Green Beans with Browned Butter

Green Beans with Browned Butter

3/4 lb fresh green beans, cut in half

2 tablespoons butter (do not use margarine or vegetable oil spreads)

2 tablespoons chopped pecans
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1. In 2-quart saucepan, place beans in 1 inch of water. Heat to boiling. Boil uncovered 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp-tender (they shouldn't be "squeaky" when you bite into one); drain. Keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Be careful not to let butter burn or it will taste bitter. Stir in pecans. Heat, stirring constantly, until butter is golden brown. (If bottom of saucepan is dark, it may be difficult to see the difference between brown butter and burnt butter. Try spooning a little of the butter onto a white plate to see the color more clearly.) Immediately remove from heat. Pour butter mixture over beans; toss to coat. Sprinkle with lemon peel.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans corn

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 red onion chopped

1 bunch cilantro

2 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs vinegar

1 Tbs sugar

2 Tbs water

salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Mix all together and chill

Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese

Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese

Prep20 min Cook55 min Total:1 hr 20 min:                    Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for greasing
8 ounces macaroni
2 1/2 cups cold milk
4 ounces provolone cheese, coarsely grated
4 ounces aged Asiago cheese, coarsely grated
2 large eggs
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
3 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
3 strips bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart shallow casserole dish. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain; transfer the pasta to the prepared casserole dish along with 1/4 cup of the cold milk. (This will cool the pasta and prevent it from becoming gummy.)
Meanwhile, mix the cheeses together in a small bowl. Beat the eggs with 1/4 cup of the milk in a medium bowl. Add the scallions, bread and half of the cheese to the egg mixture; set aside.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp; transfer to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until just brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour, cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon salt; cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the remaining 1 3/4 cups milk and 3/4 cup water to the skillet. Bring to a boil, whisking until thick. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Whisk in the remaining cheese. Add the sauce to the macaroni; stir to combine.
Crumble up the bacon and add it to the egg/bread mixture. Spread evenly over the pasta. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven; let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Squash Casserole: a perfect side dish

Squash Casserole – this makes a perfect side dish for a pot luck, or any night of the week.

You may substitute 2 10 oz packages broccoli instead of squash.

4&1/2 cups sliced yellow squash (about 8-10 med sized)
1 chopped sweet onion (or 1 medium if not sweet)
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
1 beaten egg
1&1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Heaping Tbsp mayonnaise
Salt & Pepper to taste

Topping: Mix together;
1 Sleeve finely crushed Ritz crackers
1 stick melted butter.
Boil squash and onion until tender. Drain and set aside.
Mix the next set of ingredients together and add to drained squash and onions
Place mixture into an 8×10 casserole dish and bake @ 325-350 for 20 minutes until bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle cracker mixture over the top. Return dish to oven and bake for 15 minutes until brown.