Ah, bacon. Salty, streaky strips of pork that makes our mouths water and our knees weak. There’s no doubt that bacon is a tasty treat but all that fat, sodium and cholesterol may cause trouble in the long term. Hence, we’ve put together 5 easy, bacon-infused recipes that will not wreck your waistline or health, yet allow you to indulge in the goodness of bacon.

1. Bacon Broccoli Salad

Perfect for parties and potlucks, the Bacon Broccoli Salad is a great make-ahead recipe with an Asian influence. The tender crisp broccoli florets, rocket leaves and bacon bits tossed in a sweet soy-sesame mix creates an irresistible salad combination. For extra jazz, we like to add toasted almond silvers and dried cranberries.

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Image cred: pixabay

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 5 tablespoons of seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, minced
• 6 bacon rashers, chopped
• 150g of rocket leaves
• 500g of fresh broccoli florets

Boil the broccoli florets in a large pot of salted water for 1 minute and plunge the florets into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain well, set aside and start to crisp bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove, drain on kitchen paper towels and roughly chop. Then, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, seasoned rice vinegar and minced ginger in a large bowl. Add in the bacon, broccoli florets and rocket leaves. Toss well and serve warm or chilled.

2. Bacon Bean Bundles

Plain green beans meet bacon – a wonderful treat to serve as canapés at your social gathering or as an accompaniment to your weeknight main meal. If you’re not a fan of beans, replace with asparagus spears.

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Ingredients

• 6 bacon rashers, halved lengthwise
• 450g fresh green beans, ends trimmed
• Kosher salt and fresh coarse black pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 190°C and grease your baking tray. Steam the green beans till tender and set aside. Wrap 6 green beans with a halved strip of bacon and transfer to baking tray. Repeat with all green beans then bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until bacon is crisp. Sprinkle some kosher salt and coarse black pepper over each bean bundle to taste.

3. Bacon & Egg Muffins

Is there anything more delicious and fun for a quick breakfast? These muffins include all the breakfast foods that will shake up your wake up.

Image cred: Margo Brodowicz on Unsplash

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 6 slices of wholemeal bread
• 6 cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 12 bacon rashers
• 12 eggs

Preheat your oven to 200°C and grease your muffin tin well. Cook the bacon for 5 minutes over medium heat, aim for a flexible but not raw texture. Then, cut circles of bread with a cookie cutter to fit your muffin tin and lay a circle of bread in each muffin cup. Wrap a bacon rasher around the edge of each muffin cup and add tomatoes. Last but not least, crack an egg into each cup and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. For a more cooked yolk, bake for a longer time.

4. Bacon & Pea Pasta

Need more inspiration for the bacon in the fridge? Try the Bacon & Pea Pasta recipe. Al dente spaghetti, garden peas and crisp bacon bits are tossed in a beautiful mint and lemon sauce that’s light on the stomach but full of flavour.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tablespoons of fresh mint, chopped
• 8 strips of thick-cut bacon, sliced
• 150g of frozen garden peas, thawed
• 400g of spaghetti
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Boil the spaghetti in a large saucepan of salted water until al dente. Add the peas in the final 2 minutes of cooking. Drain, set aside pasta and reserve ¼ cup of pasta water. In another large pan, crisp bacon over medium heat. Remove, drain on kitchen paper towels and roughly chop. Toss bacon back into pan and add onion, garlic, lemon rind and reserved pasta water. Simmer ingredients for 8 minutes or so, then add the mixture to pasta. Combine the mint, stir well and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

5. Pan-roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon & Apple Cider Vinaigrette

These Brussel sprouts are pan-roasted until golden, then doused in a tangy cider vinaigrette and topped with crisp bacon. They are so addictive, it’s hard not to join the ranks of Brussel sprouts lovers and eat the entire lot before you serve them. Leftovers (if any) make delicious additions to salads!

Ingredients

• ½ large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
• 4 strips of thick-cut bacon, sliced
• 650g of Brussel sprouts, halved
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper

Crisp bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove, drain on kitchen paper towels and roughly chop. In the same pan with all the bacon grease, melt butter over high heat. Add onions and Brussel sprouts (cut side down), cook for 10 minutes or until sprouts turn golden brown. Stir in the apple cider vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and toss bacon back into pan for a minute more. Serve warm.

Image cred: ISO Republic

Let us know which recipe was your personal favourite and do share your food photos with us. For the extra health-conscious individual, wash down the bacon grease in your belly with some of our herbal teas. A warm mug of Ginger Rooibos or Blue Ocean tea should do the trick!

Written by Valerie Tan

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