Cooked slowly in a mixture of bacon-onion water makes for the perfectly stewed fresh green bean. Pair them with most any meat. 1/4 lb. bacon, cut into 1″ pieces 1 medium onion, peeled & sliced 3 cups water 1 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 1 1/2 pounds fresh green [...]

This is what you do with those bags of broccoli slaw found near the bags of lettuce and coleslaw at your grocer. Add a sprinkling of nuts (walnuts, pine nut, pecans) whatever you wish to bump it up another notch.  Oddly, this went quite well with egg salad sandwiches. 1 pkg. broccoli slaw mix 2 [...]

I still love this classic. 4 cans green beans, drained 1 can cream of mushroom soup 3/4 cup milk 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper 1 1/3 cup fried onions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix beans, soup, milk, and 2/3 cup of the fried onions. Empty into a casserole dish and [...]

A great side dish, or a lighter main dish. 1 box lasagna noodles – the kind you must boil 2 boxes frozen, chopped spinach 15 oz. container ricotta cheese 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1 jar (or 2-3 cups homemade) tomato sauce – your choice 1/2 – 1 [...]

In elementary school I had a classmate whose mother would send her with pickled eggplant for lunch. To an 11-year old they looked kinda gross at first but then I tasted them. They were so exotic and tart, I was in awe; we never had this kind of stuff at our house! Though I never [...]

I’ve got this thing for beets. I really do. Not a lot of my friends or family agree with me, but that’s okay, I get more! 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup white or rice vinegar 3/4 cup water 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper 1 large onion, sliced thin 2 cans sliced beets, undrained [...]

A lovely vegetable side dish which we served alongside baked chicken.  2 cups water l lb. carrots, trimmed, cut into small chunks and you don’t even have to peel them 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 – 1/2 cup of the hot cooking water 2 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. brown sugar (dark brown sugar, if possible) [...]

The perfect accompaniment to hearty meats or ham. We enjoyed tham alongside beef short ribs. 1 lb. unpeeled baby onions 2/3 cup seasoned rice or tarragon vinegar 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning Place the onions in a pot with enough water to cover; bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and when [...]

Yuck? Not when they’re roasted. Container (about 6-8) Brussels sprouts Olive Oil – extra virgin is best Salt (I use Kosher) Pepper Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Slice the sprouts in half lengthwise. Spread them in a single layer on a rimmed cookie-type sheet. Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons olive oil o ver. Sprinkle salt & [...]

This is the same recipe used for my Marinated Tomato Slices. Get the freshest cucumbers you can find or use the English version. 1 cup vegetable oil (I use canola) 1/3 cup vinegar – white, rice, or tarragon (not cider vinegar) 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley or 1 Tbsp. dry 3 Tbsp. minced fresh basil [...]