLING
• Killer Jalapeño Poppers by Simply Healthy Family
• Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp by Food Lust People Love

Bacon in Beverages

• Candied Bacon Old Fashioned by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Homemade Bloody Mary with Candied Bacon Swizzle by Our Good Life
• Pancetta with Balsamic-Brown Sugar-Pepper Glaze for Bloody Mary by La Bella Vita Cucina

Bacon for Breakfast

• Avocado Toast with Coconut Bacon by Helpful Homemade
• Bacon Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Breakfast Bruschetta by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Candied Maple Bacon by A Mind Full Mom
• Maple Bacon Protein Pancakes by Amee’s Savory Dish

Bacon for Lunch

• Bacon, Fig and Goat’s Cheese Quiche by Caroline’s Cooking
• BLT Bread Salad by The Chef Next Door
• Grilled Manwich Club by Momma’s Meals
• Restaurant Style Double Bacon BLT by The Freshman Cook
• Turkey & Bacon Sliders with ‘Isn’t That Special’ Sauce by Bottom Left of the Mitten

Bacon for Dinner

• Bacon and Pumpkin Pasta by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
• Bacon Corn Chowder by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Bacon Fried Rice by Asian In America
• Bacon Wrapped Turkey Meatloaf by April Golightly
• Creamy Blue Cheese Pasta with Steak and Bacon by Magnolia Days
• K.C.’s Award Winning Turkey Bacon Explosion by Cooking With Carlee
• Kimchi Bacon Fried Rice by kimchi MOM
• Spaghetti alla Carbonara by The Bitter Side of Sweet
• The Pigskin Loaded Baked Potato by Sunday Supper Movement
• Triple Bypass Burgers by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes

Bacon as a Side Dish

• Bacon and Cheddar Smashed Red Potatoes by Family Around The Table
• Bourbon Bacon Jam by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Bacon, Beer & Jalapeño Muffins by Wholistic Woman
• Easy Bacon, Beans & Greens by My Life Cookbook
• Greens with Gruyere and Bacon by Cooking Chat
• Peas with Bacon and Crispy Onions by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Bacon for Dessert

• Bacon Brownie Balls by Monica’s Table
• Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies by Desserts Required
• Boozy Bacon Cherry Crumble by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Chocolate Bacon Crack by Brunch-n-Bites
• Flourless Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies by Pies and Plots
• Maple Bacon Truffles by Dessert Geek
• Spiced Apple Bacon Upside Down Cake by The Crumby Cupcak

Pin Spicy Bacon-wrapped Shrimp!

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Browned Butter Braised Baby Turnips

Sweet baby turnips, cooked till tender then pan-roasted in browned butter are seasoned with garlic and thyme for a special side dish where this much maligned root vegetable shines.

 

When I say much maligned, I am talking about by me personally. When I was young, my mom made a delicious vegetable soup with beef that was the perfect meal for a chilly day, except that in addition to chunks of potato, she also added similarly cut turnips. Try as I might when serving my bowl, I invariably ended up with a turnip or two. I did not like turnips, not one bit. The potential of the unexpected bitter bite made eating that otherwise tasty soup like spooning my way through a minefield of bitter turnips that might be masquerading as innocent potatoes.

I am more fifty years old now and I decided at the end of last year that I should give turnips another try. After all, some say that our tastes change every seven years and it has probably been a good 35 or 40 since I last accidently ate a turnip. (I certainly never ate one intentionally.) My mom says that since turnips are a winter crop, that is when they are they are tender and most flavorful.  

Before Christmas I bought a few and started searching “turnip recipes for haters”  and “turnip recipes for turnip haters.” A surprising number show up! Time for a true confession: Despite the research and initial enthusiasm my motivation was low and I ended up conveniently forgetting the turnips in the vegetable drawer. I found them there, wizened, in the new year and threw them away with just the slightest twinge of regret and guilt for wasting food.

When the root vegetable event was announced for Sunday Supper, I knew what I had to do: Pull up my big girl panties, buy some more turnips and get serious about creating a recipe that I might eat. I found some baby turnips that said, “Naturally sweet and tender” which seemed like a promising place to start. The baby turnips brought to mind a recipe I had tested for America's Test Kitchen for brown butter braised new potatoes so the recipe part was settled quickly, even as I put the babies in my shopping basket.

I am pleased to tell you that I am now a turnip eater. At least of baby ones cooked with browned butter, garlic and thyme. Sure, some of them were still a little bitter but not any more than Brussels sprouts, which I adore.

Small turnips work best with this recipe, but you could also use larger turnips and quarter them.

Ingredients
1 lb or 450g baby turnips
1 cup or 240ml water
3 tablespoons or 43g unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled
3 sprigs fresh thyme, plus extra to garnish, if desired
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Top and tail the turnips. That is, trim both the root and the stem ends down to the white part. Cut the baby turnips in half.

Arrange turnips in single layer, cut side down, in a large non-stick skillet.

Add water, butter, garlic, thyme, and salt and bring to simmer over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until turnips are just tender, about 10 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer garlic to small bowl with the lemon juice. Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut the garlic into small bits. Add in a few generous grinds of fresh black pepper.

Increase the heat under the uncovered turnip pan to medium-high and vigorously simmer, swirling the pan occasionally, until the water completely evaporates and the butter starts to sizzle, 7 to 10 minutes.

Continue to cook turnips, swirling pan frequently, until butter browns and turnips are golden and roasty looking, 6-7 minutes longer.

Just at the end, add the garlic/lemon juice mixture and toss to thoroughly coat.

If you are transferring the baby turnips to a serving bowl, make sure to scrape the pan with a silicone spatula and drizzle all the lovely browned butter over them.

Garnish with additional thyme, if desired.

Enjoy!

Are you a fan of root vegetables? If your answer is yes, you are in for a treat this week with such a great line up of recipes from our Sunday Supper tastemakers. If not, perhaps we’ll win you over! Many thanks to Cindy from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings who is hosting this week.

Appetizers

• Chipotle Sweet Potato Chips from Momma's Meals
• Golden Beet Chips with Sea Salt from Sunday Supper Movement
• Roasted Beet Hummus from And She Cooks
• Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette from Nik Snacks
• Roasted Parsnip, Carrot and Garlic Soup from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Roasted Sweet Potato Soup from Magnolia Days
• Root Vegetable Soup with Herb Croutons from An Appealing Plan
• Waffled Carrot Latkes from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Breakfast

• Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Carrot Cake Smoothie from Brunch-n-Bites
• Carrot Cake Waffles from Alida's Kitchen
• Sweet Potato Biscuits with Beetroot Orange Marmalade from Dad What's 4 Dinner
• Sweet Potato Biscuit and Sausage Gravy Skillet Bake from The Texan New Yorker

Main

• Bacon-Potato Torte from Tramplingrose
• Beef & Root Vegetable Hand Pastries from Gate to Plate
• Beet, Blue Cheese and Bacon Pizza from Caroline's Cooking
• Beet Pesto from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Celery Root, Apple and Gorgonzola Flat Bread Pizza from Simply Healthy Family
• Hearty Stew Hand Pies from The TipToe Fairy
• Roasted Root Vegetable Panzanella Salad from The Chef Next Door
• Root Vegetable and Beef Flatbread from Family Foodie
• Roasted Vegetable Borscht from The Crumby Cupcake
• Shepherd's Pie Loaded Baked Potatoes from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Skillet Breakfast Potatoes from Life Tastes Good
• Sweet Potato Pancakes from Our Good Life
• Turnip Rutabaga and Root Veggie Beef Stew from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Wild Rice Vegetable Bake from Wholistic Woman

