Bacon Kale And Leeks Recipes

GARLIC BACON KALE RECIPE (HOW TO COOK KALE)

Steps:

• Cook bacon until crisp over medium heat. Remove bacon and set aside reserving drippings.
• Reduce heat to medium low and cook onion in the drippings until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add kale and garlic stirring until cooked, about 5 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.

YUKON GOLD COLCANNON WITH SAUTEED KALE AND CABBAGE AND BACON BUTTER

Steps:

• For the colcannon: Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water by 2 inches and add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well, then return to the pan.
• While the potatoes are cooking, combine the butter and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Add to the potatoes and mash until smooth, adding more milk as needed. Season well with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
• Place a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until rendered and crisp, about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside for the bacon butter. Remove 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan; reserve this separately for the bacon butter.
• Add a tablespoon or two of canola oil to the pan, depending on how much bacon fat remains. Heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the garlic, mustard seeds if using, and chile flakes; cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to high, add the kale and cabbage, in batches if needed, a splash of water and some salt and pepper. Cook until the greens begin to wilt, tossing constantly at first, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes longer. Add the sugar and vinegar; cook for another 2 minutes.
• For the bacon butter: While the greens are cooking, combine the butter, reserved bacon fat, mustard and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Fold in the reserved bacon and the green onions. (See Cook's Note.)
• Finish the colcannon: Combine the mashed potatoes and the sauteed greens in a bowl. Transfer to a casserole dish and top with a few dollops of bacon butter. Place in a warm oven (200 degrees F) until the butter begins to melt, about 5 minutes.

KALE-POTATO SOUP WITH BACON

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Add the potatoes and leek to the drippings in the pot and cook, stirring, until the leek is slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, herbs, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and 4 cups water and bring to a simmer; cover and cook 15 minutes. Add about three-quarters of the kale; continue cooking, covered, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce.
• Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Toss the remaining kale with the olive oil on a baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Broil until crisp, about 3 minutes.
• Thin the sour cream with a splash of water. Working in 3 to 4 batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth; reheat if needed. Serve topped with the sour cream, kale chips, bacon and almonds.

KALE WITH BACON

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 1 in. of water to a boil. Add kale; cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings. In the drippings, saute onions and garlic until onion is tender. , Drain the kale; stir into onion mixture. Add the salt, pepper and reserved bacon; heat through.

LEEK & BUTTER BEAN SOUP WITH CRISPY KALE & BACON

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the leeks, thyme and seasoning. Cover and cook for 15 mins until softened, adding a splash of water if the leeks start to stick. Add the butter beans with the water from the cans, the stock and mustard. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3-4 mins until hot. Blend the soup in a food processor or with a stick blender, stir through the parsley and check the seasoning.
• Put the bacon in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook for 3-4 mins until crispy, then set side to cool. Add the remaining 1 tsp oil to the pan, and tip in the kale and hazelnuts. Cook for 2 mins, stirring until the kale is wilted and crisping at the edges and the hazelnuts are toasted. Cut the bacon into small pieces, then stir into the kale mixture.
• Reheat the soup, adding a splash of water if it is too thick. Serve in bowls sprinkled with the bacon & kale mixture.

BACON, KALE AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Slice the Leeks.
• If you have bought kurly kale that isn't trimmed, trim it now, disposing of any woody stalks.
• Chop the bacon if necessary. With buying the mis shapes packs of bacon, sometimes it does need to be chopped, other times it is already in small enough pieces.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and another tbsp in a large saucepan (large enough to hold all that kale).
• Cook the bacon in the frying pan until done to your liking, some people like it crisped, some prefer it just cooked enough.
• Cook the leeks in the saucepan, over a low heat, so that they soften rather than brown.
• About 4 or 5 minutes before you think the bacon is done, put 3/4 of the kale into the saucepan with the leeks, stir and pop a lid on until the bacon is finished.
• When the bacon is done, tip it into the saucepan with the leeks and kale and add the rest of the kale. Stir to mix, the heat will be enough enough to wilt that last addition of kale.
• The bacon usually provides enough saltiness and the kale enough pepperiness, but taste and season if you think it is necessary.
• You could use any other dark green leafy vegetable depending on what is on offer. Spinach, Spring greens, green cabbage, anything like that. And you could substitute onions for the leeks if you wished.

KALE AND BACON HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with the butter.
• In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-low until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop bacon.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pan. Heat the skillet over medium, add the onion, and sauté until soft and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the kale and garlic and sauté until the garlic is tender and fragrant, another minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped bacon.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and mustard. Add 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Gruyère, the hash browns, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; stir to combine.
• Stir the kale mixture into the eggs, then pour into the buttered dish. Top evenly with the remaining mozzarella and Gruyère. Cover with foil.
• Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake, uncovered, until the top is lightly browned and bubbly, another 15 minutes. Serve hot. (Cooled casserole will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.)

LEEKS WITH BACON & MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large frying pan, then add the bacon and fry for a few mins until golden. Add the thyme, mushrooms and leeks with seasoning (remember bacon can be salty), cover pan and cook on a low heat for 20-25 mins until leeks are tender.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND KALE GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat, stirring often, until crisp, about 5 minutes; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Cook leeks in reserved drippings and cook until tender, 3-4 minutes. , Stir together squash and kale; transfer to a lightly greased 13-x9-in. baking dish, pressing to form a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread leeks over the top; sprinkle with bacon and cheese. Pour cream over top, spreading to cover entire surface. Cover with foil. , Bake 30 minutes; remove foil and bake until squash is tender and top is golden brown, 30-40 minutes.

LEEK, POTATO & BACON BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the stock in a large pan, bring to the boil, then add the potatoes and the leeks. Bring back to the boil for 5 mins, then drain well, reserving the stock in a jug.
• Meanwhile, butter a large baking dish. Layer up the potatoes and leeks higgledypiggledy, seasoning as you go, then scatter the bacon over the top. Season well, pour over 200ml of the reserved stock, then spoon over the cream (if using) and cover with foil. Can be made up to 1 day ahead and chilled. Bake for 40 mins, uncovering halfway through so that the bacon crisps.