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Greens & Beans

Written on July 12, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

For a food blogger, I’m not a very adventurous eater. I eat a lot of the same things over and over again. I eat a lot of omelets. I love making raw noodles in peanut sauce. And, when in doubt, I always go back to greens and beans.

It’s not as much of a recipe as a methodology: You take some greens and some beans, sauté flavor into them and boom! It’s a meal. And it doesn’t make you think too hard, which is always nice at the end of the day.

Greens & Beans

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

1/2 an onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 can beans, drained(I like cannellini)
2 cups fresh OR 1 cup frozen greens, thawed(spinach, kale, etc.)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter(optional)

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the garlic and onion and sauté for a few minutes until the onions translucent and garlic is crispy.

Add in the greens and beans and mix them in with the garlic and onions. Add in the lemon, salt, and pepper and cook until heated through. Serve hot.

Sometimes I’ll add an extra clove of garlic just because I can, you know, on the days when I don’t plan on having to speak to someone face to face. I love getting bites of crispy garlic through the dish.

And then there’s butter. I don’t eat butter often, but a pat of Smör Icelandic butter(that’s the good butter Ina Garten’s always harping on about) really hits the spot, especially after it’s melted in.

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The Only Omelet Recipe You’ll Ever Need

Written on June 22, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

I’m careful never to overuse superlatives, so believe me when I say this is the best omelet I’ve ever had. It’s filling and meaty with a salty-sweet kick. The maple syrup takes this to a new level that other omelets just can’t compete with. In fact, if chocolate and peanut butter didn’t exist, I’d probably eat this for dessert, too. You could add melted goat cheese or cuts of smoked bacon but honestly this omelet doesn’t need either of those; it has so much flavor on its own.

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom, and Maple Syrup Omelet

Ingredients:

1/2 yellow onion, julienned
1/3 cup sliced and washed mushrooms
1 Tablespoon oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten together
Extra oil for greasing

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.

Add in the onions, mushrooms, maple syrup, and salt and sauté the vegetables until the onions have caramelized and mushrooms cook a golden brown. Move the vegetables to a plate and heat enough oil in the same pan for the omelet.

Beat together the 3 eggs and pour them into the pan. Add the cooked vegetables on top of the omelet and cover the pan to let the eggs cook. When the omelet egg has mostly cooked, fold it over once and let it rest in the pan for a minute. Plate and serve hot.

I’ll start heating up the pan; how many should I make?

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How To Grill Onions

Written on June 10, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in How To

People are like onions: They taste great when they’re peeled and cooked.

Or maybe it’s something about both having layers? I forget. It doesn’t matter.

Onions are one of life’s little pleasures. They make you cry and taste awful when they’re raw, but when they’re cooked—Oh, it’s another story. During the colder months I’ll always caramelize onions to give them flavor but when the sun’s out and the grill’s hot it’s a shame not to grill them. Grilled onions have a sweet flavor and a crunchy texture that goes great with just about anything.

How To Grill Onions

Ingredients:

Onions, preferably short and stout ones like Vidalia
A grill
Spray oil

On a cutting board, start by cutting off the ends of the onions and peeling the outer flaky layers.

Turn the onions on their sides and with a sharp knife slice rings about 1/2 an inch thick.

Spray a grill with oil and turn it on to preheat. Once heated, lay the onions out and cook for 4-6 minutes on each side until there are noticeable grill marks. Remove from the grill and serve hot as a side or burger topping.

I ~~could~~ do eat these plain on salads with broccoli, chickpeas, and tomato-tahini dressing. A little coarse sea salt really brings out the sweet onion flavor.

Grilling anything fun this weekend?

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How To Cook Beans

Written on May 27, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in How To

I eat a lot of beans. It’s really unfortunate if you believe the saying “Beans, beans, the magical fruit….” Fortunately, I don’t.

Even though my pantry’s full of cans of beans I like to cook my own when I have the time. Summer is perfect for that. Cooking them is like riding a bike: Once you learn how, you’ll never forget. And it’s a great way to save money and stretch a dollar.

You start by soaking them in water 2-3 times their volume over night.

When you soak the beans overnight, they’ll look just like canned chickpeas. But they’ll still be too hard to eat.

Rinse the beans from their soaking water and put them in a large pot with a halved onion, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and enough water to cover them by 2 inches.

Turn the heat on to bring them to a boil and cook for about 70-80 minutes until they’re tender.

As they cook, a foam will start to form on the top. Have a spoon and dish ready to scoop this out. By removing it, you make the beans be less gaseous after they’re eaten.

After they’re cooked, drain the water from them. A pasta drainer is really good for this. Immediately run them under cold water to stop the cooking. The skins at this point should come right off which is a great idea if you plan on making hummus with them.

You can store these in a container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or put them in Tupperware with water and freeze them. The method is pretty much the same for any different bean although cooking time might vary with size.

March 28th 046

These are a few of my favorite bean recipes:

Italian Quinoa With Fava Beans

Cannellini Beans With Kale and Walnuts

5-Ingredient 3-Bean Salad

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Dessert Hummus

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2 10-Minute Recipes You Must Make

Written on May 24, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Recipe Round-Up

Saturday morning I was a ball of energy. I was excited to be home and have the sun out. I strapped up my laces and ran for 15 miles down back roads, past schools, up hills and through neighborhoods. And I felt really good, too! Until that afternoon when I hit the wall. Hard.

I didn’t feel like cooking. I felt like sitting on the couch and watching Tivoed Food Network pretending they were cooking for me. But then I remembered these two recipes and how easy they were. After 30 minutes in the kitchen I had dinner and dessert; who could say no to that?

Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Vinegar Bean Salad: I think the name says it all. If you like onions you will love this, and I do. The recipe makes a lot so I’ve been eating the leftovers for the past two days and it only gets better.

Espresso Chocolate Bark: I really love chocolate covered espresso beans. This is the closest way I’ve found to make them at home that’s also easy. There’s nothing better than a dessert with a buzz.

So there you go. Don’t let a long day keep you from eating well. Good food is only 10 minutes away.

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Warm Red Potato Salad

Written on May 18, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

Some people don’t like to cook. I don’t get them.

Most of the time I’d rather make my own meal than go to a restaurant. It’s just not the same as home cooking. Last week was crazy with work and most of my meals I didn’t cook or were just salads thrown together. It was awful. This week is much more relaxed and I’ve been able to cook again, and not just fudge but better things like this potato salad. I could eat this again and again. The vinegar and sugar make for just the right sweetness. You’ll never miss the mayonnaise in another potato salad.

Warm Red Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1lb red potatoes
1/2 yellow onion, julienned
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Bake the potatoes for 1 hour in an oven set to 350 degrees. Remove them and cut them up into 1-inch chunks.

Soak the julienned onion in cold water for 5-10 minutes to remove some of their pungency. Drain the liquid from the onions.

Add all of the ingredients together and mix. Serve while still slightly warm. Refrigerate any leftovers

Who doesn’t love potatoes and onions? Whoever doesn’t I love them enough for the both of us.

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Brussel Sprout and Potato Hash With Fried Eggs

Written on April 7, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

I can never have a savory breakfast; it just doesn’t appeal to me at all. I need something sweet and as close to a dessert as I can get away with eating when I wake up.

Dinner is another story. I love a big plate of hot, savory food at night. I also love eating all the “traditional” breakfast foods like hash browns then since I’d never eat them otherwise. Sure, you could make this for breakfast. But I think it’s much better for dinner. Just imagine all your cares from that day flowing away like the runny yolk when it breaks and suddenly nothing seems so bad any more. Just remember to leave room for ~~breakfast~~ dessert.

Brussel Sprout and Potato Hash With Fried Eggs

Ingredients(for 2 servings):

1 1/2 brussel sprouts, steamed*
2 medium potatoes, cooked and diced*
1 onion, julienned
4 eggs
1/4 cup of butter, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

*You can do this easily by microwaving them together for 4 minutes before starting.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Once the pan is heated, add in the brussel sprouts, potatoes, and onion.

Cook for 10 minutes tossing the contents of the pan periodically until all the sides have had a chance to brown. Divide the contents of the pan between two plates or bowls and return the pan over the burner.

