Pan-fried Potatoes and Green Beens

This is one of those side dishes that always brings me back to summer barbeques in my parents' backyard. This is a really simple, easy side dish that goes well with all sorts of main dishes. It can be grilled in the summer or made indoors during cold winter months.



Pan-fried Potatoes and Green Beens
3-4 potatoes, sliced thinly (any will work, I really like Yukon golds)
1 red onion, sliced thinly
3 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into large pieces
4 Tablespoons butter
salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter. Add the potatoes and cook until just beginning to become tender (about 5 minutes). Add the remaining ingredients and season to taste. Cook until the veggies are tender-crisp and the potatoes have a nice, brown crust on them. (To get this crust, move them as little as possible - allow that cast iron skillet to work its magic!) about 6-7 minutes more. Serve alongside your favorite main course!

Enjoy!

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Vegetables

I received this recipe from a friend and coworker who had taken a cooking class recently. She said that it was the most delicious dish the class had made that night...so I knew I had to see what it was all about.

This was my first time making quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) and I was interested to see if I liked what it was all about. According to Wikipedia (hey, I do my research for you guys because I care), quinoa is a grain that is known for it's high protein content. It's also a good source of dietary fiber. This means good things for you and me. As any dieter knows, you want foods that are high in fiber and protein (especially protein because it keeps you feeling full) but low in fat and calories. Well, it doesn't get much better than this grain.

In this dish, I've combined roasted vegetables with the quinoa, but you could definitely grill them. For me, it's been pretty cold and rainy, so I opted for the oven. It was delicious, very filling, and wonderful both warm and cold. I feel like this dish will be making many appearances at summer bbq's and get-togethers this year.

I hope you try it and find it to be as different and refreshing as I did!



Quinoa Salad with Roasted Vegetables
For the quinoa:
1C quinoa
2C chicken (or vegetable) stock

For the vinaigrette:
1 shallot, minced
3 T red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
1/2 C parmesan cheese, finely grated
salt
pepper

For the vegetables:
Vegetables, cut into small uniform pieces (I used 8oz. portabella mushrooms, 1 small yellow squash, 1 small zucchini, 1 medium onion, 6 oz. cherry tomatoes)
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

finishing touches:
1/4 C Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 C pine nuts, lightly toasted

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (for the veggies).

Heat the quinoa and stock in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low, and cover. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed (about 15 - 20 minutes). Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette by putting the shallot, vinegar, and mustard in a small bowl. Drizzle in oil while whisking constantly. Add cheese and stir to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper - adjust to your tastes.

On a sheet pan scatter the cut vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 450 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes or until the veggies are tender and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

**Alternately, you can grill the veggies if the weather is cooperating with you!

To assemble the salad, combine the quinoa, veggies, vinaigrette, parsley, and pine nuts in a large bowl. Toss to combine all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Broccoli

While looking for the perfect side dish to server with salmon, I came across this recipe from Alton Brown on The Food Network. It not only sounded delicious, but I'd never heard of roasting broccoli.

Roasting the broccoli was so easy - just mix the ingredients together and BAM! (Like that Food Network reference, anyone?) This dish was one of the stars of the night! Everyone raved about it and there were no leftovers in sight. I will definitely be using this simple, elegant and tasty side dish again!

Oven Roasted Broccoli

1 pound broccoli, rinsed and trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs, lightly toasted (see below)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets into bite size pieces. Cut the stalk into 1/8-inch thick, round slices. Place the broccoli into a mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, garlic, kosher salt and pepper and set aside.

Spread the Panko into a 13 by 9-inch metal cake pan and place into the oven for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the Panko from the oven and add to the bowl with the broccoli mixture. Toss to combine. Return the mixture to the cake pan, place in the oven and roast just until the broccoli is tender, 8 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, toss in the cheese and serve immediately.

Braided Breakfast Casserole

I have been making this breakfast casserole a long time. I love to make it when I have guests or am going to a brunch. Really, it's scrambled eggs in a fancy braided crescent roll hug. I also really like that you can put whatever you want in the eggs to make it different. For this recipe, I used asparagus, onion, red pepper, cheese, and chopped turkey bacon. Again, use whatever veggies you have on hand to make this a deliciously different breakfast!

Adding the cream cheese in with the eggs is also really great. Although not the healthiest option, they really do make creamy, delicious eggs. And a note on the crescent rolls - this recipe calls for 2 cans but I have seen tubes of sheet crescent rolls...you might want to try it because it would make the braiding a lot easier!



Braided Breakfast Casserole

4 oz. (half a brick), cream cheese
1/4 C. milk
1 T. flour
8 eggs
1 tsp. dill, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 T. butter, melted
1/2 C. cheddar cheese
2 cans (8 oz.) crescent rolls
2 C. total of your favorite fillings - I used onion, asparagus, turkey bacon, red pepper and a little more cheese!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll the packages of crescent rolls - do NOT separate. On a lightly greased cookie pan, arrange dough in a rectangle and press seams to help seal them. Starting on the longest side, cut dough into 8 strips, about 1 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches long.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and milk. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Separate 1 egg - reserve the egg white. Add the yolk and the remaining 7 eggs, dill, salt, and pepper and whisk until smooth. Add you fillings and mix well.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook, 4-6 minutes, until eggs are set but still moist. Remove pan from heat. Scoop the filling evenly over the crescent rolls - sprinkle with the cheddar cheese.

Starting at one end, lift one strip of dough, twist one turn and lay across the top of the filling. Repeat, alternating sides to form a braid. Fold bottom edges of dough up at the ends of the braid.

Brush with the remaining lightly beaten egg white. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Frito Bean Dip

I first had this dish ay my friend Kathy's house. It's SO good. Originally it's called "Frito Bean Dip" because I think you are supposed to eat it with Frito chips. Well, it's great that way, no doubt. But, it's so good that I like to just eat it all by itself! So, whether you choose to chip it up or eat it solo, this is a delicious and MUCH healthier alternative to traditional summer side dishes. With no mayo, it can take the heat of summer parties, too.



Frito Bean Dip

1 can black eyed peas
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can Green Giant Mexi-Corn mix
1 small can of chopped pimentos
1 small can of green chilis (diced)
1 T water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 sugar
1 tsp pepper

Drain and rise all of the beans and corn. Mix together the beans, corn, pimentos and chilies.

Boil the water, vinegar, oil, sugar, and pepper until the sugar is melted.

Add the boiled mixture to the bean mixture and let it marinate for a few hours. When you are ready to serve it, drain the liquid from the beans with a slotted spoon.

Serve with fritos, tortilla chips, or whatever else strikes your fancy.

Cauliflower Gratin with Bacon and Porcini Mushrooms

As a member of the Foodie Blogroll, I got the opportunity to request some mushroom samples from Marx Foods. Justin, from Marx Foods, got ahold of me and sent them right away. I am so excited to try out some new recipes using the Marx Foods' wild mushrooms. There are a few varieties that I am not familiar with so it will be interesting to see how I can use them!

For this recipe, I decided to pair some Porcini mushrooms in a Cauliflower gratin with bacon. Let me tell you, it is really great! You can hardly call this a vegetable dish because of it's creamy goodness. The cauliflower is tender and the bacon adds a bit of salty goodness. Also, I like that you can use regular milk instead of heavy cream or half and half. It's just easier because I always have milk on hand and it definitely helps with the calories (which I will take the help where I can get it because this dish is a creamy, cheesy love fest!)

So, now lets talk about the mushrooms. Without the addition of the Porcini mushrooms, I think this dish would have been OK, but the Porcinis really make it decadent. They are tender and so flavorful (Thanks again Justin!!) The Marx Foods mushrooms came dried, with instructions on how to rehydrate them and how to calculate the amount needed when a recipe calls for fresh mushrooms. I thought this was really helpful. However, I decided that with all of the cheesy goodness going on, there'd by more than enough moisture to just add them dried. It saved time and worked out perfectly. The sweet, earthy taste of the mushrooms pair really well with the salty bacon and creamy cauliflower. I also think that the Chanterelle mushrooms would be nice in this dish, too. **Edit: After talking with Justin from Marx foods again, he suggested reconstituting the Chanterelle mushrooms if you use them in this dish. They tend to be a bit woody when reconsituted and need to be chopped, which can be difficult when they are dried! Thanks for the tip Justin!**

I recommed going on over to Marx Foods (http://www.marxfoods.com/) and trying out some samples they have - it's much more than mushrooms!

Cauliflower Gratin with Bacon and Porcini Mushrooms

1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets
Salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

8 oz. bacon

1/4 C. Porcini Mushrooms (or any other variety you like)
1/4 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon until very crispy. Drain on paper towel and set aside. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Turn off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 3/4 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour about 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 8 inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top, sprinkle bacon and mushrooms over the cauliflower. Then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top.

Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Cheesy Stuffed Artichokes

I'm always looking for new ways to cook old favorites. When I came across this recipe, I knew I had to try it. Combining tender artichokes with warm, cheesy stuffing is a decadent twist on my traditional stuffed artichokes. There is a little bit of prep work required, but the artichokes will come out perfectly tender and delicious. They are a hearty side and you could definitely cut them in half to make smaller portions, but they are so good you may just end up eating it all yourself!

Cheesy Stuffed Artichokes

Cold water, as needed
3 to 4 lemons, juiced, divided
6 medium artichokes, stems trimmed
1/4 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup fontina cheese, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill bowl with cold water large enough to hold the 6 artichokes. Add the juice of 2 lemons to the water. Use a paring knife to trim the dark green skin from the stem and the base of each artichoke. Also, slice about 2 to 3 inches off the top. In a circular motion, using a paring knife peel the outer, dark green bitter layer of the heart until the fleshly, light green part is exposed. Trim and leave about 2 to 3 inches off the stem. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the "hay" from the center of each artichoke. Squeeze some of the remaining lemon juice over the artichoke, rubbing the lemon directly on them to prevent them from discoloring, then submerge them in the lemon water.

In a large bowl, combine 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil, the bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley with the Fontina and Parmesan. Stir to blend. Season with salt, to taste. Remove the artichokes from the water, pat dry and transfer them to a bowl. Reseason with salt and drizzle them with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stuff each artichoke with the bread crumb mixture and arrange them in a baking dish. Don't be afraid to pack the stuffing into each artichoke. Top the artichokes with any remaining stuffing. Add a little water to the bottom of the baking dish to prevent the artichokes from drying out or scorching on the bottom as they cook. Cover the dish with a tight layer of aluminum foil and put the baking dish in the center of the oven.

After 45 minutes, remove the dish from the oven. Test the center of the artichoke with the tip of a knife. The knife should pierce and remove without resistance. Remove the foil and put the dish under a broiler for 5 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Cut each artichoke in half to reveal the stuffing, arrange on serving plates and serve.

Makes 6 generous portions