Sauteed Green Beans and Carrots

I don't usually get excited about side dishes, probably why there are far too few on this blog. This was so tasty, healthy, and easy, that I can get excited about this side.

I put it over quinoa and served it as a main dish, so... I guess that means it wasn't a side dish after all, hmmm.

Here is the cooked quinoa, botanically it is a seed, but most people think it is a grain and use it as such. It has an earthy flavor and makes a good base to stir fry instead of rice, it also has a good amount of protein for something so small. This is red quinoa, follow package directions, it is really, really easy, you just simmer it for 15 minutes or so.

 Ingredients:
1/2 - 1 pound green beans, ends snapped off and washed
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1/2 -1 pound carrots, peeled, and cut into sticks
2 sun dried tomatoes, minced
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
Place carrots in saucepan, cover with water, simmer until tender but still very crisp.
Place green beans in same or steam them until tender but still very crisp. If you cook them together the beans will get mushy before the carrots.
In a large skillet, saute the onion in the olive oil, then stir in the tomato.

 This is a sun dried tomato, actually it is two.

Drain the green beans and the carrots, add to the skillet.

Toss in the hot pan until coated in the oil and the flavors are mingled. Salt and pepper to taste.

They are great next to any meat dish or ...

This is my cooked quinoa.

 Then I place the veggies over the quinoa. Yum.

The sun dried tomato and onion added so much flavor to the beans and carrots. Don't overcook them or you will have mush, you want some crisp and good color.
Pretty and tasty, how can you go wrong?

Orange Honey Butter-Rich and Sweet

Nothing dresses up a tray of muffins, bread or a plain potato like a compound butter.

  On fresh bread...

It is also one of the easiest ways to add flavor.
Ingredients:
1 stick butter (the real thing), room temperature
4-5 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon orange zest or 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
Stir it all together.

Put it in a small crock or serving dish. Or roll in wax paper to form a log and refrigerate for later use, when cold it can be sliced into discs and arranged decoratively on a serving plate alongside muffins or toast.

So yummy!

Maple Sweet Potato Bread

Bread is one of the easiest foods with which to play, once you get a good basic recipe you can hide all kinds of healthy stuff in it. A week ago I was bless with several sweet potatoes, one could more accurately say "an abundance". Now, one member of my household will not eat sweet potatoes, won't touch them with the proverbial "ten foot pole", if he doesn't know they are in the grocery bag then he will carry them in (slight exaggeration, he would carry them in regardless). So what else is there to do but hide these nutritionally dense tubers in a rich bread dough. I also replaced the white sugar with maple syrup which only enhanced the flavor and gentle orange color.

My camera stopped working half way through this recipe so I pulled out the little power shot to finish up, a good camera for tucking in my purse for outings but not what I needed indoors so the last several photos are a bit blurry.
Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
1 envelope dry yeast (1 packet)
1/4 cup maple syrup (only the real stuff)
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, melted then cooled
1 large egg
2/3 to 3/4 cup mashed sweet potato
3/4 cup oatmeal, quick or old fashioned
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups (more or less) flour (all purpose or white spelt)
In a large mixer bowl, combine water, yeast and a teaspoon of the maple syrup. Let rest for 10 minutes, it will  be foamy.

Add everything else to the bowl, beginning with the wet ingredients, then the dry adding the flour last.

Mix well, knead for 5 minutes. Form into a ball, place on counter or back in bowl, cover with clean towel and allow to rise for 40 minutes or until double in bulk.

Knead for 5 more minutes, divide in half for 2 loaves or in smaller portions for odd sized pans. I used 1 loaf pan and 2 stoneware crocks. Place dough in well greased pans, cover and let rise another 40 minutes, until double in bulk.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake 25 minutes for small pans or 35-40 for loaf, until golden, internal temperature will be 190F if you want to be accurate.

This is why I really like my stoneware, look how cleanly this lifted out...

Nice.
This is good as toast, sandwiches, or with soup, it sliced well and had a wonderful aroma. If it lasts long enough it would make great French toast!

Yum!

Fresh Bread Crumbs--Anytime

Don't let stale bread go to waste, make bread crumbs, I have used French bread, brioche, parker house rolls, sandwich bread, even cornbread.

Wait until the bread is stale then break it into large chunks and put it into the food processor.  

Process on high until all is crumbs. 

Use immediately or store in a zipper bag in the freezer. 

You can season them with Italian seasoning if you like.

Use them for this  http://hearthandhospitality.blogspot.com/2011/08/parmesan-chicken-nuggets-for-picky.html  or what ever you want. I like having them in the freezer all ready when I need them and nothing wasted. 

Fresh French Bread

I have been using this recipe for years, it is always good and a very versatile loaf of bread. I use it for garlic bread, dipping in soups, French onion soup, along side pasta and for bread crumbs if it lasts too long, good stuff.
French bread is very low in fat, airy, and has a crisp, chewy crust. So make this soon and enjoy however you like...I am thinking a grilled mozzarella and tomato sandwich, mmm.

Makes 2 loaves ( Don't be confused by the photos, it was half the recipe )
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
In a large mixer bowl, combine 1/3 cup water with the sugar and yeast. Allow to rest for 15 minutes, it will become frothy.

Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, if the dough is sticky just add a bit more flour until you have a soft dough that forms a ball.

Knead for 5 minutes. Cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
Knead for 5 minutes.
Roll into a rope. Put on a sheet pan or baguette pan that has been lightly sprayed with oil, for the last 15 years I used a sheet pan, my daughter just gave a baguette pan to me, they both work well.

Cover with the clean towel again and allow to rise 40 minutes or until it is double in bulk.

Bake in preheated oven, 425F. for 25-30 minutes.

Remove from pan and allow to cool completely before slicing.

Just waiting for the garlic butter....maybe some tomato soup.  http://hearthandhospitality.blogspot.com/2010/04/creamy-tomato-soup.html  There you go, make them both, yum!