Keep It Simple: Sweet and Spicy Green Beans

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Andrea

Greenbeans, oh how I love them! I always buy huge batches of them at the farmer’s market when they come in season. Recently I discovered frozen haricots vert at my local Whole Foods and have fallen in love.

I let them sit in a little bit of water to thaw out, drain, and then they are ready for whatever you want to do with them.

I experimented and did a little sweet and spicy action which has now turned into my favorite way to have greenbeans.

We have these often as a sidedish and I make sure to make a huge batch!

This isn’t an exact recipe because I adjust the amounts based on how I feel that day (more spicy? more sweet?) and how much greenbeans I’m using. Below are approximate guesses, feel free to adjust to suit your tastes.

Andrea’s Sweet and Spicy Greenbeans

1/2lb of Frozen Haricots Vert (thawed)

1TBSP Chili and Garlic Sauce (found in the Asian aisle at the grocery store)

Bison Red Sauce

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Andrea

One of my most fondest and vivdest memories I have of my grandmother is her making a meat sauce to go over pasta.

A little straight up Polish lady who made pasta and red sauce often. Her pasta of choice was rigatonis or “sewer pipes” as she called them.

Not the most attractive nickname, I know, but they are big pasta tubes so it makes sense.

The house always smelled so amazing with the sauce simmering away and it made the atmosphere warm and inviting.

Whenever I smell a similiar red pasta sauce, it brings me right back to my Grandma’s house and her telling us that sewer pipes were for dinner.

I was feeling very nostalgic one evening and decided to create my own.

Andrea’s Bison Red Sauce

1lb Ground Bison (Can use beef if you cannot get bison)

3/4 Large Onion, chunked

1 Green Pepper, chunked

1 Red Pepper, chunked

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 28oz Can of Crushed Tomatoes

Leftover Idea: Rice Stuffed Zucchini

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Andrea

The other night Scott and I had some rice with dinner and we ended up with some leftovers.

I wanted to use the leftovers for dinner the following evening but there wasn’t enough for each of us to have a regular portion size. I wasn’t about to throw it away and started searching my fridge and pantry trying to decide how to use it.

That’s when I saw the big zucchini I had just purchased at the store and knew I could combine the two. This was a super easy dish put together and ready to go in about 20 minutes.

Andrea’s Rice Stuffed Zucchini

Leftover rice

1 Large Zucchini, cut in half lengthwise

1/2C Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Spray with oil or nonstick spray. Scoop out the insides of the zucchini and discard. The zucchini half should look hollow and be able to support a stuffing.

Bourbon BBQ Sauce

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Andrea

I’m pretty sure that I’ve stated it before but I’m a huge BBQ sauce fan.

None of this vinegar based stuff, I want a nice thick tomato based sauce. That’s sweet and spicy.

You can dip with it or you can slather it all over some ribs.

Or you can toss it with some pulled pork and call it dinner.

That’s BBQ sauce to me.

I’ve been experimenting with making my own at home. Sometimes I use ketchup as a base and sometimes I don’t. Ketchup seems to yield the best results though and this latest version is by far our favorite.

Andrea’s Bourbon BBQ Sauce

1/2C Bourbon

1C Ketchup (look for one without HFCS)

1/3C Dijon Mustard

2TBSP Worcestershire Sauce

2TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar

2TBSP Brown Sugar

1 Fresno Pepper

1/2 Medium Onion, chunked

1/2 Green Pepper, chunked

2 Cloves Garlic

2tsp Garlic Powder

2tsp Chili Powder

1tsp Smoked Paprika

Big Pinch of Salt

1TBSP Light Olive Oil for sauteeing

In a medium sized sauce pan add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add in the peppers, onion, and garlic along with the pinch of salt. Stir and sautee for about 3 minutes.

Keep It Simple: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Andrea

Sweet potato and black beans are a classic combination and I wanted to see if I could use that combo in a favorite dish of ours, tacos!

What I like most about tacos (aside from flavor) is that everyone can make their own version with toppings. It’s a perfect item for dinner parties as well because the fillings and topping combos are virtually endless.

Feeling like loading up on veggies one night, I threw this together in about 20 minutes.

Andrea’s Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

2 Medium Sized Sweet potatoes

1 15oz Can of Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 of a Red Onion, Chopped

1/2 A Green Pepper, chopped

1 Fresno or Jalapeno Pepper, chopped

1/4C Your Favorite Salsa

2TBSP Olive Oil

1/2tsp of Salt (guesstimate)

1/2tsp Black Pepper

1tsp Garlic Powder

1tsp Chili Powder

Water or Veggie Stock if needed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a cookie sheet with foil. Spray with nonstick spray or olive oil. Peel and chop sweet potatoes into bite size pieces. Toss with 1TBSP olive oil, a little salt, and a little pepper. Place on cookie sheet and roast in oven for about 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are cooked through.

Crab Chili

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Andrea

I’m not sure what I was doing when I thought of it, but the idea of crab chili popped into my head and I knew I had to run with it.

When I experiment either things turn out like I had envisioned or they go the complete opposite. Still tasty just not what the original image in my head looked like. This crab chili is the perfect example. I’m still tinkering with it and plan on trying to make the version that I had in my head, but for now this is a winner.

It’s spicy with a good heat and mellow sweet crab to balance it out.

Andrea’s Crab Chili

16oz Lump Crab Meat, rinsed and checked over for shell

1 Green pepper, chunked

1/2 Large Onion, chunked

1 Jalapeno, chunked

1 Fresno pepper, chunked

2 Cloves Garlic

4 1/4C Chicken Stock

2 15oz Cans of Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed

1 14.5oz Can of Diced Tomatoes with Chilies

Rum Gingerbread

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Andrea

I know that it might not be the holidays any longer but it technically is still winter and that means winter foods are still acceptable.

One of my favorite flavors of all time is that of gingerbread. The combination of clove and molassess is a match made in heaven.

Gingerbread is so spicy and not overly sweet which makes it the perfect dessert for me.

I experimented a lot this winter with cooking and baking with bourbon and rum. This is one of those experiments and it turned out to be a favorite.

Andrea’s Rum Gingerbread
Dry:

1C Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1C Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4tsp Ground Allspice

1/2tsp Ground Clove

1/2tsp Ground Ginger

1tsp Grated Fresh Ginger

2TBSP Brown Sugar

Wet:

1/2C Unsweetened Coconut Milk (the kind found in the dairy aisle)

1/4C Rum

1/2C Molasses

2TBSP Light Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 375 and spray a square baking dish (9×9) with oil or nonstick spray.

Sauteed Apples with Crushed Pecans

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Andrea

Sometimes I want a topping for Sunday Morning Pancakes that brings a little more umph than syrup. I want something in addition to syrup.

Since we always have a fruit with breakfast (and lunch!), I decided to make that part of the dish instead of just a side.

Sauteed bites of apple with the sweetness of crushed pecans is a great topping for pancakes.

Andrea’s Sauteed Apples with Crushed Pecans

2 Small – Medium Red Apples, chopped

1/2C Crushed Pecans

2TBSP Butter

1tsp Olive Oil

1/2tsp Cinnamon

In a medium sized skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat. When the butter starts sizzling, add in the apples and cinnamon. Sautee for about 3 minutes and then add in the crushed pecans. Sautee for another 3 minutes, remove from heat and serve!

Makes enough topping for 3 servings.

Perfect for pancakes! The apples are warm but stil crisp since they are not cooked for very long. Plus you’re starting you day off with a serving of fruit!

Crab Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Andrea

There’s been a lot of experimenting going on with crab here at the HQ. Both Scott and I adore crab and while crab cakes are tasty, sometimes you need a little more out of life.

I’ve been hesitant in the past to mess around with crab because it is a pricey protein option and the idea of messing something up didn’t sit well with me.

However I reached a point where I realized that if we don’t experiment in the kitchen we won’t grow as cooks. And that doesn’t do anyone any good. So in the name of Embracing Cooking, I decided to start experimenting more with crab.

And that lead to twice baked potatoes!

Andrea’s Crab Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes

2 Large Russet Baking Potatoes, scrubbed

8oz Crab Claw Meat, drained, rinsed, and checked for shell

1/2 Red Pepper, finely chopped

1/2 Green Pepper, finely chopped

1/4 Red Onion, finely chopped

4 Slices of crispy bacon, chopped

Keep It Simple: Sauteed Chard with Rice

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Andrea

The other day I was craving something warm for lunch. I enjoy having big salads and fresh fruit at lunch but sometimes I want something warm. Especially in the colder months! It’s hard to cozy up to a nice big salad when it’s 17 degrees outside.

We had some leftover rice from the previous night’s dinner and I had some chard that needed used up. Combine the two and you’ve got a great lunch!

It was super quick to put together. I sauteed up:

1/4 Onion, sliced
1/4 Green Pepper, sliced
Once large bunch of chard, chopped
Shredded carrots
A few broccoli florets

Sauteed in some olive oil with a pinch of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, chili powder, and garlic powder.

Added in the leftover rice at the end and cooked just long enough for it to heat through.

Spooned in bowls, topped with a bit of shredded cheddar and a few dashes of hot sauce.