Green Beans are a favorite at our house. This elegant version elevates basic green beans to a whole new level. This dish is great for entertaining because it looks and tastes like you spent a lot more time on it than you actually did. Roasting the green beans assures they will be crisp tender and full of robust flavor. As an added bonus, the extra virgin olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese greatly enhances the natural appeal of this classic side. Green Beans are actually the seed pod of the common bean plant — though I’m not really sure that fact makes them taste better! Names vary according to their characteristics of growth -- string beans, snap beans, pole beans, bush beans or French beans. Green beans are low in calories and carbs but high in nutritional value. They ... [Read More]
American
Peanut Butter Banana Bars
What do you do with a bag of bananas? Make Peanut Butter Banana Bars! Last time I was at the neighborhood grocery by my sister's house, they had just set out bags of perfect golden yellow bananas. I brought one of the bags home with me. I made Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream and Banana Strawberry Blueberry Smoothies earlier. Peanut Butter Banana Bars were quick and easy to make, no added sugar. Except in the chocolate chips and you could make those sugar free to if you wanted. Or you could substitute chopped walnuts or peanuts instead. The peanut butter adds flavor, but it also gives a nice boost of healthy fat and protein, making the Peanut Butter Banana Bars even more filling and satisfying as a snack or dessert. The mixture will be rather wet, but that is what prevents these ... [Read More]
Peanut Butter and Banana Ice Cream
What do you do with a bag of bananas? Make Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream! One of the little groceries in town is a great place to find unexpected bargains. Last time I was there, they had just set out bags of perfect golden yellow bananas. I brought one of the bags home with me. Since none of the bananas were over ripe, I figured I would have time to research recipes. Here’s the first recipe I made: Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream is simple – and supper delicious. Cut up four bananas and freeze till firm. Put frozen bananas in food processor, add the other two ingredients. It does not matter if the peanut butter is creamy or chunky. Any kind of milk will work. Spin until mixed. Freeze again. Yum! Hint: Forget using the blender. You’ll end up with a frozen glob above ... [Read More]
Eggnog Sandwich Cookies
Eggnog Sandwich Cookies are a unique holiday treat. The nutmeg and ginger sugar topping, the soft cookie, the creamy filling -- all the eggnog flavors in your hand. The dough is soft and a little sticky, even after chilling. Just do the best you can to make round cookies. Flatten them with a drinking glass (patterned bottom optional) dipped in flour so they are even height all the way across. When baking, watch the time so cookies just begin to turn golden when you remove them from the oven. (Some of mine got a little too brown this time!) We really liked them plain, but the filling definitely lifts things up a notch. Wait until they are well cooled before assembling sandwiches. The yield is approximately 72 cookies which will make 36 sandwiches. These are better eaten within a ... [Read More]
Cranberry Pear Sauce
Colorful and delicious Cranberry Pear Sauce will be a hit this holiday season! It is super quick and easy to make with no refined sugar. Its sweetness comes naturally from ripe pears and a touch of real maple syrup. It is a superb accompaniment to turkey and other poultry as well, as pork tenderloin or pork roast. Once you try this recipe, you’ll never look at store-bought cranberry sauce the same. What kind of pear to use? Bartletts hold their flavor but break down and become "saucy" when heated so they are a good choice for this recipe. They have a true “pear shape” with a large, rounded bottom half that tapers to a smaller curved neck with slender stem. Bartletts come in two colors, red and yellow, that are unique in the pear world in that they darken as they ripen. Bartletts ... [Read More]
Savory Sweet Potatoes
Rich, creamy mashed sweet potatoes are the perfect side dish for any holiday meal. They are so quick and easy , you’ll want to enjoy them throughout the year. Sweet potatoes are as nutritious as they are delicious. They contain fewer calories and are higher in fiber, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C than their white counterparts. See the infographic from Cleveland Clinic below for a quick comparison. You can peel and cut the sweet potatoes in small, uniform cubes before adding to water for boiling. Cook until sweet potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork. Remove from heat and drain. OR you can put whole, and thoroughly washed, sweet potatoes in a medium to large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until sweet potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork. Remove from ... [Read More]
