deliciousness

pasta with creamy smoked bacon and pea sauce

via jamie oliver
serves 4-6

10 slices smoked streaky bacon or pancetta, preferably free-range or organic, diced into small chunks
small bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
150g parmesan cheese, finely grated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g dried mini shell or other type of pasta
olive oil
knob of butter
300g frozen peas
2 heaped dessertspoons crème fraîche
1 lemon

to prepare:
bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the mini shells. cook according to instructions.
get a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a good lug of olive oil and the butter. add the bacon to the pan, sprinkle a little pepper over and fry until golden and crisp. as soon as the bacon is golden, add your frozen peas and give the pan a good shake. after a minute or so, add the crème fraîche and chopped mint to the bacon and peas.
drain the pasta in a colander over a large bowl, reserving some of the cooking water. add the pasta to the frying pan. halve your lemon and squeeze the juice over the pasta. when it’s all bubbling away nicely, remove from the heat.
it’s really important that the sauce is creamy, silky and delicious but if it’s too thick for you, add a splash of the reserved cooking water to thin it out a bit. add the grated parmesan and give the pan a shake to mix it in.

bacon and herb roasted turkey breast

via emeril lagasse
serves 8

3 strips thick-cut bacon
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon freshly chopped sage leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon freshly chopped oregano leaves
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 (5 1/2 to 6-pound) whole turkey breast, rinsed and patted dry

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a shallow roasting pan or baking dish with aluminum foil.

Cook the bacon in a medium skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the rendered bacon fat separately. When the bacon has cooled, chop it finely and transfer to a small bowl. Add the garlic, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, butter, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Using a small spoon, mix thoroughly to combine and form a paste.

Using your fingertips, gently loosen the skin on both sides of the turkey breast so that it is separated from the flesh. Divide the herb paste in half and gently spread half between the skin and flesh on each side of the breast. Season the outside of the turkey breast with the remaining teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Brush the turkey all over with the reserved bacon fat. Place prepared turkey breast in the prepared pan and roast, uncovered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deep portion of the breast registers 165 degrees F, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 or 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving into thin slices. Serve with the pan drippings.

Notes: Instead of cooking the bacon before, I just folded the slices in half and slid it under the skin with the butter/herb mixture. Make sure to test the temperature of the meat. I kept the meat in the oven for almost an hour and a half, but the meat was still a little undercooked in the middle. Not dry at all though!

oven-roasted veggies

via ina garten
serves 4 

2 small fennel bulbs, tops removed
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the fennel bulbs into 6 wedges each, cutting through the core to keep the wedges intact. Place on a sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil over the fennel and season with salt and pepper. Make sure everything is evenly coated.

Place the brussels sprouts on a separate sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss with your hands.

Roast the vegetables in the same oven for 35 to 40 minutes, tossing once while cooking.

Combine the vegetables in a large serving bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Notes: I’m not sure why the recipe wants you to separate the fennel and brussel sprouts in the oven when it’s seasoned exactly the same and roasted for the same amount of time. Also, since I had some leftover bacon to use, had a lot of time, and needed to warm up the veg, I chopped up and browned some bacon and tossed the brussel sprouts in the leftover oil.