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Is Turkey Bacon SPAM in Disguise?

June 12, 2011 By Fran 4 Comments
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Mise-en-Place-Turkey-BaconI think I just ventured into uncharted territory.  At least uncharted in my world.  Is there such a thing as smoked SPAM?  Is there such a thing as turkey SPAM?  Well, if there isn’t, someone’s playing a cruel joke on me because I am here to tell you that when I took a closer look at the turkey bacon on my cutting board this morning, I could have sworn I was looking at thin slices of SPAM and I don’t eat SPAM!  I may have had SPAM a long … long … long … long … hell, there aren’t enough elipses to span the amount of time it’s been since I’ve had the pressed pig.

I honestly don’t know why it was in the house that one time when I was growing up.  It was clearly an accident.  It had to have been the late 60’s or very early 70’s.  I think my mom may have been in her experimental phase.  You know, kind of like Picaso in one of his phases.  I mean, my mom is a phenomenal cook, an artiste in her presentation and creativity.  She took some cooking classes in the city to learn how to make Chinese food when it was nothing more than Americanized dishes served in dark restaurants with red flocked wall paper and drinks in Buddha cups with umbrellas in them..  So SPAM would not have been in our culinary lexicon.  I don’t remember how the SPAM was served.  I just have a vague recollection of that rectangular can in the house.

SPAM-Restaurant-in-Manila

I think it’s some kind of mind over matter memory blocking thing, but I’ll tell you this, I’ve avoided it since.  Even when I lived in the Philippines and the grocery stores had an aisle full of SPAM in a variety of flavors, next to the aisle with macaroni and cheese in the blue box and the one with various flavors of tuna packed in oil, I didn’t give into the can.   And surprisingly, the temptation of the bright and shiny new SPAMJAM restaurant in the Glorietta Mall in Makati never had enough allure to get me to go in and spend p99 ($0.50) on the Rice Combo #1.  I wasn’t feeling it.  But that’s ok.  It meant I left a lot for others to have and believe me, the love of SPAM in that part of the world is big, so I didn’t leave anyone unhappy with my reticence.

But all this talk about SPAM leads me to the burning question.  Is Turkey Bacon a thinly disguised recipe for SPAM with a different name?  Look at it.  There’s nothing about this turkey bacon that says turkey and the only thing that says bacon is the artificial smoky flavor.  I think turkey bacon is SPAM of the poultry variety and I need to get to the bottom of this mystery.

 

Turkey-Bacon-Sliced

I might have to take a trip to one of the SPAM centers of the world and spend a couple of weeks researching SPAM.  I could jet off to Hawaii and do some important SPAM research, however it seems silly to fly all the way to Hawaii and never leave the US to research the SPAM mystery.   I think this calls for a trip to the Philippines.  But in the meantime, I made another SPAM turkey bacon breakfast to use up the rest of that funny looking “bacon” I had in the fridge.  I’ve got a real itch to cure some of my own bacon again, but that would be like tempting the devil.  It’s so crazy good that I’d be taunting myself.

This time I tried an egg poaching method that a friend at work told me about.  I probably won’t be doing that again.

Trimming-a-Poached-Egg

My friend uses this method on camping trips and it makes sense.  Crack an egg into a Ziploc bag and slide it into a pot of boiling water and in a few minutes you’ve got a creamy poached egg.  Yep, it works, but … it looks um… not like what you’d expect.  I like the texture of an egg slid into a pot of simmering water that’s been swirled with a spoon into a tornado-like vortex so that the egg white covers the yolk and results in a custard-like finish better, but we’re not here to talk about the texture of eggs.

We’re talking turkey bacon and it’s similarity to SPAM.  I don’t know why I care?  Well, yes I do.  The Weight Watchers Points Plus value for Turkey Bacon is just about the same bacon and if I can have a choice, I’m going with bacon.  Sorry.  That’s just how it is.  The value is close enough to warrant a Pig intervention as far as I’m concerned!  So, I used the last of the turkey bacon and put that experiment to rest.  I’m all for weight loss and eating more healthy, but with the infrequency with which I’m eating anything with the word bacon in it, I’m happy to give up the processed bacon that comes from nowhere close to a pig’s belly.