Sides

• Baked Potato Wedges with Parmesan and Garlic from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Beet, Greens and Goat Cheese Gratin from Monica's Table
• Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes) from Curious Cuisiniere
• Browned Butter Braised Baby Turnips from Food Lust People Love
• Caprese Twice Baked Potatoes from Seduction in the Kitchen
• Carrot Ribbon and Orange Salad from Pies and Plots
• Celery Root Gratin with Horseradish Cream from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Italian Roasted Rosemary and Garlic Potatoes from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Gogoma Jorim (Korean Soy-braised Sweet Potatoes) from kimchi MOM
• Honey Dijon Roasted Carrots from Renee's Kitchen Adventures
• Jicama Home Fries from Casa de Crews
• Lemon Thyme Au Gratin Potatoes from Vintage Kitty
• Moroccan Harissa Potatoes from Palatable Pastime
• Roasted Balsamic Carrots from Confessions of a Cooking Diva
• Roasted Root Vegetable Farro from Cooking Chat
• Roasted Rosemary Potatoes (with make-ahead tip) from Meal Planning Magic
• Root Vegetable Mash from Feeding Big and more
• Rooty Dauphinoise from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Smashed Potatoes from Taste And See
• Smoked Sausage Potato Casserole from Kitchen Gidget
• Spicy Carrots & Potatoes from Sweet Mornings
• Sweet Potato Shoestring Fries from Grumpy's Honeybunch
• Winter Salad with Fennel, Apples, Goat Cheese and Radishes from Delaware Girl Eats

Desserts

• Best Ever Carrot Cake from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Carrot Cake Cheesecake from Angels Home Sweet Homestead
• Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Carrot Cookies from The Freshman Cook
• Chocolate Carrot & Squash Muffins from What Smells So Good?
• Homemade Carrot Cake from Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Iced Beet Cake from Beauty and the Beets
• Gluten Free Carrot Cake from Real Food Real Deals





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Tuscan Bean Salad #BloggerCLUE

Perfect picnic fare, this delicious salad of kale, cannellini beans, grape tomatoes and canned tuna can be made ahead because it gets better as all the tasty ingredients spend more time together.  Seriously, we had only the tiniest bowl of leftovers so it got lost but my daughter reclaimed it from the refrigerator four days later. Still delicious! How many salads can say that?!

It’s Blogger C.L.U.E. time again, where I am assigned another blog from our group in which to snoop and find a recipe to share that fits the current theme or “clue,” which is Picnic. My favorite part of this process is getting to know my fellow food bloggers because although we have a love of tasty food in common, it’s great to find other commonalities and learn about their interests, work, families and the cities in which they live. This month I spent time getting acquainted with Kate from Kate’s Kitchen.

Kate and her husband recently moved house and I’ve been following that story with interest because, you know, moving is kind of my thing. I know the drill only too well and it amuses me to read other people’s stories of the trials and tribulations of a move. Kate has done it with aplomb, still working in the field of finance, cooking deliciousness and recently posting a fabulous mushroom lasagna roll from under a pile of boxes with scant kitchen equipment. She’s an avid gardener so her recipes often take advantage of that fresh, homegrown bounty. I’m so jealous of the rich soil of Indiana!

So, I needed to hunt for picnic friendly recipes! I love taking salads along to picnics or potlucks so that’s where I started my search. I was spoiled for choice on Kate’s blog, bookmarking her Blueberry Watermelon Salad with mint and lemon, Lana’s Chicken Salad with roasted chicken, grapes and pecans, her Lemon Apricot Salad with lemon curd (!) stirred through it,  Green Bead Salad with Black Beluga Lentils made with tasty sun-dried tomatoes and salami, and Kate’s lovely Blue Cheese Potato Salad with bacon.  I simply couldn’t not make up my mind until I got to the Tuscan Beans with Tuna. Sold! We ate it for dinner with yesterday's Chickpea Moroccan Flatbread.

The couple of minor changes I made:
I was catering for one vegetarian (younger daughter) who isn’t so strict that meat or fish can’t touch her veggies but she didn’t want to eat the actual tuna so I just made little piles of it on top instead of mixing it in. If you want to make this strictly vegetarian, use olive oil instead of the tuna oil. And, obviously, leave off the tuna itself. Kate’s salad called for normal kale, which was on my shopping list, but I couldn’t resist the gorgeous purple kale I came across in my nearby supermarket. Kate adapted this recipe herself from Food Network where they used garlic and cooked the kale. I liked her easy no-cook method but decided to keep the original garlic since we are fans and I totally forgot to buy Italian dressing. Massaging the kale with the oil and vinegar softens it nicely without cooking if you want to serve immediately. Otherwise just mixing everything and leaving it for a while works great too, especially if you are taking it along to a picnic.

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons white balsamic
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cans (5 oz or 151g each) tuna packed in olive oil
1/2 lb or 225g purple kale (I medium head – bigger or smaller will still work.)
1 15.5 oz or 439g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup or 170g grape tomatoes
3 inner stalks celery with some leaves
3/4 cup or 100g pitted ripe black olives
3.5 oz or 100g roasted red peppers
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Chop your garlic and put it in a big salad bowl with the vinegar and a sprinkle of salt and pepper while you get on with the rest of the salad. This takes a little of the sharpness off of the garlic.

Cut your little tomatoes in half. Pull the strings off of the celery and chop it into pieces.

Remove the hard stems from your kale and cut the bigger leaves into smaller pieces. Small leaves can be left intact. If you are using thicker dark green kale, slice it finely.

How could I resist?!

Squeeze the tuna oil into the salad bowl with the garlic and vinegar and give it a stir and a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set the tuna aside for later.

Add in the kale and use your hands to massage the dressing into the leaves.

Slice your olives and roasted peppers.

Put everything, including the rinsed cannellini beans, into the bowl with the garlic, vinegar and oil. Toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the tuna and toss again. (Or set it on the top of the salad.)

Enjoy!

• (Almost) Nancy's Chopped Salad w/ Oregano Vinaigrette by Heather from girlichef
• Apple Chips by Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Barbecue Chicken Salad w/ Smoky Barbecue Vinaigrette by Kate from Kate's Kitchen
• California Quinoa Greek Salad by Christiane from Taking on Magazines
• Carrot Cake Cookies by Kathy from Bakeaway with Me
• Chicken Salad w/ Peanut Dressing by Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch
• Chicken Waldorf Salad by Aly from Cooking in Stilettos
• Duck with Pear Wraps + Limeade with Chia Seeds by Kelli from Kelli's Kitchen
• Fried Apple Pies by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Frozen Minty Cardinal Punch by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Green Bean & Corn Salad by Alice from A Mama, Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen
• Loaded Baked Potato Salad by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
• Mushroom Parmesan Muffins by Kate from Kate's Kitchen
• Oatmeal Peanut Butter Date Cookies by Rebekah from Making Miracles
• Olive Sables by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
• Puff Pastry Antipasto Squares by Anna from annaDishes
• Smoky Pimento Cheese Spread by Debra from Eliot's Eats
• Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Baked Beans + Chickenburger Roll-in-a-Basket by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme
• Thomas Keller's Chocolate Chip Cookies by Kim from Liv Life
• Tuscan Bean Salad by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Watermelon Feta Salad by Jean from Lemons and Anchovies
• White Bean, Bacon and Rosemary Salad by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm

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#BaconMonth Round Up for #InternationalBaconDay

Bacon Parmesan Twists

In my humble opinion, every day should be International Bacon Day, and I often treat each as if it were. But, all people rejoice, because today is the actual day. Happy International Bacon Day, everyone! 

In honor of this great holiday - Seriously who's working? Leave me a comment, I'll see what I can do about sending you some bacon in recompense. - I've stopped by every post from every blog in our linky tool for Bacon Month and created a link list, categorized for ease of clicking! We've got everything from Appetizers and Drinks to Cookies and Dessert and lots of great bacon recipes in between.

