Bacon

Garlic prawns and bacon with udon noodles

Posted by Gary
This is a photograph of Garlic prawns and bacon with udon noodles. Click on the photograph and you'll see how I ate them.
Garlic prawns and bacon with udon noodles. Click on the photograph and you’ll see how I ate them.

With the memory of Asian bolognese from Thursday night at XO Restaurant still fresh in my mind tonight I made garlic prawns and bacon with udon noodles. In my mind an improvement on an Italian garlic prawn pasta. This is the first time I’ve bought bacon for about six months. With the recent IARC/WHO announcement in mind I only bought one 50 g rasher. I’ve never done that before.

If you want to see how nicely the noodles were cooked check out the YouTube video I recorded.

Garlic prawns and bacon with udon noodles
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Australian
Author: [url href=”http://about.me/garydlum”]Gary Lum[/url]
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 90 g [url href=”http://www.hakubaku.com/en/”]Hakubaku organic udon noodles[/url]
  • 250 g raw peeled garlic prawns
  • 50 g streaky Primo bacon
  • 2 teaspoons chilli flakes
  • 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon good grub hub wasabi sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped basil
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon Greek yoghurt
  • 100 mL light coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon garlic aioli
  • 1 tablespoon fried shallots
  • 1 tablespoon flaked almonds
Instructions
  1. Get some water boiling and add the udon noodles for 8 minutes
  2. Fry off the streaky bacon which has been cut into strips
  3. Add the garlic prawns to the hot frying pan and stir fry until they just change colour
  4. Remove the prawns and bacon from the heat and put into a bowl
  5. When the udon noodles have cooked drain and add to the hot frying pan
  6. Return the prawns and bacon to the frying pan and quickly fry
  7. Add the Greek yoghurt, coconut milk and aioli and mix everything in
  8. Add the parsley and stir
  9. Turn off the heat and add the chilli flakes, cracked black pepper, wasabi sesame seeds, fried shallots and flaked almonds
  10. Stir together and plate up into a bowl
  11. Garnish with chopped basil, lemon zest and a little more of the wasabi sesame seeds
  12. Shoot a photograph
  13. Record a time-lapse video while eating
  14. Wash the dishes
  15. Write the recipe
  16. Blog (verb)
  17. Share the recipe on the Hakubaku website and hope to win a prize

This was a really tasty meal. The udon noodles are terrific at absorbing the flavours of garlic and bacon and the hot and spicy chilli flakes.

For dessert I enjoyed some Weis’ pineapple, coconut and lime sorbet.

This is a photograph of a tub of Weis' pineapple coconut lime sorbet plus a small bowl
Weis’ pineapple coconut lime sorbet

This morning I went for a walk around Lake Burley Griffin (bridge to bridge) and shot some photographs

This is a photograph of the National Carillon
National Carillon
This is a photograph of orange Roses from near Old Parliament House
Roses from near Old Parliament House

For lunch I ate a poppy seed bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese, wasabi sesame seeds, capers and dill. It was a pretty good sambo.

This is a photograph of a Smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers on a poppy seed bagel
Smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers on a poppy seed bagel

Roses from my garden bed.

This is a photograph of pink roses from my garden bed.
Roses from my garden bed

If you want to see the photographs as a gallery click here. Click on one image to see it full size. To see the EXIF data (including a map if the photograph was geotagged) click on the information (i) icon in the top right corner. You can navigate through the gallery using the arrow keys or by swiping if you’re using a tablet or smartphone.

What do you think of my garlic prawns and bacon with udon noodles?

Bacon or salmon

Posted by Gary

Well it’s not really a question of bacon or salmon. Occasionally it can be bacon and salmon.

***Please note the medical disclaimer****

I came home early today with ManFlu which gave me an opportunity to focus on work e-mail and do some reading. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) on the potential causal relationship between the consumption of red meat and processed meat with neoplastic diseases. The paper in Lancet Oncology is available for free. The IARC paper’s authors reported that processed meat can cause bowel carcinoma and red meat probably causes bowel carcinoma. This doesn’t mean if you eat a tin of spam or eat a sausage you’ll develop bowel carcinoma nor does it mean you cannot enjoy a good steak or pork chop occasionally. In my mind if these are occasional treats I’m going to make sure I focus on quality rather than quantity.

What it does mean, and none of this is new information, is you shouldn’t eat bacon everyday but one or two rashers a week is probably okay. A small steak once a week is probably okay too. It also means we need to eat more fruit and vegetables.

What does it mean for me as a lover of red meat and SPAM? Well as I’ve written recently I’m taking my health a little more seriously especially after the faecal occult blood test gift from the government and my first colonoscopy which thankfully didn’t find a bowel carcinoma (yet). With an eye on blood biochemistry and bowel health I’ll still occasionally indulge in bacon and SPAM. After all Canberra boasts Australia’s best artisan bacon and my shelf of shame has three tins of SPAM after so much fun on the Hawaiian holiday adventure.

