Vegetables and Sides

All posts in the Vegetables and Sides category

Grandma’s Coleslaw

Published April 23, 2013 by jenmatteson

When I was young, I didn’t like coleslaw.  Of course you think you don’t like a lot of things until you actually try them.  Well, when I finally did try it, it was my grandma’s coleslaw.  After that, I really didn’t like any coleslaw other than my grandma’s.  I suppose I’ll still eat it, but I definitely think that her coleslaw was the absolute best.  Unfortunately, she literally took her recipe to the grave with her.  No one in my family had it written down.  I remember making it with her several times, and her ordering me to do this and add that, but the last time we made it was probably over 10 years ago.  This is now the second time I’ve attempted it, and I think it definitely compares to hers (of course, hers is still the best ;) ).

Grandma's Coleslaw

While it looks like a pretty regular coleslaw, actually kind of plain with just cabbage and mayonnaise, it’s so much more.  The secret is the grated onions in the sauce.  Do not skip this step.  Chopped onions simply will not do.  Also, Miracle Whip is necessary, not mayonnaise.  The result is a creamy, slightly sweet, crunchy fresh coleslaw, perfect as a side or even a topper on some good barbecue.  We paired this with Nate’s smoked ribs, as well as topped pulled pork sandwiches with it at our St. Patrick’s Day party. However you eat it, just remember to thank Grandma M while you’re enjoying. XOXO Grams!

Grandma's Coleslaw

Grandma’s Coleslaw

Source: Slightly adapted from Grandma M’s Original
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip
1/4 cup milk
3-4 tbsp sugar
1/2 onion, grated
salt and pepper
1/2 head cabbage,  sliced thin

Directions:

1. In in small bowl, combine Miracle Whip, milk and sugar.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Remember, this is grandma’s recipe, so you may need to adjust the amount of milk and sugar to get the right combination.  The dressing should be thick, but still pourable; consistency similar to yogurt.  Add grated onion.

2. Add 1/2 of the cabbage to a large bowl, and pour in a small amount of dressing.  Stir to combine and evenly coat the cabbage.  Add more cabbage and dressing a little at a time.  Be sure not to drench the cabbage, just lightly dress it.  Reserve any remaining dressing in an airtight container for up to one week.

Cornmeal Fried Onion Rings with Chipotle Mayo Dipping Sauce

Published April 16, 2013 by jenmatteson

I love a good onion ring.  And I’m quite finicky about how I like them.  I don’t want them too crispy, but certainly not soggy or limp.  The outside needs to be salty with a good crunch, but the onion inside should be cooked all the way through, but still have a slight bite to it.  Furthermore, the breading must have some flavor, not just any old gooey batter or breading.  And last, I need a good dip with my onion rings.  I do not accept ketchup or marinara.  I like a spicy mayo to dip these golden rings into.

Onion Rings

That being said, I have had a hard time choosing an onion ring recipe to fulfill my 30 Before 30 item.  Last week, there was a new member on my What’s Cooking board, Courtney, so I headed over to her blog, Cook Like a Champion, to see what kind of cool stuff she had.  So many things looked amazing, but her Cornmeal Fried Onion Rings caught my eye right away.  The cayenne and thyme in the breading paired with the cornmeal sounded like a great fit for my onion ring ramifications!

Onion Rings

Turns out, they were awesome!  Not too heavy, the breading stuck to the onions, and just one large yellow onion was more than enough rings for 4 people.  Sadly, I had to keep them in the oven longer than 30 minutes (while we were waiting for Nate’s ribs to be done – post soon to come), so when I finally served them, they were cracker crumbly.  When I test made them earlier in the day, Nate basically tried to eat the entire plate in one handful after his first bit.  Even when I did get to serving them before dinner, they were gone like hot cakes.  I’ll have to make it up to my future parent’s-in-law for round two of onion rings.  Can that ever be a bad thing?  I served them with my chipotle mayo, which was the perfect dip for these rings.  A wonderful first taste of Cook Like a Champion.  Thanks Courtney!

Onion Rings

Cornmeal Fried Onion Rings with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Source: Adapted from Cook Like a Champion
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 large yellow or spanish onion
2 cups buttermilk
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1-2 tsp hot sauce
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
4-6 cups vegetable oil or peanut oil

Directions:

1. Slice of the top and root end of the onion and carefully peel off the brown skin.  Slice into 1/2 – 3/4 inch slices, and separate into rings.

2. In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and hot sauce.  Add onions to buttermilk and toss well to coat all onions.  Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, up to several hours.

3. In a shallow dish, combine flour, cornmeal, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, cayenne and thyme.  Whisk together so all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

4. Heat oil in large dutch oven or large pot to 350 degrees.  Meanwhile, prepare baking sheet with foil.  One at a time, remove onions from the buttermilk, and dredge in flour/cornmeal mixture.  Completely coat outside and inside of ring and tap off any excess.  Place ring on prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining onions.

5. Prepare another baking sheet with paper towels and place next to oil.  Once oil is heated to 350, drop in a few onion rings at a time, making sure not to crowd the pot.  Fry until rings are golden brown, flipping over every so often.  They should take about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from oil and place on paper towel lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt immediately.  If you are not serving these right away, place in oven at 200 degrees.  They should remain crisp for about 30 minutes.  I don’t suggest any longer because mine were cracker crisp and crumbly…just a little too crispy.  Serve with chipotle mayonnaise, or other desired dipping sauce.

Spicy Maple Baked Beans

Published March 12, 2013 by jenmatteson

While baked beans are not on my 30 Before 30 list, they’ve always been something I’ve wanted to try my hand at.  I came across this recipe in Food and Wine last month, and decided to jump on it!  I usually shy away from recipes with an extensive list of ingredients, but I realized that most of the ingredients were things I already had in my kitchen, many being seasonings, so it wasn’t that big of a deal.  Don’t let the list overwhelm you.

Spicy Maple Baked Beans

Instead of using canned beans (which are super convenient, but high in sodium – don’t worry, I use them all the time!), I decided to used dried since I had the time to let them soak.  However, as I glanced over the recipe, I thought it called for just one 15 oz can of beans.  I converted that to dried beans, which was just less than 1/4 cup.  After the beans had soaked and were cooking, I started putting together the sauce.  As I added more and more to the saucepan, I started thinking, this sure is a lot of sauce for one measly can of beans.  After revisiting the recipe (always a good idea), I realized the recipe called for 4-15 oz cans of beans.  WHOOOPS!  Might have had something to do with the cocktail I was drinking…or the 6 other things I was making simultaniously…or both.  In the end, I used the whole bag of dried of beans, but the entire recipe took me some extra time.

These beans were sooooo good!  Spicy and sweet, with a little smokey from the bacon and hot dogs.  I think I could have eaten an entire bowl of these for dinner, but I didn’t  For my taste, they were slightly too sweet, so next time I would probably cut the sugar a bit, but as I just mentioned, I absolutely loved them anyway!  This will be a great side for BBQ season!

**UPDATE: 3/19/2013 – My friends absolutely loved these beans.  Nate said they were the best beans he’s ever had. This has for sure made the summer BBQ list.  SOOOOO GOOD!

Spicy Maple Baked Beans

Spicy Maple Baked Beans

Source: Adapted from Food and Wine
Servings: 10-12

Ingredients:

1 cup ketchup
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup porter or other dark ale (I used Guinness)
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup powdered mustard
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp granulated onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Kosher salt
4 slices of bacon, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 lb dried navy beans (*substitute 4-15 oz cans of navy beans, rinsed)
10 all-beef hot dogs, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

Directions:

1. Pre-soak and cook beans according to package directions.

2. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except salt, bacon, onion, beans and hot dogs.  Bring sauce to a boil.  Whisk to dissolve sugar completely.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced by one-third, about 20 minutes.  Season with salt.  You  might not need too much if you are using canned beans.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring until the fat has rendered and bacon just begins to crisp, about 6-8 minutes.  Add onion and cook until softened, 8 minutes.  Stir in beans, hot dogs and sauce.  Cover partially and bake for 1 hour, until beans are glazed.  Season with salt to taste and serve.

Fried Green Beans with Wasabi Ranch Dipping Sauce

Published February 28, 2013 by jenmatteson

While I was sorting through all of our pictures and trying organize them a bit, I came across the pictures of these fried green beans. I realized I never posted them.  So here goes…I don’t frequent many large chain restaurants, but I really do love Friday’s fried green beans.  My parent’s and I went to lunch after visiting my niece after she got her cast on, and ordered this appetizer.  It reminded me how much I like them, and how simple they (probably) are to make.  After a little research, I found a copy-cat recipe (love those) and recreated them at home for our Super Bowl Party (which only consisted of Nate and myself, plus three kitties) :p

My adorable niece, Grace, with her cast

I pan-fried these, instead of deep-frying, mostly just to conserve a little oil (and possibly a few calories).  They turned out super great; just like Friday’s!  I felt like I couldn’t get the dipping sauce perfect, but it was still tasty with the green beans.  It just wasn’t as good as Friday’s sauce.  Oh well.  It makes a ton, so I would probably cut this in half for next time, or plan to make a lot more green beans!

Fried Green Beans with Wasabi Ranch Dipping Sauce

Fried Green Beans with Wasabi Ranch Dipping Sauce

Source: Adapted from GoodVeg
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

For the dip:
1/2 cup bottled ranch dressing
1/4 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and minced
1 tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp wasabi powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper

For the green beans:
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
4 cups chicken broth (I just used water)
6-8 oz fresh green beans
1 cup flour
1 cup plain breadcrumbs (I used a combination of panko and regular breadcrumbs)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. Place all dip ingredients in a food processor.  Blend until smooth, and adjust seasonings to taste.  Place in bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.  Dip will thicken as it chills.

2. Place beans in broth (or water), and boil until just tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Place in cold water to stop cooking.  Drain and pat beans dry.

3. Add flour to shallow dish.  Combine eggs and milk in another shallow dish.  In a third shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.  Coat beans with flour, shaking off excess, then dip one at a time into the egg mixture.  From egg mixture, tap off excess on the edge of the dish, and dip in breadcrumbs.  Roll around to evenly coat each green bean.  Transfer to platter.

4. Heat oil to 350 in a heavy skillet (or deep fryer).  Fry green beans in batches until golden brown, abou 1 1/2 minutes each. Transfer to paper towel to cool.  Serve with wasabi ranch dipping sauce.

Horseradish Scalloped Potatoes

Published February 17, 2013 by jenmatteson

My dad, the cook of our house, always made the scalloped potatoes.  But we only had them when there was leftover ham, which generally wasn’t all that often, and we ate it as an entire meal.  And I’m not even a huge fan of ham.  I certainly don’t mind it; I’ve never cooked a ham or am ever really craving it.  When my dad made it with the chunks of leftover ham, I always tried to get the scoop with the most potatoes and least ham.  I’ve never been shy about loving carbs!

Horesradish Scalloped Potatoes

Now that it’s my turn to make it, it’s on my 30 Before 30 list, I wondered if I had to make a ham first.  Of course not!  So I didn’t.  I decided to just make them as a side, and forgo the meat.  My dad can make some really good scalloped potatoes, but I wanted to take them to the next level, so I decided on horseradish scalloped potatoes, a recipe I found on Food and Wine.  I wasn’t a huge fan of using heavy cream for this recipe, so I went with milk, and thickened it a bit with some flour.  I included the tart apple (Granny Smith) as the recipe called for, but I really didn’t taste it all that much. I think next time I’d use an entire apple instead of just half.  I’d also add some onion, just for fun!

The end result was a success!  I served these along side of my individual beef wellingtons; it was a match made in heaven.  In the future, if I wanted to serve them as a meal, a la my childhood, I’d add some rare roast beef.  It’d be so amazing with the horseradish.  Surprisingly, the horseradish really mellows out.  I was hesitant to use all 6 tbsp the recipe called for, but I did.  while cooking the sauce, it was pungent, but once it was covering the potatoes and baked, it was dialed back quite a bit.  Still get a great horsey flavor though!

Horseradish Scalloped Potatoes

Horseradish Scalloped Potatoes

Source: Adapted from Food and Wine
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp flour
3 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
6 tbsp grated peeled fresh horseradish root
2 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over low heat.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about one minute.  sprinkle flour in, one tbsp at a time, continuously whisking to form a roux.  The roux should be a smooth thick paste.  Once flour is incorporated, slowly add milk, one cup at a time, continuing to whisk until rue is combined and no chunks remain.  Bring mixture to slow bowl, and reduce heat to simmer until it thickens, about 6-8 minutes.  Carefull not to walk away – the milk can boil over quickly, and that’s messy!

2. While the sauce is simmer, prepare a 8×8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Layer the potatoes and apple.  Once sauce has thickened to desired consistency, pour over potatoes.  Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until potatoes are almost fork tender (I put my baking dish on a baking sheet in case the potatoes boiled over – they didn’t, but just in case).  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and return to oven until the potatoes are done and top has browned nicely.  Remove, cover and let cool for 10-30 minutes before serving.

Avocado Egg Rolls with Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce

Published December 20, 2012 by jenmatteson

There is a fabulous grill and sushi restaurant near my work, and they have these amazing avocado egg rolls.  I hate getting them because you get two huge ones, and I can only imagine how many calories are in just one.  But hey, there is nothing wrong with splurging every now and again.  I decided I would attempt to try these at home to see if I could get anywhere close to the original.

