Balsamic Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms

1 lb. fresh green beans 
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced in 1/2 inch slices
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450F.

Wash mushrooms. Cut mushrooms into slices 1/2 inch thick. Wash green beans.  Trim green bean ends.

Place both into a zliplock bag or a plastic bowl. Whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pour over, then squeeze bag or stir so all the beans and mushrooms are lightly coated with the mixture.

Arrange on in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Roast 20-30 minutes.

Cook until beans are tender-crisp, mushrooms are cooked, and all liquid on the pan from mushrooms has evaporated.

Season beans to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper, then sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan. Serve.

Baked Beans

Baked Beans
2 cups of dried great northern or navy beans or a combination of them
2 1/2 cups water or chicken stock
1/2  yellow onion - finely chopped
6 strips of thick hickory-smoked bacon - chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup favorite bbq sauce
1/4 cup dark molasses, also known as robust (not blackstrap)
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

INSTRUCTIONS
Place the beans in a large bowl and pick through them, discarding any broken beans or stones. Cover the beans with at least 3 inches of cold water. Allow to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander.

Place the beans, stock, bacon, and onion in a slow cooker.

Whisk the remaining measured ingredients. Pour into the slow cooker and stir until thoroughly combined. Cover and cook on either high or low heat until the beans are tender and the liquid thickens slightly (it will thicken more as it cools), about 6 to 8 hours on low. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Tomato Bacon Salad

We had a BBQ to go to and of course about about a week before the party I started to worry about what to bring.  It said to bring  a "side" on the invitation.  Well, I normally bring desserts to any function I go to because I love to bake and people know I bake and enjoy my baked goods.  So seeing side meant to me bringing something to go with the main entree which was grilled venison. Add in we were going to be out of town up til the morning of the party so I needed something I could just easily pick up the ingredients that morning on our way back in town or have on hand at home.  It needed to be something that didn't require a lot of prep work or cook time as I just wouldn't have the time. 

I was flipping through an old Food & Wine magazine and came across a recipe that I adapted because it wasn't exactly what sounded good to me - as I don't like blue cheese and I didn't like the sound of dijon vinaigrette at that moment - but I am sure it would be good with it too.  This is what I ended up making...

Tomato Bacon Salad
3 lbs tomatoes at least 3 different kinds chopped- I did 4 kinds
1/2 lb cooked bacon - crumbled
1 small container feta cheese
balsamic vinaigrette (homemade or bottled) - to taste - start with 1/2 cup and keep moving up - I think I used about 1 cup.

Toss all ingredients to mix. Refrigerate until serving. The flavors will soak in and marinate the tomatoes.  

Refrigerate any leftovers - if there are any.  We came home with less than 1/2 cup.

Easy Spanish Rice

This is something I do when I am very short of time and need a side dish for tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, burritos or some other Mexican meal.

(pictures are really bad because of course I decided to take pictures at the last moment when I was short on time)



Ingredients - salsa, cheese and cooked instant rice

And it just depends on how many you need to serve on how much. We have 2 people so I just cook 1 cup of instant rice in the microwave. Follow directions on box.



























Mix in salsa just to coat it well. Usually 1/2 cup to 3/4 of cup for 1 cup of rice.



























Add some cheese on top. The rice is usually still warm so will melt the cheese but if not just microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. And serve.


Variation:
* Many times I also add a heaping tablespoon of taco seasoning to rice before I cook it to give it just a little more flavor.

What to bring to Potlucks or Parties

A question asked on FetLife Domestic Servitude group what do you make to take to potlucks or parties?


Corn Souffle
1 (16 oz.) can whole corn, undrained
1 (16 oz.) can creamed corn
1 stick melted butter, cooled
1 c. sour cream
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
2 slightly beaten eggs

Mix until blended. Bake at 350 degrees in a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown.

Potluck Potatoes
1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed - I don't use the shredded but you can
1/2 cup melted butter
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups crushed cornflakes cereal
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, combine hash browns, 1/2 cup melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chopped onion, Cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Place mixture in a 3 quart casserole dish.

In a medium bowl mix crushed cornflakes and melted butter, and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the casserole.

Bake covered in preheated oven for 40 minutes.


Bacon Water Chestnuts
1 pkg. bacon cut in half
1 can (8 oz.) whole water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup miracle whip/salad dressing
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chili sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap bacon around water chestnuts; secure with toothpicks. Place in shallow baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over water chestnuts. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Pizza Margherita
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. plum Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1 12" uncooked dough crust
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 fresh basil leaves cut into julienne strips
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

Combine 2 Tbls. olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, and salt in bowl. Allow to marinate while making dough. Brush dough crust lightly with olive oil. Top with cheese, then tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake in preheated 500F oven on pizza stone for 8−10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and top with Parmesan cheese, then basil. Cool on a wire rack for 2−3 minutes before cutting into squares before serving.

