I know what you’re thinking. Green beans aren’t that exciting. Well, I hate to break it to you, but you’re wrong. These green beans are exciting. In fact, often times they’re my favorite part of the meal. Unless, of course, they are served alongside these mashed potatoes. I’d probably choose the potatoes just because puddles of melted butter scream my name in the night. TMI? Okay, I’ll stop.

This soup has it all: healthy, hearty, quick to make, and tastes fabulous.

Last year, my little pumpkin patch was prolific, and we harvested 75-100 pounds of squash. I still have some of those pumpkins leftover today, waiting to be turned into pies, cookies, breads, and this soup. I first made this soup earlier this year during a surprise late-spring cold snap. Brant’s not a fan of squash, but he knew not to complain as I was running out of creative uses for pumpkin and this soup automatically garnished my favor simply because it used two cups of pumpkin. I was hesitant because I was afraid that the soup would taste pumpkin-y. Nope! It was great! Brant and I were both eager to eat it again for leftovers and, like most soups, it tasted even better the second day. The pumpkin made the soup rich and thick, but even with such a large amount of pumpkin, the soup didn’t taste like squash. We loved the addition of the meaty, salty ham chunks and the flavor that they imparted. This is a new favorite for us on cold winter nights, and it’s so healthy that we don’t feel guilty about going back for seconds!

These are awesome. It took me a while to perfect the recipe, but now that I’ve done so, I want to serve them at every gathering we host. What better way to eat veggies than wrapped in bacon!?

The first time I made these, I followed the directions exactly and immediately could see room for improvement. The original recipe called for cooking the bundles on a jelly roll pan, which was fine until you served them and realized that the bacon tops were crisp but the bottoms were soggy and floating in grease. Gross. Additionally, the green beans were dried out from 40 minutes in the oven, making them overly chewy and difficult to eat.

The next time I baked these, I cooked them on a cookie rack to keep the bundles from floating in grease, and I turned and basted them half way through cooking to allow the bacon to brown evenly on all sides. And to solve the problem of the bacon and green beans cooking at different rates, I blanched the green beans for 4 minutes in boiling water and pre-cooked the bacon for a couple of minutes on the stove until it was just beginning to cook and yet still very pliable. This halved the cooking time and resulted in much more evenly cooked bundles. My only problem was the sauce; I had doubled it, which was a great decision, but the brown sugar kept caramelizing into a solid mass. That would not work very well for basting! I decided that the brown sugar should be added to the sauce last, off the heat, and simply stirred until dissolved. The result? Green bean bacon bundle perfection.

green bean bacon bundles
recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is and cooking methods developed by Dishing the Divine

1 pound fresh green beans
10-12 slices of thick-cut bacon (I used applewood smoked bacon and loved it)
4 tablespoons butter
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400F. Place a cookie rack on top of a large baking sheet.

Boil a large pot of water. While the water is boiling, cut the ends off the green beans. Blanch in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes, until the beans are bright green and tender crisp. Drain in a colander and rinse immediately with cold water. Set aside.

Cook bacon in batches on the stove for 2-3 minutes or until the meat is just starting to cook but is still very pliable. (It should not be crisp or else you won’t be able to wrap it around the green beans!)

Gather the green beans in bunches of 6-8 beans, wrap with a piece of bacon, and place on the cookie rack. Secure with a toothpick if you desire. Repeat the process for the remaining green beans and bacon.

On the stove over medium high heat, heat the butter until melted. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat, add the brown sugar, and stir until dissolved. Baste the tops of the bundles with half of this mixture.

Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully rotate all the bundles so that the tops become the bottoms. Baste again with the remaining sauce. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the bacon is crispy brown. Serve immediately, adding more salt to taste.

hummus
recipe from www.cooksillustrated.com

1/2 cup dried garbanzo beans (otherwise known as chickpeas)
2 quarts water
1/8 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp lemon juice
6 tbsp tahini, stirred well
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 small garlic clove
1/4 tsp ground cumin
pinch cayenne
fresh cilantro or parsley to garnish

Pick through and rinse chickpeas. Place beans in large bowl, cover with 1 quart water, and soak overnight. Drain. Bring beans, baking soda, and 1 quart water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup bean cooking water, and cool.

Combine lemon juice and bean cooking water in small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk together tahini and 2 tablespoons oil in second small bowl or measuring cup. Set aside 2 tablespoons chickpeas for garnish.