Avocado Egg Rolls with Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce

Avocado Egg Rolls with Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce

I was fairly close, and definitely wouldn’t mind having these a few more times ;)   I’m looking forward to serving these as an appetizer for a dinner party!  The cilantro-lime dipping sauce has a little to be desired, but it was still really good with the egg rolls.  I think it might still be missing something though.  I guess I’ll have to keep practicing!

Avocado Egg Rolls with Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce

Avocado Egg Rolls with Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce

Source: Inspired by Kona Grill
Servings: 4 egg rolls

Ingredients:

For the egg rolls:
4 egg roll wrappers
2 avocados, halved and thinly sliced
salt

For the dipping sauce:
1/4 cup cilantro
juice of one lime
2 tsp honey
2 cloves garlic
3-4 tbsp olive oil
salt

Directions:

1. In a frying pan, heat 1/4 inch olive oil over high heat (vegetable oil works fine, but I didn’t have any).  Place one wonton wrapper diagonally, so a corner is pointing toward you.  Place sliced avocados in center of wrapper, in a horizontal row.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.  Fold up corner closest to you toward the center.  Fold in sides to meet the avocados, and then continue to roll away from you.

2. Fry egg roll over high heat, turning to brown on all sides.  About 1 minute on all sides.  Remove from oil and place on paper towel to cool.

3. In the bowl of a food processor, add cilantro, lime juice, honey and garlic.  Process until well combined.  Stream in olive oil until it meets desired consistency.  Salt to taste.

4. Slice egg rolls diagonally and serve with cilantro-lime dipping sauce.

Fennel Whipped Potatoes

Published November 21, 2012 by jenmatteson

A little less than a month ago, we had a gala for the local chamber that I am a part of.  This year, I was the co-chair of the gala planning committee.  One of the great perks of this role is do a menu tasting and pick out what we want to serve at the event.  The best thing I tasted that day was fennel whipped potatoes, which oddly enough, ended up on the gala menu ;)   I was looking forward to the day of the gala for weeks, just thinking about getting to eat those potatoes again.  Sadly, they weren’t as good as the first time :(

But, the good news is that I have the capability to make them myself.  So I did, for our friend’s Thanksgiving over the weekend.  I changed up the recipe a bit, as I couldn’t bear to not have butter in my potatoes on Thanksgiving (maybe when it’s just Nate and I, I’ll try the olive oil).  Also, I ended up making more than 4 lbs of potatoes (someone told me it didn’t look like enough – and now we’ll be eating potatoes until they’re coming out our eyeballs!), probably more like 8 lbs.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have any more fennel bulbs than what the recipe called for, so while I could taste the fennel, there wasn’t quite enough for my potato addition.  These were still fun to try for a new spin on Thanksgiving, plus I got to use my new (very old, new to me) potato ricer (thanks, Mom!)  Boy, were my arms hurting after ricing 8 lbs of potatoes :(  These potatoes were so fluffly and light, I can’t wait to make them again!

Fennel Whipped Potatoes

Source: Adapted from Food and Wine
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

2 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
salt
3 medium fennel bulbs, halved lengthwise, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 cup half and half
8 tbsp unsalted butter
freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cover potatoes with water, add salt, and bring to a boil.  Cook potatoes over moderately high heat until fork-tender, about 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, set a steamer basket in a large saucepan with 1/2-inch boiling water.  Add fennel, cover and steam over moderate heat until tender, about 12 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Transfer fennel to food processor or blender.  Add half and half and puree.

3. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.  Shake potatoes over high heat until thoroughly dry.  Working over a large bowl, mash the potatoes through a ricer.  Using a hand mixer, whip potatoes and add in butter and fennel puree.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Think you don’t like Brussels sprouts? Think again.

Published November 21, 2012 by jenmatteson

Ever wonder how Brussels sprouts get their name?  I did.  So I looked it up.  And yes, it’s probably what you are thinking.  The modern Brussels sprouts that we are familiar with today was first cultivated in large quantities in Belgium.  Did I just blow your mind?

No?  Okay, well try these and I just might.  Unfortunately, Brussels sprouts have an underserving reputation as “gross”.  Many children and men (okay, probably some picky women too) avoid Brussels sprouts at all costs.  Nate included.  The problem stems from them not being prepared properly, and if something is gross the first time you try it, why would you try it again?

Well, I’m telling you now, try them again.  Use this recipe.  I made these for our friends Thanksgiving and even Nate tried some, though he didn’t really say anything about them.  But the fact that he ate more than one says enough.  I did feel they were a little undercooked, but I think that’s much better than overcooked and soggy.  Whether or not Nate eats these again, I’ll certainly be making them again.

Spicy and Galicky Brussels Sprouts

Source: Adapted from Food and Wine
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tsp crushed red pepper
salt

Directions:

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add Brussels sprouts and cook until bright green, about 2 minutes.  Drain well and pat dry.

2. In a large deep skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil until shimmering.  Add garlic and Brussels sprouts and cook over high heat, undisturbed, for 1 minute.  Add crushed red pepper and salt and continue to cook over moderate heat until sprouts are browned and tender, about 3 minutes.  Serve warm.

Fennel, Red Onion and Focaccia Stuffing

Published November 21, 2012 by jenmatteson

I’m a very traditional stuffing kind of girl.  Nate likes sausage in his stuffing.  We made two last year so we could both be happy.  This year, we’re not hosting our family for Thanksgiving, but we did celebrate the Saturday prior with our very good friends from Wisconsin.

I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity for us to branch out and try a new stuffing (or dressing as my grammie called it).  Since our friends are not picky eaters whatsoever, I was excited to try something new.  Maybe it would become our new favorite kind of stuffing…

The stuffing was good, but there were a few things I would change for the next time I make it.  I used sea salt focaccia, which I think worked well, but onion would have given it a little more flavor (I couldn’t find any and didn’t have time to make my own).  Also, the 1-inch dice was a little large for me, I would have cubed the bread in 1/2-inch pieces.  Finally, the fennel and onion pieces were too large as well, so I would have diced instead of sliced them.  So the only thing that really affected the flavor of the stuffing was not using the onion focaccia.  Oh, and over toasting it.  I followed the Food and Wine instructions to toast it for 30 minutes, at 375 degrees, stirring once halfway through, but it was far too much time.  My bread did get a slightly over toasted (which wasn’t an issue for consistency, but for flavor), and that flavor translated into the stuffing.  I altered the recipe below so the same mistake doesn’t happen to you.

I’ll be making this again in the future, and with the improvements, and I’ll post a picture then.  With all the commotion, I didn’t get a chance to get a halfway decent picture – but enjoy of picture of us enjoying it ;)  And in case you’re wondering, yes, we did enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner in our pjs!

Fennel, Red Onion, and Focaccia Stuffing

Source: Adapted from Food and Wine
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

2 lbs plain or onion focaccia, cut into 1-inch dice (about 16 cups)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
3 medium fennel bulbs, halved lengthwise, cored and sliced lengthwise 1/4-inch thick
2 red onions, halved and sliced lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp chopped thyme
1 tsp fennel seeds
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spread focaccia on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Toast until dry and golden around the edges, about 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

2. In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsps of butter in the olive oil.  Add the fennel and onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 15 minutes.  Add the garlic, thyme and fennel seeds and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the focaccia.  Add stock and toss until bread is evenly moistened.  Season with salt and pepper.

3. * See note.  Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.  Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with 1 tbsp of butter.  Transfer stuffing mixture into the baking dish and top with remaining butter.  Cover with foil, and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes longer, until the top is golden and crisp.

* If you are stuffing your turkey, now would be the time to stuff it and bake stuffing with turkey.  Don’t forget to adjust your turkey cooking time if it’s stuffed (it’ll take longer).

Gingered Green Beans

Published November 21, 2012 by jenmatteson

Green beans alone with a little olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper are great, but this is a wonderful way to dress them up a little.  You can certainly adjust the spice if you don’t like the heat.

These were on the menu for our friend’s Thanksgiving this past Saturday, and I put Kim in charge of them.  She did a wonderful job!  We ran out of crushed red pepper, so we added some red pepper flakes in addition.  The beans were cooked perfectly, with a little bite, but the ginger really set these green beans apart.   I don’t know if I’ll make them again without the ginger!

Gingered Green Beans

Source: Adapted from Food and Wine
Servings: 5

Ingredients:

1 lb green beans, washed and trimmed
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Kosher salt

Directions:

1. Fill a large bowl with ice water.  In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook beans until crisp tender, about 4 minutes.  Drain beans and add to ice water to cool.  Drain and pat dry.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil.  Add garlic and cook over moderate high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the ground ginger and crushed red pepper, then add the beans.  Season with salt and cook until garlic becomes brown the beans are tender, about 2-3 minutes.  Serve warm.

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