Monday, February 28, 2011

Spiced Tilapia with Honeyed Mango Lime sauce

Fish is not one of my most favorite things to eat OR cook... but sometimes I feel like we need to eat it more often, so I try to find something to make.


Spiced Tilapia with Honeyed Mango Lime Sauce
Bisquick - February 2011
The Line Up
Sauce
1 ripe mango seed removed, peeled and diced
grated peel and juice of 1 medium lime
2 green onions, coarsley chopped (2 TBSP)
1 TBSP honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Fish
1 egg
2 TBSP bisquick mix
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 tilapia fillets (1 lb)
1/4 c vegetable or canola oil
1 tsp chili paste
1 TBSP fresh cilantro

The Game Plan
Place all sauce ingredients in food processor. Cover; process until smooth. Set aside until serving time.
In shallow dish, beat egg and milk with fork. In another shallow dish, mix bisquick mix, salt and pepper. Dip fillets into egg mixture then coat with bisquick mixture.
In 12" skillet, heat oil and chili paste over medium heat; stir to combine. Cook fillets in oil 4-6 minutes. Turning once, until golden brown and fish flakes easily with fork.
To serve, place fish on serving platter or individual plates. Drizzle evenly with sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Coach's Post Game Conference
Never heard of  "chili paste"?? Neither had I, nor had the manager at the local grocery store when I asked. I imagined that I was looking to something in a tube, similar to anchovy paste. When I found it I figured I better share, because it is NOT what I was looking for at all!! (It's in the "oriental food & sauce section")
Again - I used frozen fruit, rather than fresh... again... I need to remember to take it out in time for it to thaw before I try to make it into a sauce!
Aside from that - this recipe was very easy and very YUMMY!!!

Final Score
Coach - Home Run
Catcher  - Home run
The All-Star - Home Run - though he requested his fish sauce-less. He tasted the sauce and didn't care for it. He loved the fact that the fish was spicy!

**edited - please see label disclaimer in "True Confessions" - 11/7/2013

Doughnut French Toast with Strawberry Sauce

I saw Nigella Lawson make this the other day and couldn't stop thinking about it until I made it.

Doughnut French Toast
Food Network
The Line Up:
2 eggs
1/2 c full fat milk
4 tsp vanilla extract
4 slices from a small white loaf or 2 slices from a large white loaf, each slice cut in half
1 oz butter, plus a drop of flavorless oil for frying
1/4 c sugar

The Game Plan
Beat the eggs with the milk and vanilla in a wide shallow bowl.
Soak the bread halves in the egg mixture for 5 minutes a side.
Heat the butter and oil in frying pan/skillet. Fry the egg soaked bread until golden brown and scorched in parts on both sides.
Put the sugar onto a plate and then dredge the cooked bread until coated like a sugared doughnut

Strawberry Syrup
The Line Up & Game Plan at once:
Place a handful of strawberries in a blender. Add powdered sugar to taste (1/4 c or less depending on how sweet your strawberries are.)
Add a little squeeze of fresh lemon and blend.


Coach's Post Game Conference
Well - I think I managed to do something wrong again - this recipe wasn't quite what I expected. I used Italian bread (was looking for Challah bread - but I think I picked the wrong day to do that... will have to make it to our neighborhood bakery one Friday soon).
I soaked the bread as it said and cooked it as instructed. It LOOKED ok - but it was like liquid bread on the inside... and maybe I didn't get enough sugar on them (HELLO - it's HOT when you take it out of the skillet so when you put in on the plate of sugar it begins to melt the sugar!) and it didn't taste as much like a doughnut as I had anticipated. Will have to play with this a bit
Also - ended up using more eggs and milk than it calls for - I originally doubled the recipe as I was making for 3 people and then had to add another egg and a bit of milk for the last 2 slices.
As for the sauce - I used frozen strawberries... next time I'll let them thaw before trying to make it! We all really loved the flavor though! It will definitely be an addition to our french toast meals when I make them.

