Garlic Green Beans

My grandma was an amazing cook.  All holidays were filled with her delicious pasta, bread, polenta, creamed spinach, and what we called 'bacon fat green beans'.  They were fried in, you guess it: bacon fat (well the grease that is rendered from bacon fat, anyway).  They were salty, a little crispy, and so, so, so delicious.  She got sick and was unable to cook by the time I was old enough to start asking for her recipes.  Unfortunately, I don't have many that are from her first hand.  
At dinner group my friends served these green beans and they are so close to grandma's delicious bacon fat green beans that I make them fairly frequently.  These are made using butter, but I think the next time I do these I'll use bacon grease and see if they match hers at all.

4 Tbsp. butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 1/4 lbs. fresh green beans
Salt
Pinch of sugar
1/4 c. water
chopped pecans
French onions, optional

In a large skillet, melt butter and toast garlic with a dash of cayenne pepper.  Add green beans, season with salt and a pinch of sugar.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add water, cover and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Uncover and continue cooking until water evaporates.  After water has evaporated, continue to fry the beans in the pan until they are slightly caramelized.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat, toss with chopped pecans and French onions if desired.

Creamed Corn

I know what you're thinking: Creamed Corn?  Really Creamed Corn?!  Creamed corn is slimy and sticky, and gross.  
Not this creamed corn folks.  If your experiences with creamed corn have always been with the stuff in the can, then of course you think that creamed corn is gross.  My neighbor sent me this recipe that she swore would change my outlook on creamed corn.  She was right.  This is sweet, and corny, and creamy, and good.  The cayenne pepper adds just a tiny bit of heat, and the use of butter and heavy cream make it rich and delicious.  
I made this the first time for our Thanksgiving dinner and everyone liked it.  It even reheated well.  The next time I made it was for our annual Christmas party.  With 26 people eating I had to get as much done early in the day as possible.  I made the creamed corn in the early afternoon, put it in a slow cooker on the 'warm' setting and it stayed the right consistency for the party.  

Enjoy!

2 (20 oz) pkg. frozen kernel corn (I use white corn, but yellow is fine)
8 oz. (1/2 pint) heavy cream (whipping cream)
8 oz. (1/2 pint) milk - I've used fat free and half-and-half on separate occasions, obviously, the half-and-half made the corn much creamier but the fat free milk was also very good, so feel free to use whatever percentage of fat milk you have on hand.
1 tsp. salt
pinch of white pepper or cayenne according to taste
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 Tbsp. flour

1.  Combine all ingredients except the last two in a medium pot and bring to a boil.  Simmer 5 minutes (if corn is frozen hard it will take longer).  In a separate small bowl, blend the butter and flour; stir into the simmering corn, mix well until corn is thickened to your liking.  Remove from heat.

Yield: 8 servings.

Cold Garlic Noodles

The night that we had our 'Guilty Pleasures' Recipe night one of my healthy friends brought this dish.  It is super light tasting and perfect for summer dinners.  I double the sauce and marinate my chicken in half of it before grilling, using the other half for the noodles.  The chicken is optional so this could also be a great vegetarian dish.  Use any sort of noodle you would like, I use whole wheat spaghetti.
Delicious.

8 oz. angel hair pasta -- cooked and drained
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. oil
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. minced cilantro
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. mined garlic
1/2 lbs. chicken or turkey breasts (optional)
1/4 lbs. snow peas, trimmed
1 carrot, julienned

1.  Blend lemon juice, oil, soy sauce, cilantro, sugar, and garlic.  Pour over pasta and toss.  Stir fry or charbroil chicken then slice into thin strips.  Toss the chicken and veggies with the pasta.  Chill.

You can double the sauce if you are serving the next day.

Grape Salad with Coconut Topping

I did not make this recipe up, I found it on another blog, and out of respect for them, here is the link to the original makers of this delicious recipe.

Super yummy.  It feels like you're eating something healthy because it is grapes.  But what your brain doesn't remind you is that while you're eating those healthy grapes, you are also eating a less-than-healthy-but-well-worth-it-because-of-deliciousness cream cheese/sour cream/sugar 'dressing' and topping made with a high portion of brown sugar.
I'm someone who loves food, even if the haters out there deem it 'unhealthy'.  My mouth is a judgment-free zone.

Large bag of grapes (red, green of both), enough to fill a 9X13 pan

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
8 oz. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 heaping c. Grape Nuts cereal
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. coconut flakes

1.  Beat together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla, then fold in sour cream.  Stir grapes in with the creamy mixture then spread out in a 9X13 class pan.  Refrigerate.
2.  RIGHT BEFORE SERVING: Combine topping ingredients well and add over the top of the grapes.

