Marinated Butter Beans at 1/3 the cost!

A perfect appetizer, Butter Beans are not only good for you, but also rather inexpensive to prepare with few ingredients to gather. These marinated beauties are prepared the night before and served chilled. You may have seen these marinated beans in the salad and olive bar section of your grocery store, selling for shy of $10 a pound; however, this recipe will show how you can achieve a superior duplication for much less than that right from the comfort of your own kitchen. The quantities mentioned will serve as a first course for a dinner party of 8.

2 16 oz. cans of Butter Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup +2 tablespoons of white balsamic or rice vinegar
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Butter lettuce for presentation

Drain and rinse the Butter Beans and set aside in a large bowl. Add the garlic and chopped red pepper.

In another bowl, add all other ingredients and with a wire whisk, beat well until all is blended and a smooth texture is achieved. Add this dressing to the Butter Beans and stir well for about a minute. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

That's all there is to it. For about $6.25, you have prepared 2 pounds of marinated Butter Beans every bit as good (or better) than that found in specialty markets at 1/3 the price! Serve these chilled over a bed of Butter (Boston) lettuce and you'll have your dinner guests satisfied and impressed.

French Haricots meet Oyster Sauce for a savory sensation

Side dishes require more thought than many of us really care to take. One must consider what protein we are going to serve as well as how many sides we want to present. Do we do 2 vegetables, a starch and a vegetable, or simply a vegetable or starch. How will the side compliment the protein? Do we want savory or simple steamed so as not to overpower the other items in the dish. You could go on and on with this; however, just as you want to give considerate thought to what you are putting together, you don't want to make it rocket science either.

One side dish that works very well with most proteins and adds nice color to your plate is the baby green beans often called French Haricots. These small, thin green beans have grown in popularity that offer vibrant color to your dish as well as wonderful flavor. With their growth in popularity, they can now be found in most supermarkets at a very affordable price. Trader Joe's, for those fortunate enough to have one in your area, actually offers the authentic French Haricots imported from France in the frozen section, costing only $1.99 for a one pound bag. It is worth your while to try a bag, as they are absolutely delicious!

Matching very well with baked pork roast or whole chicken, French Haricots with sauteed bacon in an oyster sauce are a must try for your next side dish. Very easy to prepare, your guests will go nuts over this preparation. The ingredients, easy to procure, include:

1/2 pound of French Haricots, ends snipped
1/2 pound of bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
1/2 cup of chicken stock
3 tablespoons of oyster sauce (found in most supermarkets in the Asian section)
1/2 teaspoon of coarse ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and parboil the beans for about 4 minutes. While beans are parboiling, saute the bacon in the olive oil over medium high heat for several minutes. Remove beans from boiling water and drain. Set aside.

Once bacon is browned, remove from pan onto a paper towel. Remove excess oil from pan and return pan to burner. Turn burner to medium and saute the garlic for about 30 seconds and add the chicken stock to deglaze pan.

Add the beans to the pan and saute over medium heat, stirring and flipping frequently. Add back the bacon, pepper, and oyster sauce, and toss. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot. If you want, you may pour a tablespoon of melted butter over beans before serving, as well as a bit of chopped parsley. Enjoy!

...and we're dancing Quiche to Quiche

Oh the joy of Quiche, having had its ups and downs over the years from the "in" dish of the "nouveau jet set" of 30 years ago to the "real men don't really eat it" crowd soon after. Once all the dust settles however, Quiche is the one left standing tall and oh so "Francais". It just goes to show that classics never die. They just take their places in the halls of tradition, Quiche being no exception. And in the end, real men can't resist nibbling at it from time to time.

One thing to be said, Quiche is clothed in many styles, from the traditional Lorraine adorned with bacon or jambon and onions, to the more elaborate outfits of tomatoes, capers, peppers, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and shrimp; however, one thing that they all have in common is their cloak of cheese, lots of cheese! The favorite among these is Gruyere with its rich aroma and depth of flavors, a cheese that knows how to melt perfectly.

It's amazing how easy it is now days to make Quiche at home. There's really nothing to it. The pastry dough, usually the most time consuming part of the preparation can be purchased ready made in any supermarket. These packages come with a bottom and top crust. Both are the same size and since you'll only use one crust, each box contains enough dough to make 2 Quiches. The rest of the ingredients are easy to assemble with minor prep and cooking time.

Lorraine is what made Quiche famous in the West and so today you will learn how to make this classic. It should take no more than 90 minutes from start to slicing, so without further ado, let's begin with gathering the ingredients. This will make a 9 inch pie.

1/2 package of ready made pie dough, thawed
5 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/2 lb. of bacon, cut into 1 inch strips
5 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 cups of grated Gruyere
1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of parsley, finely chopped
2 pinches of nutmeg
1/4 cup of chicken stock (for deglazing)
1 9" spring form pan
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter

You will notice the picture of the Quiche shown above was baked using a spring form pan as opposed to a pie dish. If you have a spring form pan that is about 9" in diameter, use that one. It will give your Quiche a whole new elegant "cheesecake" look.

Preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Grease the bottom and sides of your spring form pan. Roll out the sheet of pre-made pie dough and set it in the pan carefully, allowing the dough to come up the sides of the pan. Pat it down gently and poke holes at the bottom with a fork. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Turn oven down to 350F (170C).

While crust is cooling, prepare your other ingredients. In a large fry pan, saute the bacon over medium high heat. Add a bit of the olive oil if needed. Saute for about 5 minutes and remove bacon to a holding dish. Do not discard the pan drippings.

In the same pan, add the onions, garlic, and olive oil and saute over medium high heat. Continue to saute until onions begin to caramelize and turn a nice light brown. Now add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan. Add the butter and continue to saute until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn heat off and set pan aside.

In a large bowl, add the eggs and lightly beat them. Add the cream and other ingredients except the onions, bacon, and cheese. Stir ingredients until well mixed.

Now add the onions to the mixture and stir well. Next, add 3/4 of the cheese and stir well. Now add the remaining cheese to the bottom of the pie crust, making sure bottom is well covered and then sprinkle the bacon over the layer of cheese so that bacon is well distributed throughout the bottom. The cheese and bacon layer will help withhold moisture from reaching the dough, thus making for a crispier crust. Finally, pour mixture over the bacon and cheese. Wrap the outside of the spring form pan with foil so no leakage will occur during baking. Bake at 350 for about an hour or until you can stick a tooth pick in and remains dry when removed. Should your Quiche surface begin to brown to quickly, you can place a sheet of foil over it about halfway, removing it during the final 15 minutes.

When done, remove from the oven and allow to set for about 30 minutes before removing the spring form ring. Touch and feel the surface to make sure it is solidifying during cooling. The crust sides will help keep the Quiche well shaped.

This Quiche can be served will a side salad of frizzy lettuce and butter lettuce leaves. A nice chilled white wine will work well as will a nice Riesling. Enjoy!

Sauce Bolognese has a love affair with Pasta - rice and potatoes be jealous!

Oh, please don't be jealous, rice and potatoes! Sauce Bolognese is very forgiving and has no problem mixing it up with each of you. She loves pouring herself over your fluffy grains and Yukon wedges; however, make no mistake about it, her great true love is still with pasta! So get over it!

Bolognese is an absolutely delicious and savory tomato base sauce that has its origins in the city of Bologna, Italy. The sauce can be prepared with or without meat; however, traditionally, it always contains meat. Which ever way you like it, one thing's for sure, you never want to rush its cooking. Allow the sauce to slowly take its time, slowly cooking.

Another important to consider when preparing Bolognese, there's nothing like making it from scratch. From grinding your own meat to seeding and chopping your tomatoes, you'll be amazed at the richness in flavors you can create yourself; furthermore, you'll also be amazed as to how easy it is to do. There's nothing like fresh homemade Sauce Bolognese. Let's get started. This recipe will easily serve a party of 6 and still provide leftovers.

You will need:

1 lb. of beef, cut in 1 inch cubes (not too lean of a cut)
3/4 lb. of pork, cut in 1 inch cubes (I use boneless rib)
10 medium very ripened tomatoes, seeds removed
3 medium bell peppers ( 1 each green, yellow, and red), finely chopped
3 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
4 green onions (scallions), finely chopped
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 cup of chopped green Spanish olives
1/2 lb. of baby Portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small can of tomato paste
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup of fresh basil, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon of basil paste)
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
6 small anchovy fillets (no salt added)
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 1/2 cup of red wine
2 tablespoons of anise liquor (my little secret)
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard (another of my little secrets)
2 tablespoons of Marscapone
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon of butter
salt and black pepper (to taste)
2 one pound packages of linguine pasta (my preference)

Keep it simple Shrimp & Chicken

With Summer nearing its end in the Northern Hemisphere (you lucky Aussies down south!), it seems fitting to enjoy one of the last outdoor lunch activities with a simple and colorful saute, finished off with a refreshing salad of fresh Spinach in a lemon and orange dressing. Certainly this will seem out of place in the dead of Winter, so while we still can, set that patio table up for you and your favorite friends and enjoy the last days of those warm rays dining the afternoon away!

This lunch menu keeps your time in the kitchen to a minimum, allowing you more time in the sun. For the main course let's get the following ingredients together:

NonChefNick Celebrates Anniversary #2!!

L'OREO - So embarrassingly easy, no wonder the taste is so incredible!

I pondered for some time regarding posting this dessert as I am not accustomed to "assembling" as opposed to "creating" dishes; however, once a bite reached my mouth, it was all over. I had arrived at the gallows of creativity, pride thrown out the window, and my prêt-à-porter dessert L'OREO was off to the blogosphere without a thought of turning back, it was delicious!


Now, if you love Smores and Oreo cookies, you will agree with me this is the dessert for you, save the marshmallows, of course. Hiding my face, I stand shameless, as I list the ingredients you will need: