Apricot Glazed Green Beans

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First off, in case you didn’t notice, the site is looking quite a bit different this morning. I’d like to send a big shoutout and thank you to my friend Jen for doing the redesign. She is so talented, and I really can’t thank her enough.

So, these green beans. They’re amazing! I’m not usually a fan of green beans, unless in a soup or the like. But, sauteed in some of this sweet (yet, sour sauce) with a little bacon thrown in for good measure – and I could have ate the whole bowl.

It’s perfect for Thanksgiving. Green beans are a traditional side on most turkey day tables, but it’s usually in the form of green bean casserole. This is much lighter and fresh, leaving more room for turkey & gravy! But, I also see myself enjoying this take on beans in the summer too – when green beans are pouring out of my garden. Definitely a keeper!

Apricot Glazed Green Beans

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
6 clives of bacon, cut into pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup apricot preserves
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
kosher salt

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 Tbsp salt, then add the green beans, and cook until just tender 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the jam, vinegar, and 1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper. Add the green beans and toss to coat. Fold in the bacon. Serve warm.

Source: adapted from Woman’s Day, November 2012

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

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I first had this salad at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse several years ago, and was completely blown away. I’d never had a salad that was served with a warm dressing, much less one that had a bunch of bacon drippings added to the mix. It’s just enough to barely wilt the spinach, red onions, and thinly sliced mushrooms.

It couldn’t be any easier to make at home either, and makes for a wonderful lunch or dressier side salad for dinner. I served it with alongside the French onion soup I made last week, and it was great. This is Alton Brown’s recipe (because you can never go wrong with AB), and it uses red wine vinegar. But, I’ve also used balsamic as well – and just cut out the sugar from the recipe. Hands down, my favorite salad. Make it!

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinagirette

8 ounces baby spinach, washed and drained
2 large eggs
8 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large white mushrooms, sliced
3 ounces red onion (1 small), very thinly sliced

Place the eggs into a small saucepan, cover with water, and place over medium-high heat with the lid on. Bring to boil. Once boiling, turn off heat and let sit covered for 12 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel the eggs. Slice egg and set aside.

While the eggs are cooking, fry the bacon and remove to a paper towel to drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

Transfer the fat to a small saucepan set over low heat and whisk in the red wine vinegar, sugar and Dijon mustard. Season with a small pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper.

Add the mushrooms and the sliced onion to the spinach and toss. Add the dressing and bacon and toss to combine. Divide the spinach between 4 plates or bowls and evenly divide the egg among them. Season with pepper, as desired. Serve immediately.

Source: Food Network

Pepper Steak

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We have stir-fry. Alot. It’s such a quick and easy healthy weeknight meal, it’s rare we make it through one week without having one in one form, or another. That’s the wonderful thing about them, they’re so versatile. Chicken, beef, shrimp (whatever protein floats your boat) – any veggies you have hanging out in the fridge, and dinner is done in under 30 minutes.

One we hadn’t tried at home yet, but is a favorite of mine when we order take-out,  is Pepper Steak.  There’s something about those tender strips of beef, sweet sauteed peppers, in that rich brown sauce that I just love. Came across Martin Yan’s recipe for the dish (if Yan can cook – so can you!), and set to make it. I was super-stoked actually, because who doesn’t love Yan Can Cook? I vividly remember watching him on TV with his flaming wok when I was just a little girl, and always loved him.

The recipe was a winner, better than any version I’d had in a restaurant. And, as I mentioned before – took no time at all. Marinading the beef takes longer than it does to cook the dish. And, don’t be afraid of the heat. Bell peppers aren’t spicy at all, and the chile on top is optional. Although, I must admit – those zesty little bites of heat were just perfect sprinkled on top. Another one to add to the stir-fry rotation!

Pepper Steak

Marinade:
2 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 pound flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain

Sauce:
1/3 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Stir-Fry:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1″ squares
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1″ squares
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch + 2 tsp cold water
1/2 fresh Serrano chili, thinly sliced

Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for sauce in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Set aside.

Place a wok over high heat until very hot. Add 1-1/2 tablespoons oil, swirling to coat sides. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add beef and stir-fry until no longer pink, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove meat from pan.

Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to wok, Add bell peppers and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until started to char around edges. Add water and stir-fry until peppers are tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Return meat to wok and add sauce; bring to a boil. Add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens.

Serve on a bed of rice, and sprinkle on chile peppers as garnish.

Source: adapted from Martin Yan’s Feast via The Global Gourmet

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

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Now that the cooler weather has settled in, I’m going to try to make a conscious effort to use my slow cooker more often. It’s so wonderful to put something in, switch it to “on” – and then hours later, a meal is hot and ready for you after a long day. My problem seems to be that I get in a rut with the recipes I make with it.

When Josie posted this a couple of weeks ago, I immediately put it on our menu plan for the following week. Couldn’t have been easier, and the results were phenomenal. A little bit of peeling and chopping, cooking the bacon, then sauteing the onion in some of the bacon drippings. That really helps to deepen and layer the flavors – something that’s not typically found in Crockpot recipes. Leave it to our friends at America’s Test Kitchen to share such a great recipe. I’ll definitely be adding their slow-cooker cookbook to my wishlist for Santa this year! Can’t wait to give some of the other recipes a try.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

8 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 lbs Russet potatoes (about 6  medium), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper
sliced scallions, sliced

Cook the bacon in a large over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and refrigerate until serving.  Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat.

Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and thyme, and season with salt and pepper, cook for an additional minute or so.  Add the flour, and allow to cook for a minute or so, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Cook until the mixture is starting to thicken, then transfer to the slow cooker.

Stir in the remaining 3 cups of  broth, potatoes, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper into the slow cooker.  Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, 6-8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).

Transfer 3 cups of cooked potatoes to a medium bowl with the cream and mash until smooth using a potato masher.  Return the potatoes to the slow cooker, along with the shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.  Stir to combine and let the soup sit until heated through, about 10 minutes.

When ready to serve, microwave the bacon on the plate until hot and crispy, about 30 seconds.  Season the soup with salt and pepper.  Ladle into bowls and top with bacon, shredded cheese, and scallions.

Source: adapted from Slow Cooker Revolution via Pink Parsley