Showing posts with label BLT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BLT. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

BLTs With a Twist

The other evening RT and I got home from a long day of working at the new house. RT was finishing up the stone work on the fireplace, and I had helped with selecting the stones, preparing the mortar and cleaning up. We were both exhausted. Although RT had done the vast majority of the work, he insisted that I sit down and relax and let him prepare dinner for us. I was easy to convince.

“How about BLT’s?” I suggested. But then I remembered. “We’re out of mayonaise, and the lettuce doesn’t look very good.”

“Do we have ranch dressing?” asked RT.

“Yes,” I replied.

“Then I’ll improvise,” he said.

RT prepared the absolute BEST BLT’s I’ve ever tasted. Actually, I guess we should call them BCRT’s because we left out the lettuce and added cheese and ranch dressing.

As soon as the bacon was cooked, RT laid the cheese on top of the bacon so that the warmth from the bacon would start to soften the cheese. That was an important step because although the cheese didn’t fully melt, it had softened to the point that it was really creamy and smooth. He spread ranch dressing on the bread, placed the sliced bacon with cheese on top. Then he sliced the tomatoes and laid the slices on a paper towel so they wouldn’t be so drippy. After the paper towel had absorbed some of the moisture from the tomatoes, he added them to the sandwich. A sprinkle of salt and pepper, a little cantaloupe on the side, a glass of chardonnay - and we had a fantastic and quick dinner.

A new sandwich was created - the BCRT.

BLT Bites

Here’s an easy appetizer to take to one of those many holiday parties:

BLT Bites

2 dozen cherry tomatoes

1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup mayonaise

1/3 cup green onion, chopped finely

3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped finely

Cut a small slice off the top of each tomato. Scoop out and discard the pulp. Invert the tomatoes on a paper towel to drain while you make the filling. In a small bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Spoon into the tomatoes and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving. You can garnish with a sprig of celergy or sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top.