Sesame Green Beans

I couldn't stop eating these sesame green beans because they were that good!  I came across the original recipe from allrecipes.com.  This recipe is simple and easy.  I had fresh green beans from the farmers market so I had a few purple colored beans too!  This is a great side dish and I will definitely be making this again.

Sesame Green Beans

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds (I used roasted sesame seeds.)

¼ cup chicken broth

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add sesame seeds.   Cook until lightly browned.  (I only cooked the sesame seeds for a minute since I had used roasted ones.)

Add in green beans.  Cook for a few minutes until the beans turn bright green.

Next, add in chicken broth, salt and pepper.

Cover and cook for about 10 minutes until beans are tender.

Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates.

Serves 2-4.

Hearty Chili

Everyone is gearing up for Hurricane Sandy around here.  The local schools are closed, some until Tuesday and my office is closed tomorrow!  So what could be better on cold rainy day than a bowl of warm, hearty chili?  This hearty chili is satisfying with chunks of ground beef, vegetables and red kidney beans.  You can quickly put this chili together within an hour for an easy weeknight dinner.  This would also be a perfect game day chili to share with family and friends.  Serve with shredded cheese, green onions, and/or sour cream.  Top with some tortilla chips or corn chips for extra crunch.  Enjoy!

Hearty Chili 

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil (vegetable or olive oil)

1 ½ cup red onion, diced (½ large red onion)

1 cup diced peppers

1 pound ground beef

15 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies

28 ounce crushed tomatoes

15 ounce can red kidney beans

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoons cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

Directions

In a large heavy pan or dutch oven, over medium heat, add in oil and onions.  Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add in peppers and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Next, add in ground beef.  Season with salt, pepper, and cumin.  Cook for about 5 minutes until beef is lightly browned.

Stir in diced tomatoes, beans and crushed tomatoes.

Stir in chili powder.

Cover and cook on low for at least 30 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.

Top with shredded cheese, sliced green onions, and/or sour cream.

Roasted Parmesan Broccoli

I love all roasted vegetables and this roasted parmesan broccoli is scrumptious!  It makes a great side dish and I served it with turkey sausages from the Palisades farmers market.  The turkey sausages are made with dried cranberries and they are made by Stachowski Brand Charcuterie. There is the same guy selling the sausages at the farmers market and he gives out samples of his sausages!  How cool is that?

Roasted Parmesan Broccoli

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup broccoli florets

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt

freshly ground pepper

parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. (I used a convention toaster oven.)

Place broccoli florets on a foil covered baking sheet.

Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 15 minutes. 

Top roasted broccoli with parmesan cheese.

Bake additional 5 minutes.

Serves 2.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I am loving this homemade broccoli cheese soup!  It is so much better than the canned soups and its super easy to make.  Not only does this broccoli cheese soup taste better than canned, its healthier.  You can control the amount of sodium and use low-fat milk.  This soup is warm, creamy and delicious.  It also reminds me of Panera's broccoli cheese soup too.  You could also serve this soup in a bread bowl.  Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter

½ yellow onion, diced

1 ½ to 2 cups broccoli florets

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups milk

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups shredded cheese (cheddar and/or jack)

Directions

In a saucepan, over medium heat, add butter and onions.

Cook onions for about 5 minutes until soft.

Stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute.

Next, add in milk.

Add in broccoli, nutmeg, black pepper and salt.

Cover and cook for about 20 minutes until broccoli is tender.

Stir in cheese until melted.

You may serve as is or puree soup in a blender and/or food processor.  You may also use an immersion blender.

Top with extra shredded cheese if desired.

Berry Cake

I had some extra strawberries and blueberries to use up and this berry cake turned out wonderful!  I adapted this berry cake recipe from Martha Stewart's Strawberry Cake (original recipe here).  The cake is light and moist.  One of the online Martha Stewart reviewers said it tastes like a cross between an angel food cake and a buttery pound cake, which is exactly right!  I couldn't have described it any better.   I will definitely be making this cake again and again.  You could serve this berry cake as is or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.  Enjoy!

Berry Cake

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ½ cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ pound strawberries, hulled and halved

½ pound blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.   Grease a 10 inch pie plate with butter.

In a bowl, whisk together (or sift) flour, baking powder and salt.

In a stand mixer, on medium-high speed, beat together butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy.  On medium-low speed, mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.

On low speed, slowly add in flour mixture about ½ cup at a time.  You may need to use a spatula to scrape sides of bowl down.  

Pour batter into buttered pie plate.  Arrange strawberries and blueberries on top.  Place strawberries cut side down.  Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.  

Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce temperature to 325 degrees F.  Bake for additional 60 minutes until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch.  

Allow cake to cool in pie plate.  Store cake at room temperature loosely covered for up to 2 days or refrigerate.

Mini Spinach and Cheese Quiches

These mini spinach and cheese quiches are perfect for breakfast, lunch or brunch.  They are perfect for me to bring to work since they reheat well in the microwave.  I adapted this recipe from The Domestic Mama and The Village Cook's spinach and cheese baby quiches (original recipe here).  I made my spinach and cheese quiches in muffin pans, and used fresh spinach instead of frozen.   I will definitely be making these mini spinach and cheese quiches again and I would like to add some cooked bacon next time.   I am also freezing half the mini spinach and cheese quiches to see how they hold up.  I'll update this post when I find out.

Mini Spinach and Cheese Quiches

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 ½ cups spinach (Cook two 9 ounce bags fresh spinach or use frozen spinach, thawed and drained)

12 ounce can evaporated milk

2 tablespoons flour

3 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon parsley, dried

¼ teaspoon garlic

1 ½ cups shredded cheese (I used a cheddar jack blend.)

Optional (if cooking spinach)

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease a muffin pan.

In a large pan, over medium heat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Add in 1 bag of spinach and when wilted, add the second bag of spinach.  Stir and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for a few minutes until spinach is completed wilted.  Allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine milk, eggs and flour.

Add spinach, salt, parsley, and garlic.

Stir in cheese.

Pour into greased muffin pan.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes.

Makes 12 mini quiches. 

Freeze extra quiches in freezer bag.