The Final Score
French Toast
Coach -  Double
Catcher - Double
The All-Star - Triple

Strawberry sauce
Coach - Home Run
Catcher - Home Run
The All-Star - Home Run

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Snow Cream

What does Team Matos do when the snow won't stop falling?? We grab a big ol'e bowl and fill it up with that snow and show it who's boss... We are! And we LOVE snow cream!! This recipe is slightly different from what I had growing up, but it's OH SO GOOD! Tastes like real ice cream but only takes minutes to make (give or take how ever long it takes the snow to get deep enough to get a good clean helping of snow!)


Snow Cream
All Recipes
The Line Up
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar
1 gallon snow

The Game Plan
In a large bowl, combine milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in snow until mixture reaches desired consistency. Eat at once.

Coach's Post Game
Yes, you'll have to get over your issues (if you have any) of eating raw egg - just consider how many things you eat on a regular basis that have raw egg in them already. Been eating raw cookie dough, cake batter, brownie mix and so much more for years and I'm not dead yet so let's move on...
This recipe is simple and tastes like regular ice cream with a slightly different texture. Beware it melts QUICKLY so eat it!
The All Star insists on having chocolate syrup on his, but I'm a purist in this situation and just want the plain snow cream. But we all agree it's worth making it when we can!

Final Score
Coach  - Home Run
Catcher - Home Run
The All Star  - Home Run with chocolate syrup!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Slow-Cooker Orange BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

The All Star is helping me write the blog tonight and this is what he wants me to say:
"I never knew that sandwiches could talk like this one, but darn it sure was good!"

Slow-Cooker Orange BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Kraft Food & Family Winter 2008
The Line Up
1 boneless pork shoulder (3 lbs)
1 bottle (18 oz) Kraft original BBQ sauce
Juice from 1 orange
1/2 c mayonnaise
12 sandwich rolls, split and toasted

The Game Plan
Place meat in slow cooker; top with BBQ sauce and orange juice. Cover with lid
Cook on low for 8-10 hours (or on high 4-6 hours). Remove meat from slow cooker, cut into small pieces or shred with a fork.
Return meat to slow cooker; stir until meat is evenly coated with the BBQ sauce mixture
Spread mayo onto cut sides of rolls. Fill rolls evenly with meat mixture

Coach's Post Game Conference
Let's see - I put the pork (frozen solid) in the slow cooker around 8:00 this morning. Although you're not supposed to open the slow cooker, I am horrible and always do several times while it's cooking. I also like to turn the roasts to make sure they cook evenly, and are equally moist all the way around. sometime around 3:30 I turned the slow cooker up to high just to make sure the pork shoulder would be done well enough to shred. IT WAS!!! By 5:00 I was able to shred it with no problem. (I did NOT take it out of the cooker and put it back in).
I didn't put mayo on the rolls, just be cause i forgot. We also didn't toast the rolls, because we were all hungry and didn't want to wait! :)

Final Score
Coach - Home Run
Catcher - Home Run
The All-Star - Home Run

***edited - Please see label disclaimer in "True Confessions" - 11/7/2013

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Beefy Shells and Cheese

I've done regular beefy macaroni and cheese, but this has a few extra ingredients that make it slightly different and quite interesting.


Beefy Shells and Cheese
Taste of Home ground Beef - April 2009The Line Up
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg (12 oz) shells and cheese dinner mix
2 c water
1 1/4 c salsa
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1-2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp salt

The Game Plan
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer  pink; drain. set aside cheese sauce packet from dinner mix. Add shells and water to skillet. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender.
Stir in the salsa, beans, chili powder, salt and contents of cheese sauce packet. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Coach's Post Game Conference
I omitted the salt out of accident. Have you noticed that I don't always read the recipes well?? ;)  That's ok, because I made up for the lack of salt by not measuring the little bit of chili powder I had left and I'm fairly certain that I had more than 2 tsp in the dish. Team Matos likes spicy food anyway so it's all good!
The All Star even asked for seconds I couldn't believe that but he really enjoyed it.