What are you making with bacon today in celebration? Might I suggest a few recipes from the following 116 links?

Enjoy!

Candied Habanero Bacon 

Appetizers and Snacks

• Bacon and Beer Hushpuppies 
• Bacon Cheddar Croissant Turnovers 
• Bacon Cheeseburger Tachos 
• Bacon Chocolate Covered Popcorn 
• Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes 
• Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Wontons 
• Bacon Gouda Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Bacon Guaca-Hummus 
• Bacon Parmesan Twists 
• Bacon-wrapped Green Hatch Chiles 
• Baked Bacon Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers
• BLT Dip 
• Blue Cheese Almond Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates 
• Candied Habanero Bacon 
• Cheesy Bacon Ranch Popcorn 
• Creamy Corn Bacon Dip 
• Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños with Brown Sugar Bacon 
• Jalapeño Popper Chicken Taquitos 
• Layered Sweet Sour Asian Dip Fried Wonton Dippers 
• Roasted BLT Dip 
• Sweet and Spicy Bacon Cocktail Sausages 
• Warm Bacon Jalapeño Corn Dip 

Drinks

• Bacon Infused Vodka 
• Bacon Habanero Mojitos 
• Funky Junction Milkshakes 
• Spicy Bacon Bloody Mary

Condiments

• Bacon Barbecue Sauce 
• Bacon Jam 
• Balsamic Bacon Onion Relish 
• Bourbon Bacon Jam 

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Cocktail Sausages 

Salads

• Bacon Cantaloupe and Arugula Salad 
• Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
• Bacon Salad Pasta 
• Bacon Salad with Warm Dressing 
• Caribbean Cobb Salad with Spicy Pineapple Dressing 
• Macaroni Salad with Bacon 
• No Mayo Roasted Potato Salad 

Cheesy Bacon Baked Onions

Side Dishes

• Bacon Horseradish Mashed Potatoes 
• Bacon Mozzarella and Tomato Zucchini Boats 
• Charred Skillet Corn with Bacon 
• Cheesy Bacon Baked Onions 
• Fried Potatoes with Bacon and Sugar Snaps Peas 
• Loaded Bacon and Cheese Fries 
• Parmesan Dill Bacon Hasselback Potatoes  
• Pepperjack Bacon Mac and Cheese 
• Slow Cooker Baked Beans 
• Spicy Roasted Bacon Tomato Cauliflower

Spicy Roasted Bacon Tomato Cauliflower

Soups and Chilies

• Bacon Chili 
• Bacon Gazpacho 
• Chicken Bacon White Chili 

BLT Muffins 

Bread 

• Bacon Banana Bread 
• Bacon Breakfast Muffins 
• Bacon Cornbread 
• Bacon Foccacia 
• Bacon Jalapeño Cheesy Bread 
• BLT Muffins 
• Maple Bacon Doughnut Holes 
• Pumpkin Bacon Streusel Muffins 
• Rosemary Potato Bacon Biscuits 
• Spicy Bacon Beer Muffins 

Breakfast

• Avocado Ranch Breakfast Quesadillas 
• Bacon Breakfast Potatoes 
• Bacon Hash Browns 
• Brown Sugar Bacon Waffles 
• Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes 
• Huevos Rancheros with Bacon Tortillas 
• Loaded Waffles 
• Make Ahead Vegetable Bacon Egg Bake Skillet 

Bacon Butty 

Sandwiches

• Bacon Butty 
• BBQ Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwiches 
• Bacon Lettuce Avocado Tomato Chicken Wraps
• BLT Esquites Sandwich 
• Candied BLT Sliders 
• Caprese Tuna BLT 
• Grilled Bacon Fontina Sandwich 
• Not Your Mama’s BLT 

Bacon-wrapped Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken

Main Courses

• 30-Minute Chicken Carbonara Potpie 
• Bacon and Corn Risotto 
• Bacon and Leek Gnocchi 
• Bacon Brocolli Garlic Fried Rice 
• Bacon Buffalo Mozzarella Pizza 
• Bacon Mushroom Beer Alfredo
• Bacon Ranch and Pimento Cheese Stuffed Veggies 
• Bacon Shrimp Pasta Toss 
• Bacon Spinach Rigatoni 
• Bacon Spinach Tomato Pizza 
• Bacon-wrapped Italian Smoked Sausage 
• Bacon-wrapped Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken 
• Baked Potatoes and Chicken Skillet 
• Bean, Bacon and Tomato Bake 
• Black Bean and Bacon Flautas 
• BLT Pizza 
• Cheesy Bacon Ranch Squash Casserole
• Chicken Scaloppini with Bacon 
• Deep Dish Bacon Potato Pizza 
• Easy BLT Pasta 
• Halushki with Bacon and Ricotta Cheese 
• Pasta with Mushrooms, Bacon and Sweet Corn 
• Potato Crust Quiche 
• Spaghetti Carbonara with Browned Butter 
• Spicy Shrimp and Bacon Casserole 
• Three Cheese Caramelized Onion Bacon Frittata 
• Zucchini Bacon Rice Casserole 

Cookies and Bars

• Bacon & Chocolate Chip Cookies 
• Bacon Dark Chocolate Bourbon Cookies 
• Candied Bacon S’mores Pizza 
• Elvis' Puddin Cookies
• Flourless Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies 
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bacon Cookies 

Bacon Dark Chocolate Bourbon Cookies

Desserts and Sweet Treats

• Bacon and Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Maple Frosting 
• Bacon and Fig Bread Pudding 
• Bacon Apple Coffee Cake 
• Bacon Bourbon Peach Ice Cream 
• Bacon Salted Chocolate Truffles 
• Candied Maple Bacon 
• Chocolate Covered Bacon S’Mores 
• Elvis Banana Split with Homemade Peanut Butter Ice Cream 
• Mini Bacon Apple Pies 
• Southern Pecan Pie with Bacon 
• Wired Piggy S’mores Cupcakes 

How to: 

• Bake perfectly crisp bacon 
• Cure your own bacon 
• Make bacon bits at home
• Oven-fry Bacon Oven-fried Bacon 

Once again, many, many thanks to Julie from White Lights on Wednesday for organizing Bacon Month and sponsoring all the cookbook giveaways! 

Rosemary Nectarine Sparkling Cocktail

Herb-infused simple syrup is an easy way to make a cocktail special, adding flavor and freshness to the original mix in this Rosemary Nectarine Cocktail.

Every summer I go for what I call the Annual Mashing. I lost one precious maternal aunt to breast cancer and my paternal grandmother was a survivor so I know there is potential from both sides. If you are my friend on Facebook, you’ll know that I always post a message when I go, reminding everyone to make an appointment too. If only one person takes heed and gets a mammography in time to catch something before it gets bigger and less treatable, then the message is worth sharing. (In case you weren’t paying attention, here’s my public service announcement: Make your appointment NOW. Your family will thank you.)

One upside of the Annual Mashing is the nice magazines in the waiting room. This year I thumbed through a beautiful issue of Saveur while I waited for my turn and came across an article on a peach farmer in California, complete with recipes using fresh peaches. I couldn’t wait to get home to try the sparkling cocktail. And, after the mammogram, I figured I deserved it!

This week Sunday Supper is sharing picnic food and this lovely cocktail is perfect for serving outdoors. You make up the rosemary simple syrup and nectarine puree and transport them in clean jars in a cooler with the bubbly, mixing each glass as needed. Many thanks to our host Jane from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner and Heather from girlichef for her behind-the-scenes help.

