The healthiest way to cook bacon is in the microwave, but this is really effective only if you are cooking three to six slices, that is one or two adult servings. Place the bacon on a triple layer of paper towels on a microwave-safe plate, and cover with another double layer of paper towels. So many people ask ‘how long do i microwave bacon’? Well, microwave on high for two minutes, then check. Microwaving three slice for up to 3-1/2 minutes or six slices for up to 7 minutes will not create any carcinogens. Clean the microwave immediately after cooking bacon unless you like the lingering smell.

Frying or sauting bacon is the only way you can cook slab bacon. Keep the heat set at low or medium. You can toss a lump of bacon in the frying pan and allow the heat the separate the slices, but you will need to separate them in the pan as soon as they begin to sizzle. Time to fry may be 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how much bacon you cook.

Soaking the bacon in water reduces the production of potential carcinogens, but you do not need this step if you cook the bacon slowly over low to medium heat and you stop cooking before it is burnt. Because of the high temperatures involved, you should not roast or broil bacon. Exposure to temperatures of 450-500 F (225-250 C) with exposure to air creates carcinogens.

Boiling bacon is a healthy way to prepare the meat. It creates no carcinogens, and it reduces salt content. Boiled bacon occasionally appears on British breakfast tables, but in the States it is reserved for seasoning vegetables.

As for the bacon-in-a-bag product you can find sitting on a non-refrigerated grocery shelf, I’m not sure I would touch it, much less eat it. Weeks and weeks of room temperature storage in a bag that may or may not be sealed may not result in food contamination, but it’s bound to create free radicals.

There is, however, a sure-fire way to get around the problems of cooking bacon.

Much of the non-English speaking world eats bacon raw. If you are a guest in a German or Danish home or hotel and you are offered raw bacon for your breakfast, don’t shrink in terror of parasites. Despite what you have read or heard, pork products in the European Union do not contain parasites (and, yes, I have seen raw European pork under a microscope), and you would also be safe in Australia or New Zealand. If you offered raw pork on your safari, however, try eating breakfast vegetarian.

For various Microwave Bacon Cookers, check out: Presto 05100 Microwave Bacon Cooker, Microwave Bacon/Meat Grill and Presto Power Crisp-Microwave Bacon Cooker

Author: Robert Rister

Robert Rister is the author or co-author of nine books and over 2,000 articles on natural health including Is There Such a Thing as a Healthy French Fry and Why Are Doughnuts Round?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Rister

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For those that prefer their bacon oily, then you may continue with the pan type of bacon cookers. But, for those who are slightly health conscious (and many people ask ‘is bacon healthy?’), then you may consider the following methods for cooking bacon with a microwave bacon cooker. It is only sensible to study all the bacon cooking device’s ability before using it.

Currently, shoppers are spoilt with a myriad selections of bacon cooking devices. They come in a variety of sizes, designs and of course cost. The bacon cooker’s primary job is to maintain the bacon’s plump and flavour without the greasy residues in the microwave oven. Cost varies with the range of bacon cookers and it is determined by individual’s likings.

Most bacon cookers are multi-functional. They can perform defrosting, warming up food and a variety of other cooking activities. Presto brand cooker gives confidence that it keeps the bacon’s flavour without the grease by draining off the fat. The fat harms the human body and should be removed before it is served.

There is an alternative method of cooking bacon that is easy and also prevents the bacon from folding up and clump together. This technique keeps the bacon vertical while cooking and not horizontal or allow it to curl on top of each other. It does this by clamping both edges of the bacon including the centre part. It maintains the bacon in an extended shape while cooking. This increased in surface area cooks faster and gives a better impression when served. This method is used by restaurants to prevent their bacon from curling up.

Bacon is a staple for breakfast (in fact, we’ll shortly provide the recipe for the famous bacon breakfast casserole). And is going to be for many years to come. Hence, it is essential and convenient to have a suitable cooking tool to produce delicious bacon every morning.

For various Microwave Bacon Cookers, check out:

• Presto 05100 Microwave Bacon Cooker, 
• Nordic Ware Microwave 2 Sided Round Bacon and Meat Grill
• Progressive International Microwavable Large Bacon Cooker

Author: Abhishek Agarwal

Abhishek is really passionate about Cooking and he has got some great Cooking Secrets. up his sleeves! Download his FREE 88 Page Ebook, "Cooking Mastery!" from his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com/770/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal

Technorati Tags: Bacon Cookware, Healthier Food, Is Bacon Healthy, Microwave bacon cooker, Microwave Bacon/Meat Grill, Presto 05100 Microwave Bacon Cooker, Presto Power Crisp-Microwave Bacon Cooker

Seven Layer Salad Recipe

Salads can be equally tempting and delicious to taste and today, there are various interesting ways to whip up some yummy salads at home. Read on to know more about the seven layer salad recipes. Salads are the healthiest option to accompany other foodstuff at mealtimes. In fact, I know a lot of people who survive only on salads as a means of weight loss! Well, here, I would like to make a specific mention of the seven layer salad bacon I came across few months back. This very interesting salad looks tempting when placed in a glass bowl. This salad is made up of seven layers and the ingredients are placed above each other rather then tossing them completely together. Here, I have a compilation of some really amazing seven layer salad recipes.

Seven Layer Salad Bacon Recipe #1 (aka salad cauliflower bacon cheese)
Ingredients
Bacon (1 pound)
Chopped cauliflower (1 cup)
Mayonnaise (1 1/4 cups)
White sugar (2 tablespoons)
Red onion - chopped (1)
Large head iceberg lettuce - chopped (1)
Shredded Cheddar cheese (10 ounces)
Grated Parmesan cheese (2/3 cup)
Frozen green peas - thawed (One 10 ounce package)

Preparation:
First, place the bacon in a very large skillet. Then, cook this over medium-high heat till the bacon browns evenly. Once done, crumble and set it aside. Then, take a large bowl and place the chopped lettuce in this. Add a layer of onions, bacon, cauliflower and peas over this. Place the shredded cheese over this. Meanwhile, for the dressing, mix the mayonnaise with the Parmesan cheese and sugar. Sprinkle this as another layer over the salad. Place this in the refrigerator till it gets chilled.

Seven Layer Salad Recipe #2
Ingredients
Lettuce - chopped (6 cups)
Salt and pepper
Mayonnaise (1 cup)
Sugar (1 to 2 tablespoons)
Sliced green onion (1/4 cup)
Paprika
Hard-cooked eggs, sliced (6)
Frozen peas - thawed (2 cups)
Mild Cheddar cheese - shredded (2 cups)
Bacon - crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled (around 8 to 16 ounces)

Preparation
Take a large bowl and place around 3 cups of lettuce at the bottom. Next, sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Once done, layer the egg slices over the lettuce. Once again, sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Then, maintain this procedure to create more layers. Add the peas, place the lettuce and then place the crumbled bacon with the shredded cheese on top. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of this layer. Then, spread some mayonnaise and sugar on the topmost layer. Ensure it covers the entire salad. Once done, cover the same and place in the refrigerator to chill for 24 hours. While serving, use some green onion and paprika as garnish.

Seven Layer Salad Recipe #3
Ingredients
Fresh spinach (1 pack)
Sugar (1 teaspoon)
Salt and pepper to taste
Head iceberg lettuce (1)
Sour cream (1 cup)
Frozen peas - thawed (1 package)
Red Bermuda onion - sliced (1)
Hard-cooked eggs - finely chopped (6)
Boiled ham - cut in thin strips (1/2 lb.)
Swiss cheese - cut in thin strips (1/2 lb.)
Mayonnaise (2 cups)

Preparation
Begin by tearing the spinach and lettuce into little pieces. Then, arrange these spinach pieces on the bottom of a glass bowl. Once done, sprinkle around teaspoon of sugar over this. Also drizzle with some salt and pepper. Then, add the next few layers. This would include eggs, lettuce and ham. Now, sprinkle sugar yet again along with some salt and pepper. Then, add the layers of onion slices along with peas and the Swiss cheese. Meanwhile, make a mixture of the sour cream and the mayonnaise. Use this as a spread over the salad mixture. Your 7 layer salad is ready to be eaten!

For additional tasty and health bacon recipes, check out  The Bacon Cookbook.

Technorati Tags: 7 layer salad bacon, salad cauliflower bacon cheese, Seven Layer salad Bacon, weight loss

Broccoli Bacon Salad

Looking for healthy salad recipes? Try out this nutritious broccoli bacon salad… this is one of our bacon featured recipes.

Yesterday, I was at the grocery store shopping for fresh veggies with my friend Anne. I told her how fed up I was of the regular salads. She suggested the Broccoli Bacon salad and assured me that I’ll love it! Desperate to try a new salad recipe and break my week-long monotony - I tried it and I must say that I was really happy the way it turned out! A broccoli bacon salad is not only a healthy recipe to include in you diet, but it is also a tasty treat!

