Bacon Potato Salad (and it's Weight Watchers friendly! Seriously.)

I made this over the weekend and OMG! Super yummy, rather light (only 4 WW points per serving), and a nice side dish for the impending summer barbecues you're bound to either be hosting or attending. Enjoy!

Bacon Potato Salad

1 lb. small potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small chunks
3 slices bacon
5 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1/4 C mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Cook the potatoes in lightly salted water until just tender. Drain and cool.

While the potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon until it's crisp. Drain the cooked bacon on paper towels, to absorb the grease. Then cut or crumble into small pieces.

In a serving bowl, combine the mayonnaise and vinegar. Then add the potatoes, bacon, and scallions, and toss until well coated.

Chill at least an hour before serving.

Serves 6 "side dish" portions

Homemade Bacon & Egg Ramen

Here's a recipe that I'm sure is DH's idea of a perfect meal - homemade ramen with bacon and egg. It's kind of similar to one he tried at an Asian restaurant a couple of months ago. (I was a little more adventurous and went with a Bahn Mi sandwich with Srirachia sauce.)

1 quart homemade or low sodium chicken broth
1" inch fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
3 ounces smoky slab Bacon
1 piece about 2" from a stalk of lemongrass
1 package of ramen noodles (toss the soup packet)
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon black vinegar
2 eggs
1 handful chopped scallions
1 drop Srirachia or your favorite hot sauce
2 more cloves of garlic
1 handful julienned mustard greens, baby spinach leaves, or kale

Place bacon, ginger, garlic & lemongrass in a pot. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and cook ramen noodles according to directions. Drain and set aside.

Remove bacon, lemongrass, and ginger. Reserve the bacon for later. Add in greens (unless using baby spinach), soy sauce, and vinegar. Taste and check for salt, then add salt and pepper to taste. Slice the bacon.

Add sliced garlic cloves to a pan with the bacon, and fry both until crisp.

Drop eggs one at a time into the stock. (if you crack them in a bowl first, it is less likely that you will accidentally get a shell in your soup.)

Place ramen noodles (and baby spinach if using) in a bowl. Carefully remove the eggs before they are completely cooked (a slotted spoon works best). Ladle the hot broth over the eggs and noodles. Cover with Bacon, fried garlic, and scallions. Garnish with a squirt or two of hot sauce.

What's for Dinner? Maple Mustard Grilled Chicken

Broiled maple mustard (and bacon!) glazed chicken and salad with maple-balsamic dressing.

(And a mental note to remember to refill the tank on the grill, so I can grill this next time.)

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided 

2 shallots, diced
⅓ C maple syrup
3 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 tsp. sea salt, divided
1 slice of bacon, cooked and diced
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil and saute shallot until translucent. Add maple syrup, mustard, vinegar, garlic, 1/8 tsp. black pepper, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until glaze just comes to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in bacon pieces.

Pat chicken dry with paper towel. Brush both sides of each piece with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and season both sides generously with remaining salt and pepper.

Brush grill grates with remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Place chicken on the grill over medium high heat, cover and cook undisturbed until grill marks appear, about 2-3 minutes. Turn the breasts over and brush with some of the glaze. Cover the grill and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through. Turn again and brush with more glaze just turning off heat. Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately, with remaining glaze on the side.