Process chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin, and cayenne in food processor until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, add lemon juice-water mixture in steady stream through feed tube. Scrape down bowl and continue to process for 1 minute. With machine running, add oil-tahini mixture in steady stream through feed tube; continue to process until hummus is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

Transfer hummus to serving bowl, sprinkle reserved chickpeas and cilantro over surface, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until flavors meld, at least 30 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

When my hubby invited a slew of men over to the house the other night, I knew I had to get out or get swallowed up in the testosterone. I posted a plea on facebook asking for someone to shelter me for the evening. My sweet friend Laura invited me for dinner at her house and I was able to hold her new 3 week old baby for hours. It was an amazing time of food and chatting. And baby holding. Did I mention I got to hold her baby? Because I did. And she’s cute.

Dinner was quesadillas. I had read about an interesting quesadilla twist on 101cookbooks.com. Unlike about 99% of the US population, I don’t love cheese. A little melted here and there is fine, but do I need it oozing out of every meal? No siree. Quesadillas are a quick and easy snack for you cheese lovers, but if you don’t stuff them with a ton of cheese, they really don’t fill you up. 101cookbooks suggests forming the quesadilla around a cooked egg. The egg provides substance and protein and helps make the quesadilla “fuller.” And for you cheese lovers, have no fear. There’s still plenty of room for lots of cheese. Laura had already grated some cheese and combined it with beans and corn for her quesadilla filling. I married her idea with the 101 cookbooks idea and added a handful of cilantro and here it is: quesadillas with a twist.

quesadillas with a twist

with the help of 101cookbooks.com and my friend Laura Dahl

cheese mixture (this makes lots – refrigerate the leftovers):

1 tsp bacon grease, lard, or butter
1 cup corn (thawed if frozen, rinsed if from a can)
4 cups of shredded cheese (I prefer a mixture of sharp cheddar and something that melts well like Jarlsberg or Monterey Jack)
1 cup black beans, rinsed
1/4 cup cilantro (optional)

eggy quesadilla mixture – if you are serving a group, simply repeat the steps below until everyone is satisfied)

1 egg
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp bacon grease, lard, or buter
1 corn tortilla

garnish

guacamole, salsa, and lime to taste

In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon grease until hot. Add corn and toast, stirring often, until kernels start to turn golden brown. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine the cheese, beans, cilantro, and cooled corn. Set aside.

Scramble one egg in a medium bowl. Add salt to scrambled egg mixture and stir well. Heat bacon grease in a non-stick griddle or cast iron pan over medium heat until melted. Add scrambled egg mixture, let cook for 15 seconds. Place tortilla on top of the egg. Continue to cook for about 15 more seconds, or until the egg is lightly browned on the bottom. Flip the egg and tortilla all at once so that the egg is on top of the tortilla.

Immediately place a few tablespoons of the cheese mixture on one side of the tortilla and fold the tortilla in half. Cook for about 30-60 seconds, until cheese mixture starts to melt. Flip the quesadilla and cook on the second side for 30-60 seconds until the cheese is completely melted. Continue to cook longer if you prefer a browned quesadilla.

Serve with guacamole, salsa, and lime to taste.

For some people, this is too spicy as written, so I recommend omitting some of the spices at first and then add more to taste when you serve it. Remember that spicy foods become spicier the longer they sit, so plan accordingly if you think you’ll have leftovers. Also, with the inclusion of both sweet potatoes and honey, this may be a bit sweet for your taste if you follow the recipe as stated. You may want to start by omitting the honey and then adding it to taste after all the other ingredients have simmered.

sweet potato and black bean chili
adapted from www.denverpost.com

3     large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1     large onion, chopped
1     tbsp olive oil
2     tbsp chili powder
3     garlic cloves, minced
1     tsp ground cumin
1/8-1/4   tsp cayenne pepper (depending on taste)
2     cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1     can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus more to taste
2/3 cup pumpkin puree (optional)
1-2     tbsp honey (depending on taste)
1/2   tsp salt
1/4   tsp pepper
1/2   cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican cheese blend (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
Cilantro, minced (optional)

In a pot, heat the oil and saute the sweet potatoes and onion until crisp-tender, about 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chili powder, garlic, cumin and cayenne; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, broth, pumpkin, honey, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. Adjust seasoning to taste. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with cheese and/or top with a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with cilantro, if using.

If you follow me on twitter or faceboook then you know that I have spent the last 3 days helping my friend move. This has involved all the usual moving chaos – painting the new place, packing the old place, figuring out how to stay sane and not bite each others’ heads off in the meantime. I’ve moved before and the only thing that makes people more grouchy than packing is packing when you’re hungry. This is where I come in. I came to LA with an arsenal of easy to prepare, great tasting recipes to whip up. Among them were these sandwiches, this pasta, and today’s recipe: garbanzo bean salad. Clearly summer is here: the overarching theme in all these meals is tomatoes, basil, raw garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I’m not complaining, although I’m sure anyone else that smells us is probably graciously keeping their mouths shut.

garbanzo bean salad
www.allrecipes.com

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion (optional – it’s good with and good without)
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup fresh dried basil, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt

In a medium sized bowl, toss together all the ingredients and let marinate in the fridge for at least 45 minutes. Serve chilled.

tortilla casserole
www.allrecipes.com

2 (15-oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup salsa, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
7 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups chopped cooked chicken, steak, and/or pork (optional)
additional salsa, sour cream, and guacamole for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mash pinto beans. Stir in 3/4 cup salsa and garlic.

In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup salsa, cilantro, black beans, and tomatoes.

Place 1 tortilla in an oven safe dish. Spread 3/4 cup pinto bean mixture over tortilla to within 1/2 inch of edge. Top with 1/4 cup cheese.

Add another tortilla. Spread with 2/3 cup black bean mixture and top with 1/4 cup cheese.

Repeat layering twice, adding meat to these layers if using.

Cover with remaining tortilla and top that with remaining pinto bean mixture and cheese.

Cover casserole with  a lightly greased sheet of aluminum foil (the grease keeps the cheese from sticking to the foil). Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

Phew… the holidays are over. If you’ve wondered whether I dropped off the planet, the answer is no. I had wonderful family time on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and then packed off to the mountains for a couple of days with my hubby so he could test out his new Christmas present – some snow tubes that promised to go FAST! Now we’re back home and recovering from our New Year’s party! Sometimes I feel like I need a vacation from the Christmas/New Year’s vacation.

But enough about me. You’re really here to read about the most amazing minestrone recipe ever, so let’s get to that. This is one of my favorite and most-often-served recipes, probably because it’s the embodiment of what everyone wants on cold winter days such as these: hearty, healthy, tasty, and versatile. And boy, oh boy is it versatile. If you’re vegetarian, you can just omit the chicken sausage and substitute vegetarian broth. If you aren’t a vegetarian, you can choose any flavored sausage that you think would suit this soup (chicken and roasted garlic & chicken and sun dried tomato are my favorite, but I’m sure there are many others that would appeal!). If you are accustomed to seeing noodles in your minestrone, go ahead and add some pre-cooked noodles to the end of this dish (just beware: if you refrigerate it overnight with the noodles inside, they will absorb most of your broth and your soup will become stew!). I prefer to skip the noodles and to serve this with a crusty bread instead.

I got my inspiration for this dish from another book, but I have made so many modifications that I think that I can now call the recipe my own.

When I was growing up, no one told me that stuffed peppers usually have meat in them. Really? Why would you do such a thing? It sounds downright awful. These are meat free and chock full of flavor. I would just eat the rice and cheese mixture, but I figure a girl needs her veggies. However, if you don’t care for bell peppers, feel free to just make the rice mixture and bake it with some cheese on top!

The trick to getting the peppers perfectly cooked is to microwave them before you stuff and bake them. Don’t miss this step! I often forget to do this, and when I sit down to eat, I end up emptying out all the peppers and then mircrowaving them. This makes a huge mess and does not make for very nice presentation. So, learn from my mistakes and microwave at the start of the recipe so you don’t forget!

stuffed peppers

4-5 red bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise and microwaved for 4-5 minutes or until softened
1 14.5-ounce can stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup brown rice
2 tbsp black wild rice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp salt
Cheddar cheese, sliced

First, microwave those peppers. If you don’t do it now, you’ll forget, and you’ll be sad when you sit down to eat!

Next, combine the rice, tomatoes, water, and cumin. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low until the brown rice is fully cooked. Because different types of brown rice have different cooking times, look on your package for instructions on how long to cook the rice. Mine usually takes 40-45 minutes.

Once the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed, add the beans and salt. Stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 400. Place the pepper halves open-side-up in a 9×13 pan. Divide the rice mixture among the peppers.

Add cheese slices to the top of each pepper. This is optional, but it’s my favorite part, so I wouldn’t skip it. However, if you have a dairy allergy, go ahead and make them without the cheese!  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve with a fork and knife! We usually serve 2 halves to each person as a complete dinner. Enjoy!