Taco Dip
2 - 8 oz. packages of Cream Cheese
2 cups Salsa
2 cups Cheddar Cheese
Optional: Browned hamburger with taco seasoning.

Spread cream cheese on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread salsa on top of cream cheese and then top with cheddar cheese. Bake in the over until cheese is melted and bubbly. I have also added the taco seasoned hamburger. Spread cream cheese on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Then add brown taco seasoned hamburger. Salsa and then cheese. It has been a hit both ways. Serve with tortilla chips.

Crab Rangoon
Okay this is a guess on some of the measurements as I just usually mix and taste until I get it to the flavor I want. Makes about 90-95 crab ragoons

Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese
16 ounces fresh crab meat, canned crab meat, drained and flaked or artificial crab meat
1 -2 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/4 cup green onions, finely sliced
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
sugar, to taste

1 package wonton wrappers
1 small bowl filled with water for wetting wontons
Oil for deep-frying

Directions:
Combine and mix crab, cream cheese, soy sauce, green onions, garlic and sugar. Place teaspoonful of mixture in middle of a wonton wrapper. Moisten edges and draw up opposite corners to meet and form a package. Make sure all edges are sealed. Cover the completed Crab Rangoon with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out while preparing the rest.

Heat wok or pan and add oil for deep-frying. When oil is ready (the temperature should be between 360 - 375 degrees), carefully slide in the Crab Rangoon, taking care not to overcrowd. Deep-fry until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes, turning once. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Cool and serve.

(To make ahead: The filling can be prepared up to a day ahead of time and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, or the wontons can be filled and refrigerated up to one day ahead of time before cooking. The wontons can also be prepared up to the deep-frying stage and frozen for up to 3 months. Cook the frozen wonton according to the instructions above, adding a few minutes to the cooking time).

Spicy Pecans
3 cups pecan halves
3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 300°. In a mixing bowl, combine melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, chili powder, curry powder and salt. Add the pecans to the mixture and stir until thoroughly coated. Spread pecans onto a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp and lightly toasted. Serve warm. (The Spicy Pecans may be reheated in the oven or microwave.) Makes 3 cups.

Sour Cream Cookies
Cookie:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup sour cream

Glaze:
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp cream or half and half

Preheat Oven to 350. Mix flour, baking soda and powder in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and extracts. Stir in sour cream. And then slowly add flour mixture until all added in. Drop cookies on a cookie sheet and bake 8 to 12 minutes. Cool.

Over medium heat combine all frosting ingredients. Stir until melted and smooth. Spoon over cookies.

Molasses Cookies
That turned out more like Gingersnaps because of the altitude.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling cookies
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulphered molasses

Preheat oven to 375°F.

With a spoon, mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice together in a bowl and set aside.

With a mixer (or by hand), cream butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed. Add egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl.

Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

Place remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Working with 2 Tbsp of dough each time, roll dough into 1 3/4 inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.

Bake until outer edges begin to set and centers are soft and puffy, about 11 to 13 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks with a wide spatula.

Note: do not overcook. The centers of the cookies should be somewhat soft and spongy when you take them out of the oven, otherwise they will end up hard and dry. Because of the altitude mine did not turn out hard and dry but very soft and chewy but not spongy like a cake cookie. Everyone who has had them has enjoyed them so far so that is good. But they all say we love these Gingersnaps you made.

Optional Glaze:
When cookies have cooled, lay out over a sheet of wax paper. Sift 1 1/4 cups of confectioner's sugar and then whisk with 2 Tbsp of milk until smooth. Dip spoon into glaze and dribble over cookies.

White Beans with Pancetta and Sage

White Beans with Pancetta and Sage
1/2 pound large dried white beans -- corona beans (have used lima beans too...whatever larger white bean I can find)
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup all-purpose flour - for dredging
salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 pound thinly sliced pancetta (when I have not been able to find it as I live in a smaller town I by just regular bacon or some prosciutto)
4 sage leaves - chopped

Prepare beans - put the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak the beans overnight in the refrigerator.

Drain the soaked beans, place them in a large pot and cover with fresh cold water. Put the beans over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Toss in the bay leaves and garlic (I also added some of the sage this time and it really added a good flavor to the beans and extra pop of flavor). Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 1 1/2 hours until tender. Drain the cooked beans and spread them out on a sheet pan to cool slightly and dry off a little.

Put about 1/2 cup of flour in a shallow platter and season it with salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Toss the beans in the seasoned flour to coat completely.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is hot, add the pancetta, fry for a couple of minutes to crisp it up. Toss in the sage leaves and fry for about 1 minute. Remove the pancetta and sage to some paper towels; now you have a flavor base. Shake off excess flour from the beans and put them in the pan in a single layer. Fry the beans for a good 10 minutes to form a golden crust on the outside of the beans, tossing to cook both sides.

Return the pancetta and fried sage to the pan, stir everything together, and serve.