So tonight I just had salmon mainly because I felt unwell and just wanted something simple. Click on the photograph and you’ll see a short time-lapse video of me eating this bad boy.

Salmon cheeseburger with wasabi aioli
Salmon cheeseburger with wasabi aioli

How do you feel about bacon or salmon?

Baked salmon with fennel salad

Posted by Gary

I’ve been away for the last week. I was in Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada. I was there for a work meeting. No baked salmon there for me. Instead I had a wide variety of meals which were mostly low in fibre and high in salt, sugar and fat. My bowel health took a real blow.

Monday dinner. Baked salmon and fennel salad.
Monday dinner. Baked salmon and fennel salad.

I became unwell while I was overseas too. I woke up on the Monday with a sore throat, congested paranasal sinuses and a splitting headache. Within a day I had a hacking cough and then a fever. Being ill in another time zone seems to make everything worse. The illness and the travel associated tiredness. I started longing for small simple meals. That said I did try some poutine which is like a national dish for Canadians. I’m thinking of making a variation for this Sunday night for what will be the greatest NRL grand final ever when the mighty Brisbane Broncos play the North Queensland Cowboys for rugby league’s greatest prize (next to the State of Origin). It’s been a great year in rugby league (the greatest game of all) with the Mighty XXXX Queensland Maroons winning the state of origin series. Three of my favourite teams in the NRL made the top four teams after the regular season. With my top two teams in the grand final what could be better? While I’m hoping for a Broncos victory which will be a dream for a returning Mr Bennett, I won’t be disappointed if JT and his boys win the game.

Monday dinner in Winnipeg. Reuben sandwich with poutine.
Monday dinner in Winnipeg. Reuben sandwich with poutine.
Baked salmon with fennel salad
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Australian
Author: [url href=”https://about.me/garydlum” target=”_blank”]Gary Lum[/url]
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • Salmon fillet
  • Fennel
  • Parsley
  • Dill
  • Chives
  • Capers
  • Red onion
  • Lemon juice
  • Chilli flakes
  • Black pepper
  • Sea salt
  • Panko bread crumbs
  • Golden syrup
  • Grape seed oil
Instructions
  1. Rub some grape seed oil into the salmon
  2. Place on some baking paper on an oven tray
  3. Drizzle some golden syrup over the salmon and then sprinkle on some panko bread crumbs
  4. Add some chilli flakes, sea salt and black pepper
  5. Bake for 12 minutes at 220 °C
  6. When it’s finished remove and allow the salmon to rest for 5 minutes
  7. Thinly slice the fennel and red onion
  8. Finely chop some parsley and chives
  9. Put a salad together with fennel, red onion, capers, parsley and lemon juice
  10. Garnish the salmon with chives and dill
  11. Plate up
  12. Shoot a photograph
  13. Eat the meal
  14. Wash the dishes
  15. Write the recipe
  16. Blog (verb)

Last night on arriving home I enjoyed some lambs fry, bacon and mashed potato from the Canberra Southern Cross Club Jamison.

Sunday dinner. Lambs fry with bacon and mashed potato.
Sunday dinner. Lambs fry with bacon and mashed potato.

For lunch today I had a salmon burger with wasabi aioli and some sweet chilli sauce.

Monday lunch. Salmon burger with wasabi aioli
Monday lunch. Salmon burger with wasabi aioli

If you want to see the photographs as a gallery click here. Click on one image to see it full size. To see the EXIF data (including a map if the photograph was geotagged) click on the information (i) icon in the top right corner. You can navigate through the gallery using the arrow keys or by swiping if you’re using a tablet or smartphone.

Salmon and fennel salad

 

It’s good to be home and back into my routine. Hopefully my bowels will return to normal soon too.

 

Doing it again with baked salmon and creamy Brussels sprouts

Posted by Gary

So last night I made what I thought was an amazing baked salmon with creamy cabbage. I had an extra piece of salmon and I figured if it was good enough last night I’d repeat it tonight with a slight twist. Regular readers will have noticed my fondness of Brussels sprouts so I thought I’d combine the baked salmon with creamy Brussels sprouts.

Baked salmon with creamy Brussels sprouts
Baked salmon with creamy Brussels sprouts
Doing it again with baked salmon and creamy Brussels sprouts
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Australian
Author: [url href=”https://about.me/garydlum” target=”_blank”]Gary Lum[/url]
A yummy delicious way to enjoy a wonderful vegetable that for some reason so many people dislike.
Ingredients
  • Salmon
  • Soy sauce
  • Grape seed oil
  • Cabbage
  • Brussels sprouts
  • [cap id=”attachment_12304″ align=”alignnone” width=”980″][img src=”https://yummylummy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-12_16.56.20_001_GARY_LUM_FB-1024×683.jpg” width=”980″ height=”654″ class=” size-large” title=”Brussels sprouts” alt=”A close up of Brussels sprouts”]Brussels sprouts close up[/cap]
  • Bacon pieces
  • Slivered almonds
  • Pine nuts
  • Ground nutmeg
  • Chicken salt
  • White wine
  • Cream
  • Butter
Instructions
  1. Add some oil to the plastic bag containing the salmon
  2. Rub in the oil
  3. Place the salmon on a baking tray lined with baking paper
  4. Drizzle a little soy sauce on the salmon (this will create a sticky crispy layer under the skin)
  5. Bake in a benchtop oven at 200 °C for 15 minutes
  6. Slice one cabbage leaf and cook in the microwave oven for 1 minute with four Brussels sprouts and bacon pieces
  7. In a frying pan add some oil and a good slice of butter
  8. Turn up the heat and add he drained cabbage, Brussels sprouts and bacon pieces
  9. Cook the vegetables until the liquid is boiling and the water evapourates away
  10. Add a small handful of slivered almonds and pine nuts
  11. Shake in a little bit of chicken salt
  12. Shake in a little ground nutmeg
  13. With the heat on high add a splash of white wine
  14. Reduce away the white wine then add a splash of pouring cream
  15. Reduce to a sauce
  16. Pour the creamy Brussels sprouts sauce into a bowl
  17. Add the salmon on top
  18. Shoot a photograph
  19. Eat the meal
  20. Wash the dishes
  21. Write the recipe
  22. Blog (verb)

 

A close up of my baked salmon with creamy Brussels sprouts
A close up of my baked salmon with creamy Brussels sprouts
Salmon with creamy cabbage and spinach leaves
Last night’s salmon with creamy cabbage and spinach leaves
Bacon and eggs for breakfast. I ❤️ streaky bacon.
Bacon and eggs for breakfast. I ❤️ streaky bacon.

I know a lot of people complain that Brussels sprouts are bitter and yucky. I think if you pick them young and cook them gently the bitterness isn’t a problem. Obviously using some bacon, butter and cream will provide a rich lusciousness that coats the tastebuds.

I can highly recommend this way of cooking some salmon and creamy Brussels sprouts.

Awesome and easy low carb pork rashers

Posted by Gary
Pork rasher, Brussels sprouts and fennel salad. Focus on the pork rashers.

I love that I can now buy a small packet of pork rashers that are about 10 cm long (4 inches)  rather than double the length and double the thickness. The meat to fat ratio is also now greater (not that lots of fat is a bad thing when going low carb high fat) which in my mind means better value for money.

[maxbutton id=”3″ url=”#recipe” ]

A close up of four Porky rashers all in a row
A close up of four Porky rashers all in a row

The other thing I cooked tonight was some Brussels sprouts.

A close up of Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts close up

I love the vivid green of Brussels sprouts. I overdid the roast the other night when I cooked them with chicken wings. So tonight rather than keeping them open in the oven I cooked them undercover.

A close up of Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts

I also made a small fennel salad for some fresh crunch.

Fresh crunchy fennel salad
Fresh crunchy fennel salad

Recipe

Pork rasher, Brussels sprouts and fennel salad. Focus on the pork rashers.
Print
Awesome and easy low carb pork rashers
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 

A nice easy meal with big thick bacon rashers. 

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Australian
Servings: 1
Calories: 1000 kcal
Author: Gary Lum
Ingredients
  • 1 packet Pork rashers
  • 6 Brussels sprouts
  • 100 g Bacon pieces
  • 1/2 Fennel
  • 1 tablespoon Parsley
  • 1 Chili
  • 1 Radish
  • 1/2 Red onion
  • Lime juice
Instructions
  1. Put the Brussels sprouts and bacon pieces in an aluminium foil wrap with a little oil or butter
  2. On a baking tray next to the aluminium foil parcel add the pork rashers and season with a little salt
  3. Put into an oven at 150 °C for 1 hour
  4. Put together the fennel salad and you can use a little full fat mayonnaise as supplement the lime juice
  5. When the pork has been cooked, allow it to rest for 10 minutes and unwrap the Brussels sprouts and bacon pieces
  6. Plate up the meal
  7. Shoot a photograph
  8. Eat the meal
  9. Wash the dishes
  10. Write the recipe
  11. Blog (verb)
Recipe Notes

A nice high fat low carbohydrate meal. 

Pork rasher, Brussels sprouts and fennel salad. Focus on the fennel salad with some bacon pieces.
Pork rasher, Brussels sprouts and fennel salad. Focus on the fennel salad with some bacon pieces.
Pork rasher, Brussels sprouts and fennel salad. Focus on the pork rashers.
Pork rasher, Brussels sprouts and fennel salad. Focus on the pork rashers.
Pork rasher, Brussels sprouts and fennel salad. Focus on a Brussels sprout.
Pork rasher, Brussels sprouts and fennel salad. Focus on a Brussels sprout.
Pork rasher, Brussels sprouts and fennel salad. Overhead view.
Pork rasher, Brussels sprouts and fennel salad. Overhead view.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe and the photographs.

 

Please let me know how you like eating pork rashers