One-Pot Lemony Chicken and Orzo

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I still keep my eyes open for low cost recipes to pass on to a group that was formed during the recession to help women who were trying to feed their families on a limited budget. The recession is long over, but we still get together for coffee three or four times a year to touch base and keep each other up to date. I make it a point to take a recipe or two with me when we meet up. Old habits die hard. I found the recipe for this super quick one dish meal on Recipes.com and I passed it on to them. It's a nice recipe and I'm comfortable passing it on to you. If you'd like a more upscale version of the dish replace the green beans with asparagus and top the finished dish with a sharp grated cheese. You can have the dish on the table in about 30 minutes and it definitely is inexpensive to make. If you're watching pennies or simply looking for a quick week night recipe, do give this one a try. Here is how it's made.

Garlic Green Beans

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The farm stands in our area sell beets, corn and and green in 20 pound bags that are ready to be processed. I usually don't can these vegetables, but because I blanch and freeze them,  I'm always looking for new ways to prepare them. Most of the recipes I've found, involve preparations that are nearly as involved as the main courses they'll be served with. That's not what I'm looking for,  so I dismiss them out of hand. What I really want are simple recipes that can be prepared with a minimum of fuss and bother. I got lucky when I found this one. The garlic-flavored oil that coats these beans takes them to another level and makes them perfect to serve with plain grilled meats or poultry. The beans can be table-ready in about 20 minutes, and while their preparation is a two step procedure, you'll only need one pot to make them. I do hope you'll try this recipe. I think its simplicity will appeal to you. Here is how the beans are made.

Garlic String Beans...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients:
1 pound trimmed green beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves sliced garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain.
2) Using same pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add sliced garlic and cook until fragrance is released, about 1 minute. Stir in green beans and toss to coat with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Yield: 4 servings.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Chocolate Espresso Cake

Two Years Ago Today: Lidia's Rice and Pea Soup

Three Years Ago Today: Corn Timbale

Four Years Ago Today: Green Beans with Balsamic-Shallot Butter

Fast, Fresh and Figure Friendly Summer Vegetable Crepes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Before I get to today's recipe I wanted to note the passing of Nora Ephron, a wise, witty and intelligent woman who was the creative force that brought the movie Julie and Julia to life. Nora was a champion of women, and rather than search for words to honor her, I thought I'd use some of her own words to capture the sense of who she was. She will be missed.

Speaking at a commencement exercise: "Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady," Ephron told Wellesley's Class of 1996 in a commencement speech. "I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women."

When asked about mortality: "You do get to a certain point in life where you have to realistically, I think, understand that the days are getting shorter, and you can't put things off thinking you'll get to them someday. If you really want to do them, you better do them. There are simply too many people getting sick, and sooner or later you will too. So I'm very much a believer in knowing what it is that you love doing so you can do a great deal of it."

Today's recipe is for an unusual crêpe that uses summer vegetables and herbs. They are served cold, and are very easy to prepare, especially if you use the "ready-to-use" crêpes that can be found in the grocery store. They are also figure friendly and manage to cut calories without sacrificing flavor. The recipe was first published in Eating Well magazine and you can find nutritional information for them here. I think those of you who try these will really be pleased. Here's the recipe.

Vegetable Crepes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Eating Well Magazine

Ingredients:

Sauce

1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives, divided, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons low-fat milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

Filling

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped zucchini
1-1/4 cups chopped green beans
1 cup fresh corn kernels, (from 1 large ear)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 9-inch “ready-to-use” crêpes

Directions:
1) To make sauce: Stir sour cream, 1/4 cup chives, milk, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
2) To make filling: Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, green beans and corn and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in ricotta, Monterey Jack, remaining 1/4 cup chives, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring gently, until cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
3) To make crepes: Place one crêpe on a piece of parchment or wax paper (or leave it on piece of plastic separating crêpes in package). Spoon one-fourth of vegetable-cheese mixture (about 3/4 cup) down center of crêpe. Use the paper (or plastic) to help you gently roll crêpe around filling. Place crêpe seam-side down on a dinner plate. Repeat with remaining crêpes and filling. Serve each crêpe topped with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce and more chives, if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Cook's Note: Ready-to-use” crèpes are fast and convenient. Look for them in the produce section of the market or near refrigerated tortillas.

One Year Ago Today: Blueberry Cream Squares

Two Years Ago Today: Baba Ganoush

Three Years Ago Today: Blue Corn Muffins

Thai-Style Green Beans

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While our berries are a bust this year, I'm happy to report that most locally grown vegetables seem to have escaped the problems that have come with our strange summer weather. To wit, while they'll be late, there will be corn and tomato crops and bean bins in our green markets are already brimming with a harvest of green and gold. When such large quantities of vegetables are dumped in markets at one time, there are bargains to be found. I've blanched and frozen a bushel of beans that were purchased for pennies on the dollar and I've started searching for recipes that will allow me to serve fresh beans in new ways. I'm really happy that I found this one. It's a prize winner that was developed by Candy McMenamin, a cooking contest colleague, who has an impressive number of wins to her credit. Her beans are fast, easy and delicious and the recipe, written to serve two people, can easily be doubled. While they don't make a particularly pretty dish, the peanut sauce they are tossed with makes the beans wonderfully flavorful and I really think you'll enjoy them. Here's the recipe.

Thai-Style Green Beans...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Candy McMenamin

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
Optional: Minced fresh cilantro and chopped dry roasted peanuts

Directions:
1) Combine soy sauce, hoisin sauce, peanut butter and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.
2) In a small skillet, saute shallots and ginger in oil over medium heat until crisp tender, about 2 minutes. Add green beans and cook, stirring, until crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Add reserved sauce and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cilantro and peanuts if desired. Yield: 2 servings.







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Green Beans with Garlic and Parmesan Cheese - Sweet Basil Kitchen
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Skillet Green Beans - Christine's Pantry

Tortino di Fagiolini - Green Bean Tart

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm not an extravagant person. I've known for years that the dream of the house on the hill is far sweeter than its acquisition and I'll never forget the lessons learned in the Italian kitchen of my childhood. While not an asetic, Mrs S. really believed that men were as rich as the things they could live without and she practiced what she preached. Some of it must have rubbed off on me. My consumer gene is quieter than most, but I occasionally stumble on something that awakens the shopper in me. That happened this morning as I was browsing through the wonderfully shameless first edition of Ruth Reichl's new venture, Gilt Taste. It's a high end catalog that features hard-to-find and artisanal food, as well as some wonderful recipes and great food writing. I was a bit poorer by the time I finished my breakfast coffee and could envision the look of disapproval Mrs. S would have given me. It also set me to thinking about the other lessons I learned while sitting at her table. She was a wonderful cook and had a natural gift for combining unusual ingredients in a way that would make a singular and scrumptious dish. One that I remembered was a frittata made with cheese and green beans. I had never been able to duplicate it, but I recently came across a very similar dish in the Los Angeles Times and decided to try it for our dinner tonight. Mrs. S. would have been pleased and I think that those of you who try this will find it very interesting. It is fairly simple to do and would make a wonderful entree for lunch or a light supper. If you are looking for meatless entrees I really think you'll like this. Here's the recipe.

Tortino di Fagiolini - Green Bean Tart...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Noelle Carter, Los Angles Times

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds green beans, cleaned
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, sliced into thin strips
1 small garlic clove, chopped
5 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup milk
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup ciabatta crumbs

Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add green beans and boil just until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain beans, and immediately shock them in a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. When beans are just cool, drain again. Coarsely chop beans into pieces approximately 1-1/2 inches in length and place in a large bowl.
2) In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat until hot. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and begin to color, 8 to 10 minutes.
3) Stir in chopped garlic and continue to cook until onion is caramelized, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cool slightly, then toss onions and garlic with green beans.
4) Meanwhile, make egg base: In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, milk, one-fourth teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper.
5) Stir egg base in with the beans and onion mixture.
6) Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pan: Completely line a 9-inch springform pan with foil, and grease foil.
7) Pour bean mixture into pan and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake until set (it should barely jiggle, and a knife inserted will come out clean), 30 to 40 minutes. Remove and cool tortino, still in pan, on a rack.
8) When tortino is cool, cover pan and refrigerate it until chilled (chilling tortino will make it easier to slice). Serve cold or at room temperature. Yield: 6 servings.








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Asparagus and Smoked Salmon Frittata - Dishing Up Delights
Smoked Trout and Leek Frittata - Food Glorious Food
Spinach Tomato and Feta Frittata - The Unconfidental Cook
Brie Bacon and Spinach Omelet - Food Glorious Food
Empty Fridge Frittata - London Foodie in New York
Caramelized Cauliflower Frittata - Herbivoracious
Mediterranean Vegetable Frittata - Healthy. Delicious

Green Beans with Sesame-Miso Sauce

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Farmers, gardeners and CSA shareholders know that when a crop comes in there's no stopping it. That's fine when it's something the family loves, but more difficult when it's a hard sell vegetable. My crew doesn't hate green beans but they don't appear on any of their last meal requests either. To not serve them isn't an option and I've learned the problem can be partially solved by varying the way they are cooked and presented. Green beans are rarely cooked to crisp tender perfection. Overcoming the tendency to over or under cook them nearly solves the problem, but it's also necessary to vary the way in which they're served if you want to prevent palate fatigue. It's possible to sauce beans in a healthy fashion that appeals to the eyes as well as a tired palate. The recipe for green beans with sesame-miso sauce comes from Hiorhiko Awano who is the chef at Kirakutei Restaurant in Paris, France. It costs pennies to serve and it's very easy to make. I love to serve this dish for buffets, potlucks and picnics. It holds up well and contains no mayonnaise, so it can sit without causing harm to it or you. Here's the recipe.

Green Beans with Sesame-Miso Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 pound green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup white miso
2 tablespoons ponzu sauce (see cook;s notes)
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds + seeds to garnish
1 teaspoon dark Asian sesame oil
3 tablespoons mirin or cooking sake

Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add beans and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until beans are crisp but tender. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking and set color. Drain when cooled.
2) Place rice vinegar, miso, ponzu sauce, ginger, sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil and mirin in the jar of an electric blender; process until smooth.
3) Transfer beans to a mixing bowl. Drizzle with sauce; toss gently and taste for seasoning. Drain again. Mound beans in a bowl or on a platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve at room temperature. Yield: 4 servings.

Recipe adapted from The Ethnic Paris Cookbook.

Cook's Notes: Ponzu sauce is usually available in the Asian food section of large grocery stores. If you cannot find it, use 1 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon lemon juice as an emergency replacement.