#111 :: Chicken Stiir Fry with Green Beans

Change of pace! We had a little bit of Asian flair this week. Plus, this gave me a chance to use up some of the veggies in the fridge that wouldn't keep while we're on vacation (we leave in 3 days -- excited!!). Even though the recipe only called for green beans, I threw in a carrot, a green pepper and a red pepper.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, very thinly sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon Asian spice blend
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed, cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced (*our addition)
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced (*our addition)
• 1 carrot, stem ends trimmed, cut into 3-inch lengths (*our addition)
  
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (*I don't have this, so I used teriyaki sauce instead)
  
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Chopped green onions, for garnish

Directions

In a bowl, combine the chicken, 4 1/2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, and Asian spice blend. Toss to coat and let sit for 10 minutes.

In a large wok or saute pan, heat the oil over high heat. Add the chicken and stirring constantly, cook until brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beans (and veggies) and stir-fry until wrinkled, stirring, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 10 seconds. Add the remaining 3 teaspoons of soy sauce, sesame oil, teriyaki sauce and red pepper flakes. Stir to coat, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and serve immediately, over white or basmati rice. Garnish with green onions.

Makes 4 servings

Recipe from Emeril Live on Food Network

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

#97 :: Herb Tilapia with Green Beans

This is a one pan meal! It had the potential to be really good, but the crust didn't stick to my fish! Most of it ended up stuck to the bottom of the pan -- not burned, just stuck....and I'm not really sure why. It's said to cook over med/high heat (so I used medium), plenty of butter in the pan, followed the instructions to the letter.....all I can think is that the heat should have been higher so they spent less time in the pan. I got the perfect golden color I was looking for, it just wouldn't stick to the fish! Anyway, the important part is that the flavor was good, even if most of the fish had crumbled coatings. (Luckily we got one piece that turned out alright, so we were able to use it for the photo).

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, plus more for garnish (we used 1 tsp. dried)
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (we used 1 tsp. dried)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 6-ounce tilapia fillets
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 pound thin green beans or haricots verts
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (we skipped the tomatoes!)
  
• Juice of 1 lemon

Directions

Combine the flour, oregano and parsley in a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in the skillet, then add 2 fillets and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook through, 1 to 2 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 2 fillets.

Add the green beans and garlic to the skillet and cook about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the tomatoes and cook until just softened, about 1 more minute. Stir in the lemon juice and 1/4 cup water, then cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until just melted.

Divide the fish and vegetables among plates. Garnish with oregano.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Food Network

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

#44 :: Green Bean Casserole

I grew up on this stuff. So easy to make, but soooo good! I served it with some chicken (in sage butter, like we've made before).

Ingredients

• 2 cans french style green beans (drained)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 small can french fried onions
• 1/4 tsp coarse grind black pepper
  
  

Directions


Preheat the oven to 350.

Pour the drained green beans into a glass baking dish. I use a 9x or a meat loaf dish. Add in the cream of mushroom, 1/2 of the french fried onions and the black pepper and mix it all together. Sprinkle the last of the french fried onions over the top. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly around the edges.




Makes 4-6 servings

Recipe from: My Mom (or maybe the Campbells Soup can, lol)

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

#16 :: Cornish Hens with Sage Butter

Last night's dinner was delicious! Another home run recipe from Food Network! I thought I was going to have leftovers for my lunch today, but we ate it ALL! For the side dishes I made a bag of frozen baby carrots with honey glaze and I cooked some green beans in the same pan as the leftover sage butter. YUM!

Ingredients

• 4 (1 3/4-pound) Cornish game hens, butterflied
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 5 to 7 sage leaves, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, zested
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil, for sauteing
• 4 strips bacon, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place hens on a sheet tray fitted with a cooling rack in the refrigerator to dry skin out for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium heat, melt butter with sage, zest, salt and pepper. Remove hens from refrigerator. Preheat 2 large saute pans over medium heat, lightly coat with oil. Season hens with salt and pepper and sear, skin side down, in the pans. Sear until skin caramelizes and turns golden brown and crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Flip birds over, and baste with sage butter. Sprinkle tops with chopped bacon and place in preheated oven to finish cooking, 25 to 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Cooking for Real on Food Network.

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars