Green Bean Almandine
3 Tbsp canola oil
3 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves
½ cup sliced almonds
1 lb fresh green beans
Steam green beans until tender. Remove from pan, drain any extra water and set aside. Sautee pressed garlic and almonds in oil combination on medium-high as to not burn the garlic. Add in green beans and toss together. Serve immediately.
1 lb red skinned potatoes
3 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp butter
¼ cup milk
Salt and pepper
1. Clean potatoes and peal any brown spots. Leave about half of the skin on the potatoes and cut them into 1 inch cubes.
2. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Once the water is boiling rapidly add the potato cubes and pealed garlic; let sit.
3. Boil until potatoes are tender and break apart at the touch of a fork.
4. Drain water and return to pan adding butter, milk and salt and pepper. The garlic should still be with the potatoes.
5. Smash potatoes with a potato-masher. Do not whip, you want a chunky consistency. Add extra milk for a creamier dish. I have even added two tablespoons of French onion dip for added flavor.
Last week I had a few friends over last minute. It was still pretty early so grabbing an easy chips and salsa just wouldn’t cut it. But serving some Honey BBQ Mini Hot Dogs would really do the trick! I never think to pick up a pack of these. I always think: then I need to get crescent rolls, wrap up all of the mini wieners, and bake them. Way too much work, especially when they sell a box of frozen pigs in a blanket for a few bucks more than a one pound package costs. It really is as simple as unloading the packaged hot dogs into a crock pot, pouring in a cup of your favorite brand Honey BBQ Sauce. I stirred them a time or two in the four hours they cooked on high to make sure the BBQ sauce was covering the entirety of the appetizer. I served and everyone loved them. This is defiantly a great little trick to use for last minute gatherings. A friend of mine even suggested using frozen mini meatballs. Follow the directions exactly adding two hours to the cook time and there you have it. A appetizer that will actually fill your guests up and not be the same old chips and dip.
A few weeks ago my boyfriend’s mom tried to make a bet with me that I couldn’t go two weeks without eating cheese. I say she tried to make the bet because I instantly backed down knowing I couldn’t give up my rich, creamy, delicious blocks of cheese. I mean seriously. Cheese is something you can eat morning, noon and night. Omelets, burgers, tacos… hell I’ve even melted it onto of my instant Ramen noodles. So on this Saturday night when my friend Megan (yes we have the same name) asked if I wanted to spend the night making food and drinking wine I instantly jumped at the idea of her teaching me one of her many homemade mac and cheese recipes she has stored in her little head. For this recipe you can use any variety of cheese you like, but I wouldn’t add anymore than 3 types in one recipe. Tonight we used Montery Jack and Cheddar Melange Cheese & Gruyere from Trader Joe’s. We were in a little time crunch since we had pie in the oven and still were blending a pumpkin dip but I would have loved to sprinkle some bread crumbs on top and baked it in the oven for that extra crisp. Below is Megan’s recipe, enjoy.
Megan’s Homemade Stove Top Mac and Cheese
Megan with her final product.
1 lb pasta
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1 lb of any variety of cheeses of your choice
Melt butter on medium. Lower heat to low, and whisk in flour; the butter and flour will coagulate. Stir in 1 cup of milk while continuing to whisk at the mixture. Turn up the heat to medium and let simmer while mixture thickens. Whisk in cheeses of your choice adding milk if necessary to maintain consistency. Once all of the cheese is melted and desired consistency is met, pour cheese mixture over pasta and fold together. For added flavor, pour into casserole dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake in over at 400⁰ for 10-15 minutes to brown breadcrumbs and top layer of macaroni. Top with salt or pepper to taste and serve.
Sausage and peppers has always been a staple in my family. Whether my mom is serving it over rice or as a grinder it was always something that my family loved. Recently I have gained a disgust toward cooked peppers. I’m not sure where it came from but one night I thought maybe I’d try getting rid of it and made my mom’s Sausage and Peppers. Unfortunately for me, I still hate cooked peppers; fortunately for my boyfriend, he now loves Sausage and Peppers so I have to pick around the peppers. I usually use red or green peppers but if I am using a Hot Italian Sausage and want to sweeten up the dish I will substitute an orange pepper into the mix.
Sausage and Peppers
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 package Mild or Hot Italian Sausages
3 peppers (Red or Green)
1 onion
Black pepper
Salt
Slice peppers and onions long ways, cleaning out insides of the peppers. Set aside and drizzle olive oil in bottom of pan and put full links in sauté pan to brown. Flip to make sure all sides get color. Once browned, about 5 minutes, remove sausage links and lower heat to low. Cut sausage links into 1/2 inch thick slices and return to pan at medium-low heat. Add peppers and onions and cover. Let vegetables cook with the sausage for 12-15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Onions will turn translucent and peppers will be soft. Season with black peppers and salt. Serve on a grinder roll or over rice.
restlessretreat.com 