Macaroni and Cheese

You never know what kind of gems you will find on the back of packages.  I found this recipe on the back of bag of dried pasta.  I added my own secret ingredient (I guess it's not super secret if I'm sharing it here).  I love queso cheese, especially the kind in the #10 can that you can buy at Costco.  I find it delicious.  I added it to this mac and cheese and it gave it just a slight hint of spice, and extra creaminess that was exactly what I like in macaroni and cheese.

8 oz. small elbow macaroni
3 Tbsp. margarine or butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. mined onion
3/4 c. queso nacho cheese dip
2 c. (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. bread crumbs

1.  Cook elbows according to package directions; drain.  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 2-quart baking dish; set aside. 
2.  In a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in flour; cook for 3-4 minutes.  Gradually stir in milk.  Cook stirring constantly over medium heat, until sauce thickens.  Stir in salt and pepper.  Add onion and both cheeses; stir until cheddar is melted.
3.  Stir cheese sauce into elbows.  Transfer to prepared baking dish.  Top with bread crumbs. 
4.  Bake 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Onion Rings

These are very easy. They don’t have a crumb coating, which I enjoy. The process of letting the batter get sticky on the onions is the key to a light and crisp breading.

2 or 3 large yellow onions, sliced into ¾” separated rings
1 quart buttermilk
2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. seasoned salt
Shortening for frying
Salt

1. Soak the onions in the buttermilk for about 5 minutes. Mix the flour and seasoned salt. Dip the onions in the flour and set aside on a sheet of waxed paper to allow the batter to get sticky, so the flour is no longer dry looking.
2. Heat the oil to 325°. Fry the onions for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. After removing from oil, drain them on a brown paper bag and immediately salt them as desired. Keep warm in the oven while frying remaining onions.

Crepes

These are time consuming to make, so I suggest making them ahead on a day when you have the extra time, layering them with wax paper between each crepe and freezing until you’re ready to eat them (up to 1 month). The filling options are enormous, and it’s fun to make up your own flavor combinations. My favorite is with fruit salsa, orange fruit dip, and Nutella; it’s completely amazing!

Basic Sweet

½ c. flour
½ c. milk
¼ c. lukewarm water
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 ½ Tbsp. sugar
Pinch of salt


1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Pour the batter into a pitcher or other container with a pouring lip. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 2 days. (This allows the flour to thoroughly absorb the liquid and gives the gluten in the flour a chance to relax).
3. Place a nonstick or seasoned crêpe pan over medium heat. Coat the pan with a little butter.
4. Stir the batter and pour about 2 Tbsp. into the pan, lifting the pan off the heat and tilting and rotating it so that the batter forms an even, very thin layer. Cook until the top is set and the underside is golden. Turn the crêpe over, using a spatula or your fingers (fingers work best here) and cook until the second side is lightly browned. Remove the crêpe to a piece of wax paper. Continue cooking the rest of the crêpes, buttering the pan and stirring the batter before starting each one. Stack the finished crêpes between sheets of wax paper.

Basic Savory

Prepare Basic Sweet Crêpes, above, omitting the sugar and increasing the salt to ½ tsp.

Three Cheese Rigatoni

A bit like macaroni and cheese with vegetables hidden in it, for those of you who have kids who refuse their veggies.

3 c. uncooked rigatoni pasta (9 oz.)
2 medium stalks celery, sliced
1 small carrot, shredded
1 container (8 oz) sour cream with chives dip
1 c. shredded Colby cheese
1 c. shredded brick or Monterey Jack cheese
¼ c. grated parmesan cheese
½ c. milk
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves
¼ c. Italian style bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1. Heat oven to 375°. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Return to saucepan.
2. Stir remaining ingredients except bread crumbs and butter into pasta. In ungreased casserole, spread pasta mixture. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle around edge of casserole.
3. Bake uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Yield: 6 servings

Lemon & Dill New Potatoes

I love, love, love the lemon potatoes at a Greek restaurant in Arizona. While I haven’t been able to duplicate their recipe, this one is close, and satisfyingly good.

1 ½ lbs. red potatoes
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp + 1tsp. snipped fresh dill
2 Tbsp. sour cream
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. snipped fresh chives
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest

1. Cut potatoes so they are all equal size. Place them in a saucepan and cover with water; boil for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. Mix all other ingredients together and stir in to cooked potatoes.

Yield: 4 servings

Crispy Potato Cubes

1/3 c. flour
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried marjoram
1/8 tsp. pepper
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
¼ c. butter, melted
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf

1. Preheat oven to 450°
2. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt, thyme, marjoram and pepper. Add potatoes; seal bag and shake to coat. Pour butter into a 13X9 inch baking dish; stir in the garlic. Add potatoes and bay leaf.
3. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and stir; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until potatoes are lightly browned and tender. Discard bay leaf.

Yield: 4 servings

Cranberry Relish

1 lbs. fresh or frozen cranberries
1 c. sugar
1 10 oz. jar orange marmalade
1 c. walnuts, chopped (optional)

1. Pour cranberries in oven safe dish, pour sugar over top, mix together. Bake at 350° for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
2. Remove and cool slightly. Stir in marmalade and nuts. Refrigerate until cold.

Baked Rice Pilaf with Parmesan

Similar to a boxed rice side dish, but with less sodium and better tasting.

1 c. long grain white rice, uncooked
4 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. broth (any variety you choose)
½ tsp. salt
¼ c. fresh parmesan cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Sauté the garlic and rice in the butter until golden brown.
2. Pour into a casserole dish, add broth and salt. Cover and bake for 25 minutes (or until the liquid is absorbed).
3. Add cheese and stir until cheese is mixed in and rice if fluffy.

Baked Cottage Potatoes with Parmesan

I love these for an easy side dish, especially when the potatoes get a little bit crispy like chips, and the onions are so delicious!

3 Tbsp. margarine or butter
3 medium potatoes (1 pound), thinly sliced
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 small onion thinly sliced and separated into rings
¼ c. grated parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 450°. Arrange potatoes and onion in a thin layer in a greased 15X10X1 inch baking pan. Melt margarine or butter; drizzle over potatoes. Combine spices and cheese; sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake for about 25 minute or until brown.
Yield: 4 servings

Baked Mac 'N Cheese

2 2/3 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
¾ c. onion, finely chopped
¾ c. butter, divided
6 Tbsp. flour
4 ½ c. milk
4 c. (16 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 ½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¾ c. dry bread crumbs

1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, sauté the onion in ½ c. butter. Add flour; whisk until blended. Gradually add the milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the cheddar cheese, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth.
3. Drain macaroni and add to sauce; stir until coated. Transfer to a greased 13X9 inch baking dish. Melt the remaining butter; toss with bread crumbs. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Baked Beans

I’ve said it before, I’m not a fan of the bean, however Adam likes these baked beans so I thought I’d include them for any of you who are not anti-bean.

4 (16 oz.) cans baked beans
1 (10 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 c. molasses
1 c. BBQ sauce
2 Tbsp. yellow or brown mustard
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 (16 oz.) can French fried onions, crushed
Salt and black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the beans, pineapple, molasses, BBQ sauce, mustard, ½ of the bacon, and 1/3 of the onions. Add some salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour beans in a 9X13 casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining onions and bacon on top. Cook for 1 hour or until beans are brown and bubbly. Serve warm.

Greek Browned Butter Pasta

8 oz. spaghetti
5 Tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 ½ - 2 tsp. oregano
The zest and juice of one whole lemon
Fresh ground pepper
Feta Cheese, if desired
Kalamata Olives, seeded, if desired
Pine Nuts, if desired
Sliced and seeded Roma tomatoes, if desired

1. To brown butter, place in a saucepan over medium-low heat, for about 10 minutes, watching carefully to not burn. Stir often. When you see bits of brown floating in the butter and it has a nutty aroma, remove from the heat and immediately add the minced garlic.
2. While butter is browning, cook the pasta according to package directions. Stir together the lemon juice and zest with the parsley, oregano, and ground pepper.
3. Drain the pasta when al dente and stir in the lemon juice mixture, allow to sit in this acidic mixture for a minute or two, then add the browned butter. (It is essential to add the acid before the fat, the fat will prevent the acid from absorbing into the food, making it a less intense flavor if it is not added in this order).
4. Toss with feta, olives, pine nuts and tomatoes.

Cold Corn Salad

So Good! ---- You have to try this, it couldn't be simpler.


3 ears corn, removed from cob
2 ripe avocados, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
The zest and juice from 2 limes
Salt & Pepper

Combine all ingredients and serve immediately.

Becky's Broccoli Salad

2 heads broccoli
2 c. sliced purple grapes
3 green onions
½ c. crumbled bacon
¼ c. sliced almonds
1 c. craisons
1 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar

Cut broccoli to bite size pieces (I don’t usually us the stems, but you can if you want).
Mix together grapes, onions, bacon, almonds and craisons.
Mix mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar together until it becomes a smooth sauce.
Pour the sauce over all the other ingredients and mix well.

Garlicky Baked Butternut Squash

2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 1/2 lbs of butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large bowl, combine the parsley, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add squash and toss to coat.
2. Transfer to an ungreased shallow 2-quart baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until squash is just tender.

I stirred mine halfway through cooking and sprinkled the cheese over the last 10 minutes of baking (since the recipe didn't specify when to include the cheese).

Note: The squash is hard to peel. I had to use a very sharp paring knife, a veggie peeler will not cut it. I've seend recommended to poke the squash a few times with a fork and cook in the microwave 8 minutes then peel and seed; but this makes it messier.
I also haven't tried this with frozen squash. I'm not sure how the consistency would turn out, I'm not sure if you have to cook frozen squash less or not.