Ingredients
For the simple syrup:
4 sprigs rosemary
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

For the nectarine puree:
2 medium nectarines
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 bottle (750ml) sparkling wine or Champagne

Method
In a small pot, heat the water, sugar and rosemary sprigs until the sugar completely dissolves and cook for a further few minutes at a low boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

Once cool, discard the rosemary sprigs and pour the simple syrup into a clean jar. Yield: about 1 1/4 cups or 300ml of rosemary simple syrup.

To make the nectarine puree, simply cut the nectarines up in chunks.

Mash with a hand blender until smooth. You can peel them if you want to but I like the pink shade that the peels add and don’t mind the little bits of peel in my drink.

Pour the puree into a clean jar and add the lemon juice.  Shake to combine. Yield: Just over 1 cup or 250ml nectarine puree.

To serve the cocktail, add 1-2 tablespoons nectarine puree and 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons rosemary simple syrup to each glass.

Top up with chilled cava, sparkling wine or Champagne.

Enjoy!

Are you planning a picnic for Fourth of July or just to celebrate summer? Check out the fabulous list of picnic friendly recipes we are bringing to the Big Virtual Picnic!

Beverages

• Orange Blossom Iced Tea by girlichef
• Red, White, and Blue Sangria by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Rosemary Nectarine Sparkling Cocktail by Food Lust People Love
• Best Picnic Wines by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Appetizers

• Baked Garlic Parmesan Wings by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls by Daily Dish Recipes
• Peppadew Dip by Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Savory Red, White, and Bleu Truffles by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Mains

• Asparagus and Cheddar Quiche by Mess Makes Food
• London Broil with Caramelized Red Onions by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Stilton Potato and Stilton Pies by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Waffle Batter Fried Chicken Tenders with Maple Mustard Dipping Sauce by Kudos Kitchen by Renee

Sides

• Mushroom and Gruyere Cheesecake by Peaceful Cooking
• Scotch Eggs by Small Wallet, Big Appetite

Salads

• Caprese Pasta Salad by La Bella Vita Cucina
• Farro & Walnut Salad by Foxes Love Lemons
• Fruit Tortellini Salad by Jelly Toast
• Gluten Free Potato Salad by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Japanese Noodle Salad by Noshing With The Nolands
• Kale and Quinoa Tabbouli by Healthy. Delicious.
• Layered Chicken Salad by Nosh My Way
• Lightened Up Macaroni Salad by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Loaded Potato Salad by Granny's Down Home Sassy Southern Cooking
• Mexican 3 Bean Salad by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Old Fashioned Potato Salad by Life Tastes Good
• Orzo Salad with Kale Pesto by Cooking Chat
• Pizza Pasta Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
• Red, White and Blue Fruit and Cheese Salad by Shockingly Delicious
• Tomato Bean Salad by Family Foodie
• Tuna Noodle Salad by Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
• Vegetable Salad by Magnolia Days
• Veggie Pasta Salad by Pescetarian Journal
• Watermelon and Feta Salad with Verjus by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Sandwiches and Wraps

• Pan Bagnat by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Panino con la Salamella by Manu's Menu
• Roast Beef Wraps by Cookin' Mimi

Sweets

• Banana Pudding Cheesecake by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Berry Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups {#glutenfree option} by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Cherry Chip Blossom Cupcakes by NinjaBaking.com
• Cherry Pie Crumb Bars by The Girl In the Little Red Kitchen
• Chocolate Chunk Brownies by What Smells So Good?
• Chocolate Syrup Brownies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chocolate Zucchini Cake by Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies by Alida's Kitchen
• Flag Cake by Pies and Plots
• Peanut Butter Frosted Brownies by Feed Me, Seymour
• Red, White, and Blue Berry Angel Food Cake Parfaits by Neighborfood
• S'mores Crumb Bars by The Redhead Baker
• Stained Glass Jello with Coconut Milk Panna Cotta by Simply Gourmet
• Strawberry Banana Oat Muffins by Sue's Nutrition Buzz
  

Pin this Rosemary Nectarine Sparkling Cocktail!

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