Green Beans with Walnuts, Mint and Feta

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I love a simple blanched green bean. It springy, fresh and verdant. But is it the type of thing I’m going to pile high on my plate and come back for more? Ummm no.

Green beans dressed up with pickled shallots, fresh herbs, salty feta and toasted walnuts? Yes please! This salad is so bright, so fresh, so crunchy. It’s exactly what I want to be eating by the bowlful. It’s delicious as is but you could bulk it out further adding a cup or two of cooked chewy farro or quinoa.

It would be perfect served with anything off the grill, including grilled veggie burgers or portobello mushrooms if don’t eat meat. You can prep it a day ahead leaving the vinaigrette to add at the last minute. It’s also delicious as leftovers for a few days though the green beans will lose a little color.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy green beans?

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Weeknight Gochuchang Noodles

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I post noodle recipes like this a lot because they are workhorse dinners in my home. I always have my freezer stocked with Kaedama noodles by Sun Noodle (@sunnoodles) and shelled edamame, and reliably have baby cucumbers (a staple for my kids) and other hearty vegetables like carrots or radish here in my refrigerator. It’s perfect if you stop here but you can also serve it over a pile of baby spinach and top it with jammy eggs if you want more.

If you don’t have a well stocked Asian pantry, simplify the dish by dressing the noodles with a few tbsps soy sauce and rice vinegar or lime juice, and a tsp or two of toasted sesame oil. Still totally yummy.

Everything comes together in the time it takes the water to boil for the noodles. Hope you enjoy it as much as my entire family does!

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5 Ingredient Farro with Toasted Pistachios and Parm

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Guys, no excuses not to throw this bad boy together. It’s a crunchy, salty, chewy and totally satisfying combo of farro, pistachios and Parmesan. I’m calling it 5 ingredient but really it’s just those three plus lemon / evoo / salt / pepper, none of which should count so let’s just say those count for 2 ingredients…am I cheating? Whatever, just make it.

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VIRTUAL COOKING CLASS SEPTEMBER 14

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I’m back at it again! Come cook with me next Wednesday, September 14 from 4-5:00pm ET! Cooks of all skill levels are welcome and our menu is vegetarian-friendly. $40 per Zoomer.

After an informal poll on Instagram indicated that you feel like “less is more,” I’m paring down my agenda. We will learn to make one main dish very well versus a complete meal with multiple dishes. Rest assured, I’ll always supply an easy recipe or two for sides that would compliment anything we make. I can’t help myself.

Next week’s menu:

Late Summer Turkey or Lentil Bolognese with Lemony Ricotta and Greens

About our menu:

It can be tricky to figure out what to cook (or what you feel like eating) at the cusp of a new season. Here in the northeast, temperatures are wildly unpredictable – peak summer weather one minute and total fall the next. And food media is all squash, pumpkin spice, soups and long braises but we’ve got long, long months ahead for that. I’m not ready.

This Late Summer Bolognese straddles the fence. It uses fresh cherry tomatoes which are truly at their peak right now and requires a much shorter cooking time than its winter cousin, traditional Bolognese. You can make it with any ground poultry or keep it vegetarian with lentils standing in for the meat. I can honestly say that I enjoy both renditions equally so if you’re looking for a new not-at-all-sad #MeatlessMonday meal, this could be it.

We’ll serve the pasta over a big swoosh of lemony ricotta and greens. I love how the pasta, creamy cheese and lightly dressed greens mingle together; in my opinion, the best bites have a little of everything. I’m also providing a very simple recipe for roasted broccoli, though we won’t be cooking it together today. If you have the time / inclination, I’d encourage you to make it to serve alongside. I don’t know why but a big plate of Bolognese without a side of broccoli just don’t feel complete to me:)

This menu is hearty and comforting but bright and vibrant enough that we don’t feel like we’re rushing ourselves into the shorter, cooler days to come. I can’t wait to cook it with you!

Register!

Register for the class here.  I will approve your registration, and send you an invoice and more information about the class including a grocery list, our recipes and answers to common questions. If you can’t make it live, the recording will be made available to all registrants after the class. Which reminds me, past classes are always still available recorded for purchase.

HOPE I SEE YOU THERE!

JULY 20 VIRTUAL COOKING CLASS

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Come cutlet with me next Wednesday, July 20 from 4-5:15pm ET! Cooks of all skill levels are welcome and our menu is vegetarian-friendly. $40 per Zoomer. Here is our menu:

Perfect Chicken (or Eggplant or Zucchini) Cutlets

Tomato and Crushed Olive Salad

Lemony Arugula with Shaved Parm

In my opinion, cutlets are a basic recipe everyone should have down pat. Well-executed, they are a meal that everyone loves no matter their age. Good ones are crackling crisp, moist and highly flavorful. The chicken cutlets and veg “cutlets” we’ll be making together are just that.

You can enjoy them in countless ways. Dipped in warm tomato sauce (or ketchup); slathered with marinara, showered with mozz and baked up as chicken or eggplant parm; served atop any green salad; or enjoyed as a fried chicken or veg sandwich in a soft bun with slaw and special sauce. Or you can eat them as we will, with a seasonal tomato salad.

The tomato and crushed olive salad is bright, fresh and acidic – three attributes that are needed to balance the richness of the breaded chicken (or veg). Any highly acidic salad pairs well – think an extra lemony arugula salad (which we’ll make last minute because I can’t help myself), a citrus and fennel salad, or mixed bitter greens with lemon-dijon vinaigrette and avocado.

Let’s be honest, cutlets are a labor of love. You slice, you pound (for chicken), you dredge, you cook….and then you’re left with….ONE thing? There is no way around the fact that you have to want to make your people happy when you embark on the project. Luckily, they freeze like a dream so you can make them once and enjoy them twice. We’ll be prepping a double batch so you’ll have the star of a second meal stored away in your freezer.

Register for the class here.  I will approve your registration, and send you an invoice and more information about the class including a grocery list, our recipes and answers to common questions. If you can’t make it live, the recording will be made available to all registrants after the class.

HOPE I SEE YOU THERE!