Finger foods.

One of the advantages of cooking low-carb is that I can use a lot of different proteins, but sometimes it's difficult to be creative. Tonight I had some leftover bacon in the fridge, so I decided to make bacon baskets. They're fairly easy and they look really interesting on the plate. Plus, it's a nice way to "sneak" some salad into the meal; just fill the baskets with baby spinach and sliced tomatoes. I love it topped with bleu cheese dressing or a balsamic vinaigrette.


First, cover the bottom of a muffin tin with foil. Then, braid strips of bacon over the "hump," weaving like a lattice piecrust. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the bacon's golden brown and crisp. Let the baskets cool completely before trying to remove them.

When they're done and filled, they look like this:
Isn't that cute? I think this could be really impressive for Valentine's Day appetizers.

To go with our bacon salad baskets, I decided to use some leftover roast turkey in quesadillas. I caramelized some onions in butter and olive oil, reduced them with balsamic vinegar. A little (well, a lot) of goat cheese spread on whole-wheat flour tortillas, some of these sticky-sweet onions, and the shredded roast turkey, and I had a superb quesadilla. My panini press made quick work of the grilling.

The finished result was delicious, with a lovely balance between the mellow turkey, the tartness of the goat cheese, and the sweet tangy onions: