greens – Kitchen Delightenment

I recently needed a quick, fresh side dish idea for a potluck picnic. This time of year, delicious green beans are in season and offer the perfect spring flavor to any meal. This recipe is a breeze to prepare and with the balance of nutrients in the fresh vegetables and the awesome healthy fats found in walnuts, it is a wonderful complement to a community gathering.

This dish can be made ahead of time, but I suggest leaving the walnuts out until serving to maintain crispness. Injoy!

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed

1 cup walnuts

2-4 Tbls fresh snipped chives

2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbls freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ tsp lemon zest

½ tsp sea salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil. Add green beans and blanch for about 4-5 minutes until tender but still crisp.
Drain using a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Place into a large bowl.
Place the walnuts into an 8 x 8-inch baking dish and roast for about 10 minutes. Watch carefully as they burn easily.
Place on a plate to cool, then chop and add to green beans.
Wisk the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and add to the green beans and walnuts. Injoy!!

This is my favorite new, incredibly versatile recipe. It makes a great side dish for a fresh salad dinner or lunch, is wonderful with eggs for breakfast and is a tasty snack all on it’s own, too! The seasoning is a delicious blend. I often experiment with adding turmeric, curry powder and cumin as well. Injoy!

Ingredients:

3 medium zucchinis

8 pieces of bacon

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 Tbsp of oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F

2. Cut the bacon in half, widthwise and place the bacon on a rimmed baking sheet, lined with foil.

3. Bake for 10 minutes. Don’t make too crispy, as it will be hard to wrap around zucchini

4. Meanwhile, peel the skin of the zucchini (optional) and trim the ends.

5. Cut the zucchini into pieces that are 1” thick and 11⁄2” long (it should yield 16 pieces of zucchini).

6. Add the zucchini to a large bowl with the garlic powder, chili powder, and oil.

Stir to coat.

7. Remove the bacon from the oven and drain the renderings.

8. Wrap one piece of bacon around each piece of zucchini and secure with a tooth- pick.

9. Place each piece of zucchini on the baking sheet and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and the zucchini is tender. Flip the zucchini halfway through so the bacon cooks evenly.

10. For crispier bacon, broil it for the last 3-5 minutes of baking (keep an eye on it).