Rice and Beans and Other Fine Things

Marinated Green Beans

This recipe was given to me by my friend Tammy and I just love it.  I seem to struggle with what to serve as side dishes with my meals and this recipe helps solve that problem.  It's super simple and can be made ahead of time, which I love.  I would never, ever make this for my dear sister, though, because she doesn't like her vegetables "sweet"; I, however, like that sweet and savory combination, so this recipe is a real keeper in my book.

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Marinated Green Beans

4 (14-ounce) cans French cut green beans, drained

1 cup melted butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 slices bacon, cut in half

1. Place green beans in a 13 x 9-inch casserole dish.  Whisk together the butter, sugar, and soy sauce.  Pour over green beans.
2. Place the bacon over the green beans and marinate overnight.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until bacon is done.

Jennifer's Italian Salad

Every time I take this salad to any get-together, it disappears within the first few minutes; everyone loves it. 

This recipe comes from one of my relatives on my husband's side of the family, Jennifer.  She always makes this salad for our family reunions and I can't get enough of it.  She shared how to make it with me a few years ago and I've been making it ever since.  Thanks, Jennifer!  You have know idea how much joy you have brought to my life by giving me this recipe.

The total cost of ingredients can be a little pricey, so this is something I usually make for special occasions.  I do, however, use a store brand of olives to cut the costs a little.  You could certainly make your own croutons with day-old bread.  Also, buying a big hunk of Parmesan cheese is usually cheaper than buying the pre-shredded kind.

Jennifer told me that the key to this salad is to use a zesty Italian dressing.  I just do what she says.

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Jennifer’s Italian Salad

1 (16-ounce) bag hearts of Romaine or Italian blend lettuce

3-4 chopped Roma tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 to 1-1/2 cups whole green olives with pimientos, drained

1 to 1-1/2 cups whole black olives, drained

1 (6-ounce) container crumbled feta cheese

3/4  to 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 small jar or about 1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained

1 bag restaurant style croutons

1/2 to 3/4 cup bottled Zesty Italian dressing

1. Place the first 8 ingredients in a large salad bowl and toss.
2. Right before serving, drizzle with the Italian dressing and add croutons, then toss to combine.

Empty the contents of a big bag of Romaine lettuce into your biggest yellow bowl.  Or you can use Italian blend or you can chop or tear your lettuce from a head.  Measurements really aren't important.  This recipe is more assembly.  

 

Add all of the ingredients except the dressing and the croutons.  I am traveling with this today so I am covering it with plastic wrap until I get to my location where I will add the dressing and the croutons, then toss to coat.  The croutons will stay crisp this way.  All of the measurements are an approximation, so add how much of everything you would like, then drizzle with enough dressing to coat the entire salad.

Chinese Cabbage Salad

My dad loves ramen noodles.  He visited in May for my daughter's graduation and bought a case of them.  He was only here for three days.   I promise that I had plenty of other things to eat at my house, but he just had to have his Top Ramen.  Now I've got a surplus of ramen noodles in my cabinet and Chinese Cabbage Salad is one of the things that I like to make with them. 

I saw Paula Deen make Chinese Salad on her show several years ago and I've been making it ever since.  It's sweet and crunchy and quick and easy, AND it uses up some of those ramen noodles in my cabinet.  Click here for her original version.  I have slightly adapted her recipe, below.

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Chinese Cabbage Salad

1 (3-ounce) package chicken flavored ramen noodles

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1-1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (16-ounce) bag shredded tri-color coleslaw

3 green onions, chopped

1. Break the ramen noodles up into tiny pieces (set seasoning pack aside) and place on a baking sheet with the almonds and sesame seeds.  Toast in the oven at 400 degrees or until nuts and seeds are light golden brown, about 15 minutes, stirring several times.  Let cool.

2. Place the oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and seasoning pack in a jar with a tight fitting lid.  Shake vigorously to blend the dressing.

3. Place the slaw and onions in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with the dressing.  Toss to coat.  Add the ramen mixture right before serving and toss until combined.

Start by breaking up the ramen noodles in small bits on a baking sheet.

Add the sesame seeds...

...and sliced almonds and toast in a 400 degree oven until lightly golden brown, stirring several times.  Let cool.

Place the oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and the seasoning pack in a jar with a tight fitting lid.  Shake vigorously.

Add the slaw and the green onion to a big salad bowl.

Drizzle with the dressing, then toss to coat.

Toss in the crunchy ramen mixture right before serving.

Lemon Orzo with Peas and Fresh Parsley

What is this?

This, my friends, is an orzo.  A single grain, er, uh, noodle(?) of orzo pasta.  On a well-used cutting board. 

Orzo is something I definitely can't get here in Buckatunna, Mississippi.  I had to buy mine while I was on vacation a few weeks ago.  Yes, the souvenirs I buy on vacation are usually food related. 

Orzo is tiny rice-shaped pasta.  I've had it before in restaurants, but I've never made it at home until now.  Loved it.

