Bacon-Wrapped Figs Stuffed with Cayenne Peanut Butter

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For my first recipe post-hiatus, I've created something amazing. These taste like peanut butter and jelly, with bacon. All that's missing is bananas and Elvis would be turning in his grave.

I hear he never died, you know. 

Next time I bring an appetizer to an event, this is it. The ratio of required prep time to flavor is rather favorable, so your dish can be the star of the show without too much work. Between the slight kick from the cayenne in the peanut butter, the sweetness of the fig, and the salty flavor of the bacon, this appetizer has just about everything you could ever want... all wrapped up into a bite size piece.

These are for my sister and inspired by my friend Diane.

Bacon-wrapped Figs stuffed with Cayenne Peanut Butter
Servings: 8-12 food items
Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 8-12 dried figs
• 4-6 strips of bacon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine peanut butter and cayenne pepper and mix well.  
3. Remove fig stems and cut figs in half. Stuff with peanut butter mixture and then place back together.
   
4. Cut bacon strips in half so that you have two strips of the same length but now half as long as they were before.
5. Wrap reconstructed figs with bacon strips. 
6. Bake until bacon is golden brown, about 20 minutes. As it gets hot, the peanut butter mixture will liquefy a bit more and some of it may seep out.
   
7. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Paleo Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

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I'm pretty sure going paleo is just my personal excuse to eat as much bacon as I want. And meat. All the meat. 

This recipe is my new favorite, because it tastes so seriously decadent and, dare I say it, naughty. I was browsing Nom Nom Paleo and stumbled upon a recipe for proscuitto wrapped asparagus. I had intended to make it, but I was in a rush and couldn't find proscuitto at the store, so I decided to go my own way. I grabbed bacon instead, wrapped two at a time instead of one, and sauteed them one at a time instead of baking them. It ended up being quick, easy, and pretty much fool proof.

At the time, I made this just for my husband and I as a side dish for dinner. This is really best made as a quick, two-ingredient appetizer for any party. It is paleo and gluten free, so unless you have someone coming over who can't eat meat, this is going to be a serious friend pleaser. But seriously, just invite them to a different party...

Paleo Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Calories Per Piece: 50
Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of asparagus (for this recipe, I used 2 spears per piece of bacon, and made 10, so that is 20 total spears of asparagus)
• 1 package thinly sliced, uncured - nitrate free, no added salt - bacon. (I used 10 pieces)
• 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Rinse and dry asparagus spears. Make sure you pat them down with a towel so that they are dry or else the bacon may not stick. 
   
2. Take the asparagus spears, two at a time, and wrap with bacon slices. I started toward the bottom and wrapped upward at a diagonal angle. 
   
3. Heat olive oil on the stove in a large pan over medium heat (you can try to fit them all in at once or do them in two rounds). 
   
4. Delicately place each piece into the oil. Use tongs to flip every 3-4 minutes, until bacon is cooked and all sides are brown.  
   
5. Serve! 
   

What about you?

Are there any other sneaky or fun ways you use bacon?