Using the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, fry each egg individually in the pan. When each is done, plate it over the hash two to a plate. When all are done, season with salt and pepper.

My favorite part really is the runny yolks. If the yolks aren’t runny, well, I’d still eat it but it wouldn’t be the same. Apparently pregnant women shouldn’t eat runny yolks; I’m glad that’s never in my future.

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Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Vinegar Bean Salad

Written on April 6, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

I love Summer. More honestly I love cookouts, grilling, Summer foods, and ice cream weather, but it’s easier to just say “I love Summer”. This recipe reminds me of Summer foods. It’s good hot or cold, sweet with a little savory, and oh so easy to make. It kind of reminds me of baked beans that you spend all day cooking except the whole thing comes together in 20 minutes! Winner, winner, chicken bean dinner.

Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Vinegar Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas
1 can pinto bean
1 can cannellini beans
1 onion, julienned
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for finishing(optional)

Combine all of the different beans in a large bowl.

Caramelize the onion by cooking it over medium heat in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of oil for 10-15 minutes. When the onion has turned translucent and slightly crusty, remove from the heat and add to the beans.

While the onions are caramelizing, reduce the balsamic vinegar to about half its original volume in a small sauce pan over another burner set to low-medium or medium heat. You want the vinegar to reduce to a molasses consistency but not overboil and turn into a taffy. If it does reduce too much, remove from the heat and stir in some hot water to thin.

Add the reduced vinegar, honey, salt and extra virgin olive oil if using to the beans and onions. Mix well until the sauce coats all of the beans. Serve hot or cold.

If this is any indication, it’s going to be a tasty Summer.

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Italian-Style Broccoli

Written on March 24, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

If this recipe were a person it would be on Jersey Shore.

If this recipe were a person, it would have a cousin Vinny.

If this recipe were a person, it would GTL(Gym, Tan, Laundry) every Saturday.

This recipe is very Italian. It reminds me of the kind of vegetables I ate growing up: Covered in garlic. The olives are a welcomed, meaty bite with the broccoli. And it’s so easy it comes together in only 10 minutes. This just might save the reputation of Italian-Americans.

Italian-Style Broccoli

Ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1lb steamed broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup finely chopped black olives
3/4 teaspoon salt

Over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil for 2-3 minutes until the onions start to turn color.

Add in the broccoli and lower the heat. Toss the pan to make sure the broccoli soaks up the oil.

Add in the olives and distribute evenly throughout the dish. Serve hot.

My favorite part about this is how much flavor gets soaked into the broccoli. It completely loses that off-putting “green” flavor and is filled up with onion, garlic, and olives. If this recipe were a person, it would be way too good for Snooki.

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Roasted Squash With Caramelized Onions And Craisins

Written on February 24, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

If I could have dinner catered by Whole Foods every night, I would. There’s something so fun about going to the salad bar and picking out what you want to eat from so many options. Or at least it’s fun until they weigh it for you and tell you how much you eat and you stop wondering why your jacket’s a little snug.

Last time I was there, I had this roasted squash and onion casserole that made me go back and buy all the ingredients to make my own. It was mind-blowing, and now this recipe is, too. It’s deliciously sweet and could get the pickiest eater to eat their veggies.

Roasted Squash With Caramelized Onions And Craisins

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

1 butternut squash, deseeded and diced
2 large onions, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 Tablespoons agave nectar(or maple or honey)
1/3 craisins(or raisins)

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees.

If you haven’t already, dice the squash and onion into bite-sized pieces.

Combine the onion and squash in a bowl. Pour in the olive oil and sea salt. Toss all the ingredients together.

Lay the vegetables out on a baking tray and bake for 90 minutes

Add in the agave and craisins and mix the all the ingredients together. Drain any excess liquid and serve hot.

I truly forgot how much I loved caramelized onions until making this, which was gone in a flash. My breath probably still smells from them and it was entirely worth it. I’ve never been a fan of dried fruit in savory dishes but the strong, tart sweetness works really well here. It might be too soon to be planning Thanksgiving dinner, but if I were I’d add this to the list.

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