Green Beans with Walnut Gremolata and Roasted Delicata Squash →

Are you tired of boring steamed or boiled green beans? Sweet, salty, and tangy, with just a hint of heat, this green bean-gremolata recipe from @eatingcleanforlife engages all five tastes and is one of my favorite recipes for green beans. The Delicata squash is simply brushed with coconut oil and roasted until tender; its sweetness provides a nice counterpoint to the savory beans and gremolata. It is vegetarian and vegan friendly, or for the omnivores, serve it with buttered, parsley potatoes, grilled strip steak, and fried sage leaves. It also makes a  perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving turkey feast. Delicious! Enjoy and be thankful!

Greens Beans with Walnut Gremolata and Roasted Delicata Squash
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
Green Beans:
. 1 ½ pounds green beans, trimmed
. 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
. 1 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
. 1 teaspoon honey
. ¼ teaspoon salt
. ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Walnut Gremolata:
. ½ cup toasted walnuts (sub pecans if you don’t have walnuts)
. 3 dates
. 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
. 3 scallions
. 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
. 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
. Zest of one lime finely minced
. Juice of one lime
. 1 teaspoon sesame oil
. ¼ teaspoon salt (optional; the tamari is salty)
. ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

PREPARATION
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Toast the walnuts. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil & add your green beans. Cook until the green beans are bright in color, about 2 minutes. Drain the water and rinse in cold water. Pat the beans dry and place in a medium-sized bowl.
3. Add the oil, tamari or soy sauce, honey, salt, and pepper and toss to combine. Place your green beans on the baking sheet, spread out & place in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
4. While the beans are roasting, make your gremolata. Chop each ingredient and add to a medium-sized bowl. Start with the walnuts, then the dates, cilantro, scallions, ginger, garlic, and lime zest. Lastly, add the sesame oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper flakes if using. 

Roasted Delicata Squash:
Ingredients:
. 1 or 2-Delicata squash depending on size, washed well and cut into ½-inch thick rings. (you don’t have to remove the skin)
·  2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, melted
·  sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the sliced squash on the baking sheets; brush with melted coconut oil on both sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, approximately 20-30 minutes.
3. Arrange the squash rings on small plates and spoon the gremolata mixture on top.

Garlicky Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts and Pancetta →

Here’s a healthy, colorful vegetable dish that engages all 5 taste senses. The recipe calls for Rainbow chard, but you can use regular Swiss chard, spinach, or kale. In the spirit of culinary inclusiveness, omit the pancetta and make the recipe vegan-friendly. Serve as a side dish with your protein of choice. Quick, easy, and delicious.

Garlicky Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts, Pancetta, and Raisins
Serves 4 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons golden raisins, currants, or craisins

• 2 pounds Rainbow chard, stemmed and washed in several changes of water; stems chopped and set aside; leaves sliced in 1-2 inch strips.

• 2 tablespoons pancetta (¼ inch dice)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 garlic cloves (to taste) sliced cross-wise

• 3 tablespoons pine nuts

• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

• Splash of Balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice.

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• Pinch of red pepper flakes 

PREPARATION

1. Fold the washed, stemmed chard leaves in half lengthwise and slice into 1-2 inch wide strips. Set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the chard stems and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes, until just crisp-tender and easily pierced with a fork. Alternatively, steam the stems for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to maintain the bright colors and let sit for a few minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. In a large sauté pan over med-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the pancetta. Sauté, stirring until the pancetta is nicely browned. Scoop out the pancetta and set aside. (Omit this step for vegan-friendly.)

4. In the same pan, over medium heat, add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, until they begin to color, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, add the garlic, and cook, stirring, just until the garlic begins to smell fragrant about 1 minute. Add the sliced chard greens, raisins, and red pepper flakes, and toss together until the chard is wilted and the ingredients are well coated with oil and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Add the tenderized, brightly colored stems, lemon zest, reserved pancetta, and a splash of Balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice, and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

Green Beans with Walnut Gremolata →

Are you tired of boring steamed or boiled green beans? Sweet, salty, and tangy, with just a hint of heat, this green bean recipe from @eatingcleanforlife engages all five tastes and is one of my favorite recipes for green beans. It is vegetarian and vegan-friendly served with baked Delicata squash, or for the omnivores, serve it with buttered, parsley potatoes, grilled strip steak, and fried sage leaves. Delicious!

Greens Beans with Walnut Gremolata Recipe
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS
Green Beans:

• 1 ½ pounds green beans, trimmed

• 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil

• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon honey

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Green Beans with Walnut Gremolata and Baked Delicata Squash

Walnut Gremolata:

• ½ cup toasted walnuts (sub pecans if you don’t have walnuts)

• 3 dates

• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro

• 3 scallions

• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced

• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced

• Zest of one lime

• Juice of one lime

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• ¼ teaspoon salt (optional; the tamari is salty)

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Toast the walnuts. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil & add your green beans. Cook until the green beans are bright in color, about 2 minutes. Drain the water and rinse in cold water. Pat the beans dry and place in a medium-sized bowl.