Final Score
Coach - Home Run
Catcher  - not in the line up tonight
The All-Star - Home Run - both bowls!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Peppered Pork Medallions in Tangy Mushroom Sauce

Another entry in my never ending quest for new pork recipes! :)


Peppered Pork Medallions in Tangy Mushroom Sauce
The Best Life Diet - January 2008
The Line Up
1 pork tenderloin (1- 1 1/4 lb) cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp canola or olive oil
3/4 c reduced sodium chicken broth
2 TBSP all purpose flour
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 pkg (8 oz) fresh whole mushrooms, quartered
Hot cooked brown rice, if desired

The Game Plan
Sprinkle both sides of pork slices with pepper and salt. In 10" nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add pork, cook 3-5 minutes, turning once, until browned.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix broth and flour until smooth. Add broth mixture and remaining ingredients to skillet. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes or until pork is no longer pink in center and mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Serve with rice.

Coach's Post Game Conference
I just realized as I was typing this up that I forgot the thyme... didn't miss it! I think I doubled the amount of broth and vinegar. When I put the broth/flour mixture in initially it was VERY thick and was not going to make a sauce.
Aside from that I made it as directed. I didn't want rice so we just had it with asparagus and flakey dinner rolls.

Final Score
Coach -  home run
Catcher -  home run
The All-Star - HOME RUN!!!

***edited - Please see label disclaimer in "True Confession" - 11/7/2013***

Monday, February 14, 2011

Chicken Pot Pie

I've never made a pot pie, it was never something I thought I would want to make, rather something I ate when we got it from that frozen food delivery truck... but I saw this recipe and it looked easy enough!


Gram's Chicken Pot Pie Updated
Kraft Food and Family Winter 2008
The Line Up
2 TBSP Italian dressing
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 c frozen mixed vegetables
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 lb (4 oz) Velveeta "cheese" cut up
1 sheet frozen puff pastry - thawed
1 egg lightly beaten

The Game Plan
Preheat oven to 400. Heat dressing in a large skillet. Add chicken, cook and stir 5 minutes or until cooked through. Stir in vegetables, soup and cheese. Spoon into greased 9" square baking dish.
Unfold pasty sheet, place over chicken mixture. Fold under edges of pastry; press onto top of baking dish to seal. Brush pastry with egg. Cut several slits in top crust to permit steam to escape.
Place dish on baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Coach's Post Game Conference
This recipe was easy enough. I used Velveeta singles simply because I couldn't find bricks of Velveeta at the store this weekend.
My only complaint would be that the crust didn't cook quite right - maybe I didn't leave it in long eough, but it was rather chewy under the initial top crisp/golden layer.
Aside from that, it was pretty good! The All Star didn't seem to care for it, but what can you do with picky eaters? ;)

Final Score
Coach - Triple
Catcher - Home Run
The All-Star - I think I was lucky to get the pitch across the plate... pretty sure it was a strike out with him

Smokey Beef Brisket with Mashed Parsnips and Potatoes

This brisket is made in the crockpot and is super simple with a delicious flavor, accompanied by mashed potatoes with an added twist of parsnips.


Smokey Beef Brisket
Super-Fast Slow Cooking
The Line Up
2 1/2 lb beef brisket, halved
1 TBSP smoke flavored cooking sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/2 c ketchup
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp celery seed

The Game Plan
Rub brisket with smoke flavored cooking sauce, salt and pepper; place in slow cooker. Top with onion, combine remaining ingredients; spread over brisket. Cover and cook on low setting 8-9 hours. remove brisket and keep warm. Transfer cooking juices to a blender; process until smooth. Serve with brisket. Serves 4-6

Coach's Post Game Conference
I used dried onion flakes (just dumped a bunch in) as I didn't have any onions in the house the night I made this. Also, I am WAY too lazy to blend cooking juices, who says this had to be smooth? It was perfectly acceptable and presentable without blending the juices smooth! Also - I ended up freezing 1/2 of the meat and some of the sauce for another meal in the future!

