Greek-style String Bean Salad

This is one of my favorite dishes for spring and summer parties, pot-lucks, or even just to have in the fridge to snack on for a few days.

1 pound of fresh string-beans
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (omit if you are serving to anyone with nut allergies)
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minded
6 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of fresh cracked black pepper

Blanche the string beans in boiling water for about 3-4 minutes until they've softened up a bit, but are still crispy in the middle.   Immediately submerge them into a large bowl filled with water and a lot of ice.   This not only stops the cooking so the beans don't get too soft, but it also helps keep the bright green color of the fresh veggies.

Add all of the ingredients except for the feta and walnuts, toss it together well and let it sit for at least a few hours before serving so the flavors meld together.

Right before serving, toss in the feta and walnuts.

I like this dish served closer to room temp than cold right out of the fridge, but it does store well and last for days.

Duck Bacon Lollipops

This appetizer is a staple at our annual Game Dinner and many neighborhood pot-luck dinners -- mostly because there's a wonderful boy in our neighborhood who loves this dish more than just about anything else :)  I use duck bacon that I purchase at Balducci's in Alexandria but you can also order it on-line:  http://www.dartagnan.com/Uncured-Smoked-Duck-Bacon/PSMBD002-1,default,pd.html.

You'll need bamboo skewers that you should soak for an hour before using so they don't burn up in the oven.

Cut the bacon in half and then put a piece on each skewer and then arrange them on a baking tray.

Drizzle them lightly with real maple syrup.

Place in a 400 degree oven for about 7-10 minutes until slightly crisp.

Serve and enjoy!

Sake-Miso Black Cod

Compliments of my friend Lindsay McLaughlin


4 skinless sablefish fillets
3 T sweet white wine
3 T. Japanese sake
3 T. sugar
1/2 cup white miso paste
1 dried hot chile
Salt
Vegetable oil

Preparation:

Mix the wine, sugar, sake and the hot chile and bring it to a simmer in a pot and let this cook gently for 10 minutes. Remove the chile.

Add the miso and stir well to combine. Turn off the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Once the marinade is cool, coat the fish with it and set, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days. You will need to marinate this for at least 6 hours.

Kale Smoothies

Many of you know that I'm obsessed with kale -- I love it in just about any form.  Lately, I've started doing kale smoothies for breakfast and I love them -- both because the kale, even when blended, is still hearty and filling, but also, because it pairs so well with fruit -- it takes on the sweetness of the fruit and enhances the taste.  You really don't even taste the kale, per se, just enjoy the texture and heartiness.

You can make endless combinations but here are a few ideas to get you started:

In a blender, add:

4-5 ice cubes
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (I prefer unsweetened, but sweetened is OK too)
1 cup of kale leaves (remove the stems)
1 cup of fruit of your choice (ideas below)
Optional -- 1/2 cup of plain or flavored yogurt if you want it a bit thicker
Optional -- 2 tbsp. agave nectar if you want your smoothie a little sweeter

Simply puree/liquefy until it's smooth and then enjoy!

Fruit combos I like (you can buy great no-sugar added fruit in the supermarket freezer section for smoothies -- saves so much time on prep and is still so healthy):

Pineapple, banana and a little bit of ginger root
Mango and banana with a dash of cinmammon
Strawberry and banana
Strawberry, banana and peach
Raspberries and cherries
Mixed berries --as many as you can find!

These are just a few ideas to get you started!

Sweet Potato Casserole

There are plenty of versions of this casserole out there -- many of them full of butter and covered with sugary marshmellows.   They're tasty, but sweet potatoes are a super-food --why ruin all that goodness with unnecessary fat and refined sugar, not to mention all the preservatives in marshmellows?   Here's a healthier option to try this year which will feed 10 people as a side dish.

5 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 pinches of ground nutmeg (I prefer fresh ground, but pre-ground is OK too)
1 tsp. fresh ground ginger
1 egg, beaten

Optional topping -- 1/2 cut chopped pecans or walnuts mixed with 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Wrap the sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and bake them for 1 hour at 400 degrees.   When they cool off, remove all the potato from the skin and place in a large mixing bowl.   Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly with a large whisk so it gets nice and smooth.

Place all of this into a baking dish that's greased with non-stick cooking spray and if you desire, sprinkle the nuts and brown sugar topping over the mixture.

Finally, place the dish in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until it's heated through.  Makes a great side dish for your holiday ham or turkey.