3. Add the oil, tamari or soy sauce, honey, salt, and pepper and toss to combine. Place your green beans on the baking sheet, spread out & place in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

4. While the beans are roasting, make your gremolata. Chop each ingredient and add to a medium-sized bowl. Start with the walnuts, then the dates, cilantro, scallions, ginger, garlic, and lime zest. Lastly, add the sesame oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper flakes if using. Place the green beans on a plate, then sprinkle the gremolata on top. Enjoy!

@eatingcleanforlife https://www.instagram.com/p/CiH8_5_gfyb/?hl=en

Au Gratin Potatoes →

The Old English word for thinly sliced potatoes is “collops”, hence the name Scalloped Potatoes, a popular British dish made with sliced potatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs in a cream sauce, sometimes topped with bread crumbs. In France, a similar dish is called Au Gratin Potatoes (Gratin de Pommes de Terre), the main difference being that the French dish uses cheese and cream to make a richer sauce and the potatoes are usually sliced thinner. Either way you make it, it’s pure comfort food! Here’s my version of this popular comforting dish. I hope you enjoy it.

CHEESY HERBED AU GRATIN POTATOES
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 3-4 medium all-purpose potatoes peeled and sliced thin (about 1/16 inch; use the slicing blade on your food processor or a mandoline)

• 2-3 cloves garlic minced

• 1 medium onion chopped (a heaping ½ cup+)

• 1 tablespoon fresh sage minced

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 1/4 cup milk or half-and-half

• 2 teaspoons flour

• 1/2-3/4 cup coarsely grated Gruyere cheese

• Salt and pepper

• Bread crumbs (optional)

PREPARATION:
Preheat the oven to 425 and coat a 9 inch Pyrex pie plate or dish with butter.

1. Peel and slice the potatoes using the slicing blade of a food processor or a mandoline and place them in a bowl of water with a bit of salt to keep them from turning brown.

2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and saute for a minute, add the garlic, and continue to saute until the onion is translucent.

3. Add the flour and stir for a minute or two until well mixed with the onion mixture.

4. Stirring constantly, slowly add the milk and half the cheese, sage, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Continue to stir over low heat until the mixture thickens. (Do not boil.) Cover and set aside off the heat.

5. Strain the potatoes and pat dry. Add half the potatoes and half the warm sauce to the buttered pie plate; add the remaining potatoes and remaining sauce. Top with the remaining cheese and some freshly grated black pepper. (Optional: sprinkle with Panko bread crumbs.)

6. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2022

Roma e Roma →

Roma pole beans are hands-down my favorite pole bean. Flavorful, tender, meaty, and stringless these large, Italian-originated flat beans are a great alternative to traditional string beans. If you don’t grow them yourself, Romas are mainly sold at farmers’ markets which makes them a seasonal delicacy here in the Happy Valley. Eat Romas raw, braised, or steam them to crisp-tender and sauté them briefly in olive oil, sliced garlic, hot pepper flakes, and pancetta or (if you’re lucky enough to find it) more flavorful guanciale. For this quick and easy flavorful recipe, I use guanciale sourced from my local Italian butcheria. Guanciale comes from the pork jowl and is fattier than pancetta which comes from the belly. Pancetta is meatier and is cured with salt and pepper; it cooks up crispy like bacon without the smokey flavor. Guanciale is cured with salt and pepper and a variety of spices including sage, rosemary, and garlic. Guanciale melts into your sauces adding unique richness to the sauce. If you can find guanciale, I strongly recommend it for this recipe, but if you use pancetta you will still be delighted with the flavor it adds to the raw tomato sauce and Romas. Buon appetito!

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

Roma e Roma
Serves 4 

Ingredients:

• 1/2-pound Roma pole beans (stems removed and cut into 2-3 inch pieces)

• 1/2-ounce guanciale or pancetta (about 2 tablespoons thinly sliced and diced)

• 2-3 cloves of garlic thinly sliced

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

• 1/4 cup of water

• 3 small Roma tomatoes (about ¾-1 cup chopped)

• pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

Preparation:

1. In a large heavy bottom pan or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

2. Add the guanciale and sauté for a minute or two; add the garlic until it begins to sizzle, add the pepper flakes and stir until the garlic just begins to brown.

