Super Bowl Recipes: Bacon Wrapped Things & BBQ Sandwiches

In the interest of full disclosure, I don't cook much since I got married. So these are not my Super Bowl recipes. They belong to my wife, but not because of dated gender roles. I'm not detail-oriented. My wife graduated from the French Culinary Institute, which earned her the privilege of being verbally abused by a well-known Frenchman (for about $8 an hour). It made her a perfectionist. I take care of the drinks ... and cleaning.

Bacon has it's own subset of internet fandom, a strange fetishization. Here's another easy bacon recipe to fatten up your party.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Buy 24 fresh dates. Slit each one open and carefully remove pit. Replace pit with one whole almond. Wrap each date with 1/3 to 1/2 piece bacon. Place on a foil covered baking sheet, making sure the seam of the bacon lays flat against the baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until bacon is crisp. Cool slightly before eating.

Please, buy good bacon. Don't get the cheap stuff that comes from drugged up pigs in wire cages. It's more expensive, but thrift is no virtue when it comes to food. Your life literally depends on it.

BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches

More disclosure, I don't eat a lot of meat. In lieu of a spiel, I'll just tell you that there's some damn fine cuisine to be had without meat, these sandwiches for instance.

-- 1, 8 oz package of tempeh
-- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
-- 1/3 c. tamari or high quality soy sauce
-- 1/3 cup olive oil
-- 1/4 cup molasses
-- 2 t. ground cumin
-- 1 t. ground chili powder
-- 2 t. dried thyme
-- 2 t. sweet paprika

Garlic Coleslaw (hint: it goes on the sandwich)

-- 1/2 head green cabbage, slivered
-- 2 T. olive oil
-- 2 T. fresh lime juice
-- 1 clove minced garlic
-- sea salt and black pepper to taste

Cut tempeh into bit-sized pieces, place in a baking dish. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over the tempeh. Cover the dish with foil forming a tight seal. Bake for 45-50 minutes until most of the marinade is absorbed. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.

While the tempeh is cooking, mix together all of the garlic coleslaw ingredients. Set aside at room temperature.

Serve BBQ tempeh and coleslaw on your favorite kaiser roll.

Enjoy! If you want to add to the experience, I recommend having a drunk uncle berate you while cooking and eating.