  • Turkey Bacon — 2 slices = 2 points
  • Bacon —  2 slices = 3 points

Turkey-Bacon-Breakfast-Ingredients

This would be a delicious recipe to pull out that home made Aji Verde Sauce to brighten up your breakfast!

Turkey Bacon & Egg Breakfast Tortilla
#ratingval# from #reviews# reviews
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Recipe Type: Breakfast
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Serves: 1
Turkey bacon lends the smoky flavor of regular bacon to these breakfast tortillas.
Ingredients
  • 2 slices Turkey Bacon
  • 1 ounce, low fat melting Cheese (Cheddar/Colby/Jack)
  • 1 tablespoon Onion, diced
  • 1 small ripe Tomato, chopped
  • 1/4 lime or 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • About 10 cooked beans or about 1/10th of an ounce — almost any bean will work. I used cranberry beans, but pinto or black beans work well also
  • 4 sprigs Cilantro, torn
  • 1 Corn Tortilla
Instructions
  1. Heat a saucepan to boiling.
  2. Crack an egg into a ziptop bag and seal. Use a bag that says microwave or heat safe.
  3. Cook the turkey bacon in a hot skillet until browned. You can cook until crispy, but in this dish, it’s not absolutely necessary. I use a grill pan which gives the bacon defined grill marks.
  4. Remove the turkey bacon to a cutting board and chop. There’s no need to wash the pan at this point.
  5. Add the turkey back to the pan with the beans and cook for 3 minutes, stirring to heat through on medium heat.
  6. Meanwhile, chop the tomato, onion and cilantro and chili powder together and add the lime juice and combine.
  7. Crisp the tortilla over a flame or under the broiler. Be careful to watch it to make sure you only char the tortilla in spots, not burn it all over to a blackened crisp.
  8. Heat the skillet on low and add a few pumps of olive oil spray to the pan.
  9. Place the charred tortilla in the pan.
  10. Sprinkle the cheese on 1/2 of the round.
  11. Add the turkey bacon and top with tomato-onion-cilantro mixture.
  12. Cook until the cheese begins to melt. If you want, using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla in half and continue cooking.
  13. In the meantime, reduce the boiling water to a simmer and add the bag with the egg.
  14. Cook for 4 minutes or until it achieves the desired texture in simmering water.
  15. Turn the tortilla when the egg has been simmering for 2 minutes.
  16. Gently slide the poached egg on top of the tortilla and serve.
Serving size: 1 Calories: 308 Fat: 11.5 Carbohydrates: 42.1 Protein: 21.9
Notes

The Weight Watchers Points Plus value of this flavor-filled breakfast is between 7 and 9 points — depending on which site you use. I use both Weight Watchers and Spark People. I use Weight Watchers to initially build the recipe and Spark for more in-depth nutritional details. Spark is always a bit higher in the points conversion.

Any kind of tortilla works, but I don’t skimp on flavor or texture and corn tortillas are my go-to

Add any kind of vegetable you like. I didn’t add jalapeños this time, but peppers or salsa verde or salsa roja are a fabulous addition.

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe
1.2.4

And please, let me know what you think — Turkey Bacon, is it SPAM in disguise?

Filed Under: All Posts, Featured, Totally American Tagged With: Aji Verde, Breakfast, SPAM, Tortilla, Turkey Bacon

Giving Turkey-Bacon a Try

May 4, 2011 By Fran Leave a Comment
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Turkey-Bacon, Basil and Tomato Sandwich

Healthy Sandwich for LunchI’ve never bought turkey-bacon before.  It’s not something I paid attention to in the market.  Hell, I don’t even think it’s supposed to be hyphenated, but it sure does seem like it should be.  Sure, I knew it existed, but in my no holds barred approach to eating the past couple of decades I never would have considered such a thing.  I mean, it’s nothing like turkey — and the only thing “bacon-y” about it is the — ummm taste — sort of.

My eating like there was no tomorrow and denying myself nothing didn’t have room for eschewing myself a good slab of bacon.  As a matter of fact, in the past 12 months I’ve cured and consumed over TWO POUNDS of bacon in my own kitchen!  I chronicled it over at FRANtasticFood and loved every minute of it.  But wow, what a poor choice.  It didn’t stop there thought and that’s why I’m here … looking for ways to stay happy in the kitchen without the unhealthy aspects of eating with abandon.

And I come to you with good news.  Bacon is not forbidden.  YAAY!  Three slices of packaged, store bought bacon will cost you 4 Weight Watchers Points Plus Values or approximately 46 – 50 calories per slice.  You’ll have to be frugal about your points or calories budget, but it’s possible if you plan and if you want to save a bit and not back track on the good work you’ve done all week, there’s turkey-bacon.  I decided to give it a try because I wanted to see what it tastes like and it costs just 2 points for 3 slices!!

Bacon Close Up

Home cured bacon

 

Yes!  Really.  I’m not kidding.  You’re probably getting to know me a bit better by now and know that I’m not much for erzatz food, but with the low points value, I had to give it a try.

I won’t lie — it’s not bacon, but the texture and flavor in my Turkey-Bacon, Basil and Tomato sandwich really did the trick for me today and all that for just 8 points!

But … since real bacon is just 4 points for 3 slices these beauties are going to be on the menu again this summer with real bacon and I can hardly wait!  I’ll post the recipe, complete with Weight Watchers Points Plus Values and a nutritional breakdown for those watching calories and fat once I fire up the grill and get going this summer.

Delicious Pepper treats

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

 

Jalapeño Poppers were my addiction last year and I think I pretty much perfected the recipe and process.

I’m excited to see how to make it work this year in a new scaled back, albeit just as tasty version.  With the weather finally warming up, it won’t be long before the grill is going full bore and all kinds of deliciousness is coming from my balcony.

In the meantime, this is what I put together for a satisfying, bacon-tasting lunch:

Turkey-Bacon, Basil and Tomato Sandwich
#ratingval# from #reviews# reviews
Print
Recipe Type: Main
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 5 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 1
Using Turkey-bacon and a large basil leaf was the answer to a sandwich that really hit the spot.
Ingredients
  • 3 slices reduced fat turkey-bacon (I used Oscar Meyer)
  • 1 reduced calorie sandwich round such as Arnold or Pepperidge Farm — a light English Muffin will also do well
  • 1 ounce shredded, reduced fat Cheddar or Colby cheese
  • 1 small tomato, sliced thinly
  • 1 tsp good Dijon style mayonnaise
  • 1 large basil leaf
Instructions
  1. Using a grill pan, brown the turkey on both sides. Once brown, remove to a plate to cool and crisp up.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the mayo and mustard until combined.
  3. Place one side of the sandwich round on the hot grill pan and build your sandwich. There should be remaining fat from the turkey bacon so you won’t need any additional fat or butter.
  4. Place cheese on the empty slice of bread.
  5. Add bacon.
  6. Add tomato slices.
  7. Spread mayo-mustard spread on the other side of the bread and then place on top of the tomatoes.
  8. Using a panini press or other heavy tool (plate, covered brick, cast iron pan, etc.) cook the sandwich on medium high until the bread on the pan side is brown. This should take about 3 minutes.
  9. Carefully turn the sandwich if desired and cook another minute until done.
  10. Remove to a plate, add grapes to the plate and serve.
Serving size: 1 Sandwich Calories: 216.8 Fat: 9.0g Carbohydrates: 23.3g Fiber: 5.2g Protein: 14.0g
Notes

You can make a traditional grilled bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich with real bacon and it will only cost you 3 more points. If you’ve budgeted enough room in your plan for the day, go for it!

Instead of basil, feel free to use a lettuce of your choice.

If you’ve got Wasabi paste or mayo in the house, replace the mayonnaise-mustard mix for a sinus-flaring kick.

If you don’t have a rigged grill pan or panini press, a skillet will work just as well. It just won’t have the “grill” marks.

Some of the cheese will ooze out onto the pan, but that bit of crunchy cheese makes it all the more delicious.

According to my calculations using the Weight Watchers online recipe builder, this sandwich will cost you 8 Weight Watchers Points Plus Values.

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe
1.2.4

 

 

 

Filed Under: All Posts, From the Coop, From the Pen, Main Dishes Tagged With: Basil, Lunch, Recipe, Sandwich, Tomato, Turkey Bacon, Weight Watchers
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