Sandy J. Hartwick

All the latest from author, Sandy J. Hartwick

Crack Bacon

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Crack Bacon

We don’t make bacon often, but when we do, it is always Crack Bacon. Named years ago after what we had heard was a most addictive substance. Perfect on its own or added to those home-grown ripe tomatoes appearing in a garden near you now as a delectable BLT.

You will need:

1 # bacon

2 Tbsps brown sugar

Fresh ground black pepper

Chipotle pepper

Cayenne

We use glass baking pans to cook the bacon in the oven. We have found this to be a superior and less messy way to enjoy bacon.

Preheat oven to 425. Place the bacon in the pans in a single layer. Depending on your bacon and the pans you may have 2 or 3 pans.

Sprinkle the pepper and spices on to taste. We generally use a generous sprinkle of the black pepper and the chipotle and just a dusting of the cayenne.

Place the pans in the oven and check after 15-20 minutes. Ovens are all different, so you may need to check sooner.

We find that no matter which bacon you use, some pieces will cook faster than others, so after the initial cook time you will need to check the bacon every few minutes to avoid incineration.

When the bacon is about two minutes from golden perfection, sprinkle on the brown sugar. Drain on paper towels. Try not to eat it all in one sitting, as it heats up great for a sandwich later.

On those rare occasions when we have a lot of leftover bacon, we put it in the freezer. You can then just pull out a piece or two at a time to add to a sandwich or…

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Polina Tankilevitch from Pexels

“Named years ago after what we had heard was a most addictive substance. “

 

Mango Avocado Salad with Lemon Dressing

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Mango Avocado Salad with Lemon Dressing

Today, a recipe, because I have been painting all day and hey, we all need to eat more fruits and veggies. This salad is another one of those flexible recipes. I have made it with regular salad mix or spinach, used a whole avocado or half (the same with the mango) and once added fresh raspberries too–it was delish. Use it as a guideline and make it work for you. It is so simple that I hesitate calling it a recipe, but it’s a keeper for me and maybe for you too.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh spinach

1 avocado

1 mango

2 Tbsp finely diced purple onion

Place the spinach on a large plate or in a large bowl. Peel and dice up the mango and avocado and place across the spinach. Sprinkle with the purple onion and serve with lemon dressing.  Serves 1-2.

Lemon Dressing

2/3 cups avocado oil or oil of your choice

juice from one lemon

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix well and serve.

 

 

Photo courtesy of Wimber Candro

 

Sandy’s Four Bean Salsa Soup Recipe

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A Recipe? Really? Yup.

I know, but we all need to eat. And sometimes, life is hard and a little recipe like this which will result in a warm, full  belly and leftovers is something we all need. I have been asked for this recipe more than once. It is completely adaptable, can be vegan or extra carnivore and the leftovers just get better with time. Double it. Quadruple it. This recipe also freezes well. Don’t like spicy? Tone it down. Want it nuclear? Bump it up. Serve it with extras, cilantro, jalapenos, sour cream or grated cheese. Eat it plain. This recipe as they say in Pirates of the Caribbean “is more what you’d call guidelines.”

You will need:

1 TBSP of oil if sauteing Veggies

1# ground beef or a mix of 1/2 #sausage 1/2# beef

or if you are going veg, 1# of veg to saute (onions, peppers, garlic or veg of your choice) Carnivores can also add these veggies into the recipe if they choose.

1 can pinto beans with liquid

1 can black beans with liquid

1 can white beans with liquid

1 can kidney beans with liquid

1 can tomato sauce

1 jar of salsa

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp paprika

3/4 tsp chipotle

dash of cayenne

1 TBSP oregano

1 tsp cumin (I love cumin and use much more than this)

Saute the meat until cooked through. If you are going veg, saute in the oil, until the veg is slightly softened. Add all of the other ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, until heated through, about 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Steve Tsang instagram.com/steve.ins

“Don’t like spicy? Tone it down. Want it nuclear? Bump it up. Serve it with extras, cilantro, jalapenos, sour cream or grated cheese. Eat it plain. This recipe as they say in Pirates of the Caribbean “is more what you’d call guidelines.”