I'm not usually a green pea person, but I can eat them in small amounts if they are mixed in a soup or something like this recipe.  No need to defrost them; the heat from the pasta will thaw them out quickly.  Peas are great as a quick and colorful addition to soups, stews, pasta, etc., so I always have a bag in the freezer .  And they're green, which is the best color in the world. 

This side dish is light and refreshing.  I threw it together with things I had on hand.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get my hands on some more orzo soon; my supply is dwindling.

   

Lemon Orzo with Peas and Fresh Parsley

2 cups orzo pasta

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

The juice and zest of one lemon

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1.      Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Season with salt and add the orzo; cook for 8-9 minutes.  Drain and return to the pot.

2.      Stir in the frozen peas.  (The heat from the orzo will defrost them).  Drizzle in the olive oil and stir until well coated.  Stir in the juice and zest of the lemon, the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm or cold.

Boil 2 cups of orzo in some salted water for 8-9 minutes.

Drain and pour back into the pot.

Add some frozen peas...

...and stir them in.  Don't worry about their frozen state.  They will quickly thaw.  Drizzle in some olive oil.  I didn't measure, but I estimate 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup.  Give it a stir.

Now add the zest...

...and juice of a lemon.  Watch those seeds.  Note to self:  Use lotion before picture taking next time.

 

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chop some parsley...

...and throw it in, too.

Garnish with fresh parsley and a lemon slice for a beautiful finish, or if you're taking a picture of it like me.

John's Potato Casserole...an adventure into the world of store brands.

Warning:  This post will bother you if either of the following are true...

A.  You would never buy the store brand of cream of mushroom soup.

B.  You would never buy cream of mushroom soup, period, store brand or otherwise.

Foodies, hide your eyes.  This may hurt.

Several years ago, my sister invited me to her house for dinner.  Her husband John, my beloved brother-in-law, made a wonderful potato casserole.  I asked for the recipe for sometime and he finally sent it to me in rough email form, which I have retyped in recipe format.  I think it is the perfect recipe to demonstrate how tasty store brands (a.k.a. off-brands or generics) can be.  I have a theory that if you use enough store brands in one recipe, they bind chemically and eliminate any adverse flavors that existed in their original state.  I call this masking. 

Actually, I just made that up.  But it sounds reasonable.

Now I'm not saying that I buy off-brands exclusively, but I have broadened my horizons since my twenties.  Or maybe it's that I've lowered my standards.  In either case, I have experimented over the years with these frowned upon products, and I pretty much know what works and what doesn't.  Buying store brands is an easy and quick way to save a little money.

If you haven't used store brands, give them a try.  Trial and error is the best way to discover what works and what doesn't.  Some are better than others and sometimes only the name brand will do.  I can't think of an example right now, but I'm sure its true.

I will get to rice and beans soon enough.  Here's the potato casserole:

John’s Spinach Potato Casserole

1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (16-ounce) container sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped green onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out

2 (24-ounce) bags frozen, shredded hash brown potatoes

16-ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1 to 1-1/2 cups dry bread crumbs (Italian or regular flavored)

1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter

1. Whisk together both soups, sour cream, salt and pepper until combined in a very large mixing bowl. 
2. Stir in the green onion, garlic, and spinach. 
3. Stir in the potatoes. 
4. Spread half this mixture in a large casserole dish (I used a 15 x 11-inch glass baking dish) that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. 
5. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese.  Spread remainder of potato mixture on the cheese. 
6. Sprinkle the top with dry bread crumbs and drizzle the top with the butter.  Bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

And for your viewing pleasure...

 

Behold, the Great Value brand from Wal-Mart.

Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, the store brand from Save A Lot.  Actually, this may be a store brand disguised as a name brand, I'm not sure.

And yes, the sour cream, too.  Add these three things to your biggest yellow mixing bowl.

When you add freshly ground black pepper...

...and Kosher salt....

...it instantly elevates an otherwise average dish to Food Network status.  But you could use regular salt and ground pepper if you want.  Stir this mixture...

...and add the green onion and minced garlic.  You can chop your own garlic if you'd like.  I would use about 3 cloves.  I had some of the garlic in a jar in my fridge, so I used that.  In keeping with my theme, it was a store brand, too.

Spinach courtesy of Save A lot.  I wonder if Halstead Acres is a real place?  Add the spinach...

...then give it a stir...

...now for the potatoes.  Hmmm...O'Days...these must be quality hash browns imported from Ireland...

...stir them in.  It seemed a little dry and not easy to stir to me, but the end product was fine.

Now spray a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Spread half of the potato mixture in the casserole dish.

 

Now sprinkle evenly with the cheese.  I don't have a picture to prove it, but this cheese was the Great Value brand from Wal-Mart.

Spread the remaining potato mixture on top of the cheese.  Now for the best part...the crunchy topping.  I used plain bread crumbs from Save A Lot.  Sprinkle evenly on the casserole.

Melt some butter...

...and drizzle all over the top.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 55 minutes...

...and you have a delicious side dish.  I love this recipe.