3. Add the Romas and sauté stirring for about two minutes to coat the beans with guanciale-garlic infused oil.

4. Add 1/4 cup of water to the pot and cover and steam for a few minutes until almost all the water has evaporated.

5. Add the vinegar and stir until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped tomatoes. The juices from the tomatoes will deglaze the pan and create a delicious chunky raw tomato sauce.

6. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.

Sauteed Roma Beans with Pancetta and Garlic →

Roma pole beans are hands-down my favorite pole bean. Flavorful, tender, meaty, and stringless these large, Italian-originated flat beans are a great alternative to traditional string beans. If you don’t grow them yourself, Romas are mainly sold locally at farmers’ markets which makes them a seasonal delicacy here in the Happy Valley. Eat Romas raw, braised, or steam them to crisp-tender and saute them briefly in olive oil, sliced garlic, hot pepper flakes, and pancetta. They are the BEST! This is the essence of simple,fresh-from-the-garden cucina contadina! Thanks to Guy Matsuda at #plainfieldpottery for sharing his high-fired blue-black porcelain bowl and blue ocean foam platter to display the delectable Romas and tomatoes! Salute e benessere a tutti!

Sauteed Roma Beans
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• ¾ pound Roma pole beans

• 2-3 tablespoons diced pancetta

• 2-3 cloves of garlic thinly sliced

• ¼ – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

• pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. Steam the beans until crisp-tender and bright green. (3-5 minutes)

2. In a large skillet, saute the diced pancetta over medium-high heat until brown.

3. Add the olive oil, sliced garlic, and red pepper flakes and stir until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to brown. (don’t burn!)

4. Add the steamed beans and a generous pinch of salt and saute for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat.

5. Remove from the heat and enjoy!

Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms with Tarragon Summer Squash →

Here’s an end-of-summer side-dish recipe that employs all 5 Tastes. It combines the umami-bomb of balsamic roasted mushrooms with the delicate flavors of summer squash and fresh tarragon. Delicata squash would be a good substitute for the summer squash to use for this excellent side to accompany roast chicken or turkey.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

FOR THE MUSHROOMS
Ingredients:

• 1 pound cremini mushrooms stems removed

• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 3 teaspoons soy sauce

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)

• 1/2 tablespoon parsley, chopped

• 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (1 teaspoon dried)

• 1-2 teaspoons brown sugar (to taste)

• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (to taste)

• black pepper (to taste)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

2. Lightly grease a large baking sheet/pan with nonstick cooking oil spray.

3. Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel or mushroom brush.

4. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms with melted butter, oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, parsley, thyme, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.

FOR THE SQUASH:
Ingredients:

• 2 medium yellow summer squash (Delicata squash is a good substitute)

• 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (1 teaspoon dried)

• 1 tablespoon butter melted

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• ¼-½ teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Slice the squash into ½ x 1-inch chunks.

2. In a bowl, mix the squash with the melted butter, olive oil, tarragon, and salt.

Assemble the Mushroom and Squash:

1. On a lightly oiled sheet pan, place the mushrooms and squash in a single layer. (see Note)

2. Roast in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes, mixing them halfway through cooking, until tender.

*Note: if you prefer to keep the bright yellow color of the squash, roast the squash and mushrooms on separate sides of the sheet pan.

Sauteed Baby Spinach with Pine Nuts and Lemon →

Lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and buttery toasted pine nuts are natural complements to spinach. Spinach is one of the nutritious leafy greens dieticians recommend, but some people avoid because of the gritty film it can leave on your teeth. The film is caused by oxalic acid in the spinach which attaches to the calcium in our teeth creating that annoying, but harmless temporary film on our teeth. The combination of steam, lemon juice, and a pinch of baking soda in this recipe helps to dilute and neutralize the oxalic acid in the spinach so you don’t end up with “spinach teeth”. Baby spinach is said to have less oxalic acid than mature spinach; an added plus is that the prep time washing and cleaning the spinach removing tough stems is greatly reduced. This nutritious dish can be prepared in just a few minutes and may become your family’s favorite way to enjoy this healthy veggie, especially if you combine it with the Garlic Shrimp or Blackened Scallops recipe on this site.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

• 3-4 handfuls of baby spinach (5-6 ounces)

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

• a pinch of baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

• ground black pepper

• pinch of red pepper flakes

• 1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

Preparation:

1. Sort through the spinach, discarding stems and bruised or yellow leaves. Wash the spinach in plenty of cold water along with a healthy pinch of baking soda. Drain and rinse a second time, then spin dry. (Adding a pinch of baking soda and the double rinse will reduce the oxalic acid crystals that cause the film on our teeth.)

2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute.

3. Turn the heat to high and add the spinach, a 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper.

4. Wilt the spinach, tossing with tongs to coat the leaves with the hot oil and garlic. The water left on the leaves after washing will help it to wilt quickly. Turn the heat off after a minute or two and continue tossing the spinach until fully wilted and bright green, but not brown and over-cooked.

5. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Gingery Grilled Vegetables →

An impressive, easy to make first course or side dish for your main protein of choice, this marinade recipe was in a booklet that came with my first Weber grill over 30 years ago. It pairs beautifully with poultry, meat, fish, tofu, or seitan. I have used it for years and can’t find it online, but it is a 5TastesTable standard for grilled summer vegetables, so I’m sharing it. The five tastes, sweet, salty, sour, umami, and bitter, combine to produce the perfect vegetable marinade for summer grilling. If you love grilled summer squash, zucchini, meaty portobellos, asparagus, and eggplant this marinade is a must try. I haven’t tried it with tofu, but the flavorful marinade should work well with tofu as well as garden veggies.

Gingery Grilled Vegetable Marinade
Makes about a cup; enough for 3 medium squash
Ingredients:

• ½ cup white wine vinegar

• 1/3 cup light soy sauce

• 6 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 2 large cloves garlic crushed/minced

• 2 teaspoons pepper sauce

• black pepper to taste

Use with Portobellos, Zucchini, Summer Squash, Egg Plant, Asparagus, etc. Marinate 30-60 min.

Preparation:

1. Cut your vegetables to the size you want. Use small to medium size squash quartered lengthwise, leave the mushrooms whole, cut eggplant into inch thick pieces.

2. Place the vegetables in a plastic zip-lock bag or flat covered container and cover with the marinade. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably for an hour.

3. Preheat your grill to medium hot. Once to temperature, oil the grill grates to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the grates.

4. Grill the vegetables about 2 minutes per side until just fork tender. A thick portobello will take a bit longer on the grill than slices of squash

5. You can slice portobellos in half inch slices.
   
   Wine pair: if served as a main course this recipe will pair with a wide range of white and red wines, otherwise choose your wine to pair with your choice of main entree.

Black Beans →

Canned beans make this dish easy and quick to make. The original authentic recipe came off the back of a can of Goya Black Beans and has been tweaked over the years to yield a delicious dish of flavorful black beans in a thick rich sauce. The sauce is produced by mashing or pureeing half of the beans and the other ingredients before adding the final can of beans. Serve with white rice or Yellow Rice.

Serves 6
Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 1/2 cup chopped cubanelle pepper, or other mild, fruity chile pepper (optional)

• 4 cloves of minced garlic

• 3 (15 ounce) cans of black beans (undrained)

• 1 1/2 cup water or chicken broth

• 2 teaspoons oregano

• 2 Bay leaf (remove after cooking)

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1 package Sazòn Goya without annatto (Note: if you do not have Sazòn Goya a substitute would be ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 chicken bouillon cube, and about a teaspoon of garlic powder.)

• 2 tablespoons cooking wine or 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, sauté the onion, cubanelle, and garlic until fragrant and tender.

• Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan, reserving 2 cans of beans.

• Bring the ingredients in the saucepan to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

• Remove from heat, pick out and reserve the Bay leaves, and working in batches lightly puree the ingredients in a food processor (a few pulses per batch), or alternatively mash the beans by hand with a fork or spoon.

• Return the processed bean mixture to the saucepan along with the cans of reserved beans and reserved Bay leaves, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Roasted Root Vegetables →

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 2 large all purpose potatoes skins on

• 5 small purple potatoes skins on

• 2 carrots peeled

• 3 parsnips peeled

• 5 cloves of garlic

• 1 tablespoon of fresh Rosemary ( or 1 teaspoon dried)

• 1 tablespoon of fresh Thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)

• ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400.

1. Peel the parsnips and carrots

2. Cut all the vegetables into ½ inch thick bite size pieces and place in a large bowl

3. Add all but 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the vegetables and mix to coat

4. Add herbs, salt and pepper and mix well

5. Line a heavy sheet pan with tin foil and brush with olive oil or spray with vegetable spray

6. Add the vegetable and spread so the flat side of each piece is flat on the pan

7. Distribute the 5 cloves of garlic evenly over the vegetables

8. Place sheet pan with vegetables in bottom third of the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

9. After 30 minutes, stir the vegetables around on the sheet pan so they cook and brown evenly

10. Return to oven and cook for another 20-30 minutes stirring after 15 minutes.

11. Vegetables are done when they can be pierced easily with a fork.

12. Remove from oven, adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.
    

*Note: vegetables can be roasted up to 4 hours before the meal and stored loosely tented in an ovenproof baking dish. Reheat them before serving by placing the uncovered baking dish in the oven preheated to 400 for about 10-15 minutes. Check to make sure they are heated through before serving.

Adapted from a recipe from Bon Appétit December 2001