Final Score
Coach - Triple
Catcher - Triple
The All-Star - wasn't feeling well this night and didn't taste it!


Mashed Parsnips and Potatoes
Food Network - Tyler Florence
The Line Up
4 lbs yukon gold potatoes
2 lbs parsnips
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 c heavy cream
1/2 stick (1/4 c) butter
2 TBSP chopped chives

Game Plan
Peel and cut the potatoes and parsnips into even sized pieces. Put them into a large pot. cover them with cold water and add a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until the vegetables are fork tender, about 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small pot, gently heat the cream and butter over low heat. When the vegetables are done, drain them well.
Put the vegetables back into the pot over medium heat. Gently stir them to remove any excess moisture; be careful not to burn them. While the potatoes and parnips are still warm, press them through a potato ricer or food mill into a bowl. Add the warm cream a little at a time and beat with a wooden spoon until the potatoes are fluffy. Season with salt and pepper and gently stir in the chives. Serve immediately.

Coach's Post Game Conference
I've never had parsnips before and had to do a Google image search at the store to figure out what I was looking for. So if you're like me I'll let you know they look like white carrots, and (at least at my local grocer) are also packaged in plastic bags like carrots frequently are. The parsnips added a unique taste to the standard mashed potato.
I did NOT pass the potatoes through a ricer or food mill... I used my potato masher and was pleased with the texture. Also - no chives added.
This recipe makes a BOATLOAD of mashed food product. Coach and I each had multiple helpings the first night and then had them again with steaks a few nights later.

Final Score
Coach - triple
Catcher - triple

***edited - Please note - this was marked as dairy free for the brisket portion of the recipe. The potatoes & parsnips are NOT dairy free as written, though the could be with a few substitutions - please see label disclaimer in "True Confessions" 11/7/2013***

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Golden layers Biscuit Taco Casserole

I apologize for not having a picture for this recipe, however as I began to gather things up to publish the blog I realized that the ONLY picture I took of this recipe was NOT very appetizing. So you'll have to use your imagination! (or you can go to the Pillsbury site and find a picture...)


Golden Layers Biscuit Taco Casserole
Pillsbury Crescents, Biscuits & More - March 2007
The Line Up
1 jar (16 oz) taco sauce
1 can (12 oz) refrigerate buttermilk or flaky biscuits
1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/4 c chopped red bell pepper, if desired
1/4 c chopped green bell pepper, if desired
1 can (4 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained, if desired

The Game Plan
Heat oven to 400. Lightly spray 13x9 inch (3 qt) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread taco sauce evenly in bottom of baking dish.
Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters. Place viscuit pieces in taco sauce; turn to coat. Sprinkle 1/2 c of the cheddar cheese, 1/2 c of the mozzarella cheese and the olives over top; stir gently to mix.
Bake 15-18 minutes or until bubbly. Meanwhile in medium skillet, combine ground beef, bell peppers and mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat until beef is throughly cooked. Stirring frequently. Drain.
Remove baking dish from oven. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c cheddar cheese and 1/2 c mozzarella cheese over mixture. Top evenly with ground beef mixture.
return to oven; bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until mixture bubbles vigorously around edges.

Coach's Post Game Conference
As I do not like olives I automatically omit those from EVERY recipe that lists them as an ingredient! The night I made this, Catcher was at work and wouldn't be home for dinner. Knowing how picky The All-Star is, I also omitted the green and red bell peppers.
This ended up being a quick, easy dinner. It wasn't the best by any means, but Team Matos has definitely eaten worse. It tasted much like the Old El Paso Enchilada Box mix that I make frequently at The All Star's request.

Final Score
Coach - Double
The All-Star - Double

Caramel Cashew Bars

I made these to take as a dessert for our Super Bowl party. (It's ok, I'm still a Steeler's fan and I'm ready for next season!)
Because of food allergies at the party we had what Team Matos refers to as "male" and "female" versions of this delight. Thanks to the head coach of the Blairsville Mountaineers for that term! :) In the Matos clubhouse... due to the 4th grade boy humor... "male" and "female" refers to with and without... yup... nuts!


Caramel Cashew Bars
Pillsbury Bake-Off May 2005
The Line Up
1 roll (18 oz) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1 bag (11.5 oz) milk chocolate chips
1 container (16 oz) caramel apple dip
3 c crisp rice cereal
1 1/4 c chopped cashews

The Game Plan
Heat oven to 375. Cut cookie dough in half crosswise. Cut each section in half lengthwise. Press dough in bottom of ungreased 13x9 pan. Bake 10-18 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 15 minutes
In 3 qt saucepan, place 1 cup of the chips and 1 cup of the dip. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat, stir in cereal and cashews. Spread over cooled crust.
In 1 qt saucepan, place remaining 1 c chips and 1/2 c dip; cook over medium heat stirring constantly until melted and smooth. Spread over cereal mixture. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Cut into bars.

Coach's Post Game Conference
YUMMMMM!!!!! As I said, I made two batches, one with cashews and one without.  I ended up bringing back a lot (there was SO MUCH FOOD)... so I cut them into serving size pieces and stuck them all in freezer resealable plastic baggies and threw them in the freezer. I pull out one or two pieces at a time when I need something sweet to nibble on.

Final Score
HOME RUNS by everyone who pinch hit for Team Matos

Pork Medallions with Lemon & Honey Mustard Sauce

Still trying to add variety to my pork recipe collection


Pork Medallions with Lemon and Honey Mustard Sauce
Readers Digest Guides - New Year! New You! - February 2011
The Line Up
1 1/4 lbs pork tenderloin
1 TBSP minced fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP minced shallots
1/2 c reduced-sodium low fat chicken broth
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 tsp honey mustard (or to taste)

The Game Plan
Slice the pork into 12 medallions each, about 3/4" thick. layer a few at a time between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat pounder or the bottom of a small heavy skillet until they are about 1/4" thick.
Combine the thyme, lemon zest and pepper in a cup and sprinkle it evenly over the pork, pressing it into the surface with your finger tips.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet or saute pan set over medium-high heat until hot enough that a drop of water sizzles. Add the pork, a few slices at a time, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn and cook the other side for 2 minutes longer. Remove to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the shallots to the pan and cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add the broth and raise the heat to high. Boil, stirring to loosen any browned bits from the pan, until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the lemon juice and honey mustard, stirring until blended. Return the pork to the pan, turning it in the sauce just to heat through.

Coach's Post Game Conference
I bought sliced pork medallions rather than slicing the tenderloin myself ... and skipped the pounding step. Followed the rest of the recipe as written. As you can see - I drizzled some sauce over the pork and a bit over our asparagus... I'm not sure which was better! What a great quick, easy dinner!

Final Score
Coach -  Home Run
Catcher -  Triple
The All Star - Home Run

***edited - please read label disclaimer in "True Confessions" - 11/7/2013***

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Empanadas

One of the many things that I love about visiting the Dominican Republic is the readily accessible variety of empanadas. I had never had one until I went for my first visit. Yummm!!! Every street vendor has their own variation of these tasty treats, and they come in all sizes. Generally they are room temperature at best when bought at a street vendor, but sometimes you get lucky and find a colmado (corner store) that makes them to order.
My personal favorites are ground beef (carne molida) and ham & cheese (jamon y queso), The All Star also likes just cheese. And since travelling to the Dominican we have also discovered chicken empanadas.



Unfortunately I don't get to make these as often as I like as the empanada shells that I really like aren't sold in town. I'm going to ask and see if they can get some in for us though!


If you can find them... Goya's discos para empanadas are the best for making these (they are generally somewhere in the frozen section in FL they had a whole section of frozen Goya stuff), if not... ready made pie shells work also, but you'll need to cut discs, roll the scraps, cut the discs etc...

Starting with the easiest -

Empanadas de jamon y queso
Ham and Cheese Epanadas
The Line Up
shredded cheddar cheese - omit or use dairy free cheese substitute for dairy free
ham - I use Oscar Meyer chopped ham because it tastes closest to the ham in the Dominican, but you can use what ever you prefer

The Game Plan
I allow about 3/4 slice of ham for each empanada. Cut into small squares/rectangles. Place ham in the center of the disc and add a bit of cheese. Swipe the edges of the empanada disc with water to help seal. Fold the empanada over and pinch/roll/use a fork to crimp the ednges together. Fry until nice and golden brown.


Empanadas de Carne Molida
Beef Empanadas
The Line Up
Ground beef
taco seasoning
cheddar cheese - if desired - omit for dairy free or use dairy free cheese substitute

The Game Plan
Brown ground beef . Add about 1/4 to 1/2 of the packet of taco seasnong (not all or it will taste too taco-y) and cook as directed on seasoning packet. Place some of the ground beef in the middle of your disc and top with cheese. Swipe edges of empanada disc with water to help seal, fold over and pinch/roll/crimp edges to seal. Fry until golden brown

Empanadas de pollo
Chicken Empanadas
The Line Up
4 oz cream cheese - softened - use a dairy free cream cheese substitute for dairy free
2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
2 TBSP salsa
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 c finely chopped/shredded cooked chicken

The Game Plan
Mix all ingredients together and place spoonsful in the middle of the empanada disc. Swipe the edges of the empanada disc with water to help seal. Fold the empanada disc in half and pinch/roll/crimp the edges. Fry until nice and golden brown.


Coach's Post Game Conference
I generally make 20 empanadas at a time, they are just as good as left overs as they are the first day. I admit, I like mine room temperature. So while they may get stored in the refrigerator, I will take one out and let it sit for a while. ;) Makes an easy treat in the school lunch box also! ;)
Be careful not to fill the empanadas too full, or they won't seal... will rip... will open up in the fryer (all of which happen to me every time!)
When you take the finished empanada out of the fryer/oil... be sure to hold it for a few seconds to allow the oil that has gotten inside to drip out. I generally hold it up from a few different angles to make sure that it all gets out.

Final Score
Home Runs by everyone who's tried them!!

**edited - please note - these recipes can be made dairy free by simply replacing the dairy product with a non-dairy substitute or omitting - please check the ingredients on all products - 11/7/2013

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Wilted Red Lettuce Salad

If you've followed along for any period of time you know that Team Matos LOVES bacon. I truly feel that nothing bad can come from a recipe that includes bacon and bacon drippings! So a salad that calls for bacon, strawberries and sugar... has to be amazing, right!?



Wilted Red Lettuce Salad
Pillsbury Garden Fresh Fruits & Vegetables - July 1995
The Line Up
4 c red oakleaf lettuce or red tipped green leaf lettuce
1 c sliced strawberries
3 strips bacon
1/4 c red wine vinegar
3 TBSP sugar
1/4 tsp pepper

The Game Plan
In a large bowl, combine lettuce and strawberries; set aside.
Cook bacon in medium skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 TBSP drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium low. Add vinegar, sugar and pepper; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and mixture boils. Pour over lettuce and strawberries; toss gently to combine.
Arrange salad on 4 individual salad plates; dprinkle with bacon. Serve immediately.

Post Game Conference
I couldn't find the specific lettuce they caleld for - we don't have fancy food stores here in town. ;) So I just grabbed a mix with some red lettuce in it. I put in the whole pint of strawberries because I love them.  The dressing on this was AH-MAY-ZING!!!  I may figure out how to make a bunch of this dressing to keep around and have on hand it was so yummy! Not bitter like you would think with the vinegar, but very sweet!

Final Score
Home Run through the batting order again.

**edited - please read label disclaimer in "True Confessions" - 11/7/2013
 

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