mmm...bacon

Bacon is great. We all know that. But it is also supposedly bad for you, so one should try to keep its consumption on the modest side - I guess. Well, you shouldn't waste either, so there. Well that is the case with the following two sides. I had some bacon left over (mostly meat) from the venison burgers I had made and over the course of the following two weeks, I worked it into a couple of dishes & I must say the modest addition really made the dish.

Both of the preparations are essentially the same. You basically want to cook your veggie until just tender & then finish with the bacon.

For the beets, trim off the greens & most of the stem. Wrap in foil and roast in a 450° oven until you can easily pierce the beet with a knife - approximately 30-45 minutes. Let cool, peel & dice.

For the carrots, peel & chopped into desired size. Bring a pot of salted water boil & cook carrots until you can easily pierce a carrot with a knife.

To finish, chop bacon into thin strips & cook until well done in a nonstick pan over medium high heat. Remove to a paper towel to drain of excess fat. Using the bacon drippings left in the pad, saute your veggies over high heat until browned, toss in bacon, season with salt & pepper and serve.

Above, you see the Beets (golden in this case) served with grilled Chicken & wilted Beet Greens. Below, you see the carrots served with grilled Sturgeon, wilted Rainbow Chard & a Mango Salsa.