Nutritional Value of the Broccoli Bacon Salad

Before I give you the recipe for the broccoli bacon salad, many people ask ‘is bacon healthy?’ Here are some nutritional facts about the ingredients that you will be using in the recipe. This recipe can be a wholesome meal for lunch or even breakfast. In case you are a vegeterian you can simply replace the bacon with tofu or smoked soy chunks. So here is what you need to know about the ingredients of the broccoli bacon salad:

• Broccoli has high content of soluble fiber and Vitamin C, which makes it a good ingredient for the digestive system and also serves as a source of energy.
• Broccoli also contains several nutrients like diindolylmethane and selenium, which have potent anti-cancer properties.
• 3,3′-Diindolylmethane, which is found in broccoli acts as a potent regulator of the body’s immune system.
• Smoked bacon on the other hand is a source of protein and also contains iron.
• Raisins provide fructose and antioxidants.
• The sunflower seeds are an excellent source of linoleic acid (which is an essential fatty acid), dietary fiber, protein, Vitamin E and Vitamin B as well.
• Sunflower seeds also contain beneficial minerals like potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, selenium, calcium and zinc.
• Sunflower seeds are rich in phytosterols - which are compounds that help to reduce the cholesterol.
• Red onions are a good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C and minerals like Potassium and Manganese.
• Lemon juice is a good source of Vitamin C and also contains Folate and Potassium.
• Yogurt is a rich source of protein, calcium, riboflavin, Vitamin B6 as well as Vitamin B12.

Broccoli Bacon Salad Recipe

A broccoli bacon salad is a must try for people who want to have a balance of nutrition and taste. The fresh and healthy broccoli, combined with creamy yogurt and crunchy bacon, and onions and sprinkled with sunflower seeds makes for a crunchy and delicious salad recipe!

Ingredients:

• Chopped broccoli - 1
• Raisins - cup
• Finely chopped red onion -
• Brown sugar - 2 tablespoons
• Lemon juice - 3 tablespoons
• Low-fat yogurt - 1 cup
• Sunflower seeds - 1 cup
• Smoked bacon - 10 slices

Preparation:

1. Make sure you have chopped the broccoli in bite size pieces.
2. Cook the bacon in a deep skillet over medium high heat, until it is brown in color.
3. Now in a salad bowl, combine the broccoli, raisins and chopped red onions.
4. In another bowl, mix the yogurt, white sugar and lemon juice to form a homogenous salad dressing.
5. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and toss to coat.
6. Now add crumbled pieces of bacon and sunflower seeds just before serving.
7. It is important to add the sunflower seeds and bacon right before serving, this helps to retain the crunchiness of these ingredients. 
8. Give it one final toss and serve fresh. 

If you liked this recipe, you may want to check out this excellent cookbook:  Seduced by Bacon: Recipes & Lore about America’s Favorite Indulgence. 

Technorati Tags: Bacon, Bacon Recipes, Broccoli, Broccoli Bacon Salad, Sunflower seeds, Vitamin C, Yogurt

Recipe: Globe Artichoke With Hot Bacon Vinaigrette

Allegra McEvedy: Few dishes are as satisfying to eat, start to finish, as the big globe artichokes

Few dishes are as satisfying to eat, start to finish, as the big globe artichokes you get at this time of year. Dip the leaves into the warm balsamicky-bacon dressing to turn it into a proper winter warmer.

Serves 2

2 large globe artichokes

1 lemon

Couple of bay leaves

200g lardons

1 clove garlic, chopped

4 tbsp very light olive oil or

grape seed oil

2.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard

Pepper

Bit of bread, if you fancy it

Trim the stalks off the artichokes and bring a large pan of water to a boil. Cut the lemon in half and drop one half into the pan, along with the bay leaves. The artichokes will float, so weigh them down with a plate.

Cook for about half an hour, until the leaves right at the base come away with a gentle tug.

While the artis are cooking, put the lardons in a pan with the oil and fry gently for about 15 minutes until lightly browned. Then stir in the garlic and continue cooking on a low heat until the garlic has gone golden - about 5 minutes - then strain the oil off (should be about 120ml).

In a bowl whisk the mustard with the vinegar, then slowly pour on the oil until incorporated. Add the bacon bits back into the dressing and keep warm on the hob. When the artis are cooked, drain them upside down until they are cool enough to handle.

Serve with the hot bacon vinaigrette: starting at the outside pull the leaves away, dip and suck. When you reach the center, use a teaspoon to remove the hairy choke, and take time to savor the heart.

If this recipe sounds tasty to you, you may want to check a great cookbook with more than 150 bacon recipes - highly recommended.

Allegra McEvedy is co-founder of the fast-food chain Leon

Technorati Tags: Artichoke, Bacon, Bacon Recipes, Globe Artichoke With Hot Bacon Vinaigrette, Vinaigrette