This is one of my favorite recipes my mom used to make in the summertime when we were kids. Green beans + bacon = good. She probably put the bacon in to get us to eat our vegetables, but hey, it worked. Hi, Mom, if you are reading this! This side dish goes well with anything cooked on the grill.
Mom’s Green Beans
1/2 lb green beans
3 slices cooked chopped bacon, or 1/2 jar Bacon Bits (the real bacon ones, not the crunchy ones you get at the salad bar)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, diced
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, then cook the green beans until desired tenderness. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet. Saute the onion in the butter until soft. Then add the green beans and bacon, toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Note: a quick way to cook bacon is in the microwave. Cook for about one minute per slice (3 slices = about 3 minutes).
Here’s a meal that is easy and delicious, but fancy enough for a special occasion.
Roasted Beef Tenderloin
Serves 2 – inspired by The Joy of Cooking
2 – 8 ounce pieces beef tenderloin
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Pat the meat dry, and season all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides until brown, then transfer the skillet to the oven to cook through. Cook for about 30 minutes for medium-well. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Let the meat rest for about 15 minutes before serving. Transfer to plate to serve.
I recently purchased a food thermometer which comes in handy for all sorts of things. It makes it much easier to tell if your meat is cooked to your desired doneness. The Joy of Cooking book gives these guidelines: 125-130 degrees for rare, 135-140 for medium-rare, 150-155 for medium. I also learned that inserting the thermometer into the side of the meat gives a more accurate temperature than inserting it into the top.
Roasted Haricots Verts Serves 2
2 handfuls haricots verts (french green beans) – or substitute green beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (these can go in the oven at the same time as the beef tenderloin). On a sheet pan, drizzle the beans with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread into an even layer then cover with the parmesan cheese. Place sheet pan in oven and roast beans for approximately 15 minutes, or until tender and the cheese is crispy and golden brown. Transfer to plate to serve.
Pasta with Truffle Butter
Serves 2 – Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa
8 oz fettucine
1.5 oz truffle butter (I found it at Kowalskis in the deli section)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving a small amount of pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot, add the truffle butter, cream, and parmesan cheese, stir to combine. Add a bit of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to plate to serve.
Ah, summer. The season for grilling. I’ve recently realized that potatoes are one of my favorite foods. Roasted, mashed, fried… it’s all good! One of my favorite things in the summer is grilled veggies. I scored some fingerling potatoes (my favorite) at Cub on sale for $2.50 for a bag! I thought that grilled veggies would go great with a fun steak recipe I found on Mark Bittman’s blog, Bitten. You can visit his blog for the steak with shallot-thyme butter recipe that I made for the main course. (Note: we used filet mignon instead of skirt steak because we like that cut better.)
Fire up the grill! Here’s how you make them. There’s no actual recipe, so go ahead and add your favorites.
First, take two pieces of tin foil.
Then, wash the potatoes and cut them up so that they are similar sizes. That way they cook evenly. The smaller they are, the quicker they cook, and the sooner you can eat them!
Next, take a shallot or two and slice thinly. I prefer shallots to onions due to their milder flavor, but you could certainly add onions instead.
Now, cut up some green beans and mince some garlic. Throw it all onto the tin foil sheets. Sprinkle on some of your favorite herbs. I chose rosemary and thyme. Add salt and pepper too.
Then drizzle on some olive oil. And, then add some butter for good measure. Butter makes everything better.
Fold up the sides and close the packages tightly to seal. Throw them on the grill at medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. In the meantime, you can add the steaks to the grill. If you are lucky like me, you have an awesome grill-master husband who can get perfect grill marks on the steaks.
Look at that steak!
And here’s the finished product… it was delicious! Sprinkle a little lemon juice on the finished veggie packets to lighten up the flavor a bit.
