Green Bean Casserole Deconstructed

Nearly everyone loves green bean casserole for its marriage of tangy, earthy mushrooms, creamy, indulgent sauce, bright happy green beans and the decadent crunch of crispy fried onions. Of course, in its usual format, the beans are cooked into mush, then thoroughly drowned in the mushroomy sauce, thus creating the grey, goopy melange that we've all come to know. But things don't have to be this way!

If we break the casserole down into its individual components, we can create something quite elegant. In this deconstructed version, vibrant, crisp-tender green beans are the star, the mushroom sauce is a savory compliment and, each onion provides a distinct, satisfyingly salty crunch.

And this version is quite simple to prepare, even if you're cooking for a crowd (say, for Thanksgiving). The sauce can be made hours in advance and reheated on the stove or in the microwave just before serving. The beans can be steamed via stovetop or microwave at the very last second. And the onions....while you CAN make them from scratch, I think its perfectly acceptable to buy them canned and heat them on a cookie sheet in a warm oven for a minute or two before serving. The assembled dish will look lovely arranged on a pretty platter with the sauce tucked under a pile of bright beans and a sprinkle of golden onions. While your guests may at first be taken aback....their eyes filled with panic as they search for that familiar, grey mush....I promise they'll thank you once they take a bite. Its so good in fact, you may decide to make this on non-holidays.

JiT and I are headed to Ohio to visit the inlaws later this week. Since I have a couple of busy nights ahead of me while I prepare my contributions to the feast (brandied cranberry sauce; roasted butternut squash and brussel spouts with crispy crumbled sage and bacon; and cranberry apple pie with buttermilk, honey swirl ice cream), I'm not sure I'll get another post up. If not, I wish each and every one of you a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Green Bean Casserole Deconstructed
Serves 4 (can be doubled or tripled for a crowd)

2 Tbs. butter
1 medium shallot, minced
1 Tbs. cooking sherry
6 ounces button mushrooms, diced
2 Tbs. flour
1 cup beef broth
3 Tbs. half & half
Fresh ground salt & pepper to taste

1 lb. fresh green beans, washed and trimmed, or frozen green beans,
(if available, choose the thin, elegant ones labelled "French" or "Petit")
1/4 cup canned french fried onions

In a large sautee pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the shallots. Sautee until shallots are tender and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the sherry and cook for a minute or two more. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir contantly for about a minute. Then add the broth, stirring the mixture until all the flour is incorporated. Lower heat and continue to simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes more, stirring occassionally, until sauce reaches desired constistency (should be about the consistency of gravy). Add the half and half and stir for just a minute more until sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauce can be made in several hours in advance and reheated over low heat just before serving.

Just before serving, preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Spread onions on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven to warm. Steam the green beans on the stovetop or in the microwave just until crisp-tender. The beans should still be bright green in color and slightly crisp. Remove from heat. Remove warmed onions from the oven.

To serve, spread sauce evenly on serving platter. Top with green beans. Sprinlke onions evenly over the top. Serve immediately, encouraging guests to take some of each component.

Clementines and Pics from Chianti

JiT has been hard at work this week creating a book from the photos he took in Italy. Each page that I've seen brings me back to the Italian coutryside and I feel my fingers itching to grasp at a cup of hot, frothy cappuccino or a tall glass of impossibly delicious Chianti Classico...yum!

As I mentioned in my previous post, we spent the first few days of our trip at a beautiful villa in the Chianti region of Tuscany. The pictures here were all taken in or around the villa. The picture of the clementines in particular makes me absolutely swoon. Each morning, they set out an arrangement of fresh, seasonal fruit that was so beautiful I could hardly resist reaching out to take a bite. Although I didn't get the chance while I was there (too much cheese to eat....priorities), I'm thrilled that clementines are currently in season here in the U.S. If you haven't already, you should start seeing charming wooden boxes of them popping up at your grocery store soon.

In fact, the current issue of Bon Appetite includes an entire spread of lovely clementine recipes that I've been inspired to try. One in particular I adapted this week and it was incredible. Although I didn't manage to snap a picture, I wanted to share the recipe anyhow, because it was utterly wonderful; simple to prepare and delightfully healthy (we're weaning ourselves off of the cheese and gelato diet). In fact, this recipe could be a nice way to start your Thanksgiving week...something light and fresh early in the week to act as counterpoint to next Thursday's gluttony.

Parchment Baked Orange Roughy with Clementine Gremolata

Serves 2-4

1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves (leaves from about 5 or 6 sprigs)

4 clementines

1 Tbs. kosher salt

2 Tbs. olive oil, divided

4 filets orange roughy

salt & pepper to taste

4 12-inch squares parchment

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel clementines and set the flesh aside for another use. Lay the peel out, white, pithy-side up and, using a paring knife, scrape most of the white, bitter pith away from the orange skin and discard. Cut peels into 1 inch wide strips and set about a fourth of the peels aside.

Place the remaining 3/4 of the peels into a food processor, along with the garlic and parsley. Chop until the mixture resembles a course pesto. If needed, scrape down the sides with a spatulate to ensure the pieces are evenly chopped. Sprinkle in the salt and 1 Tbs. of olive oil and pulse on last time to combine smoothly. Scrape mixture into a small bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, place one filet of fish in the center of a piece of parchment. Season lightly with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, then sprinke a few of the reserves pieces of clementine peel over the top. Fold the parchment into a packet around the fish by gathering two of the ends above the fish filet and crimping several times, then fold the open ends like you would a giftwrapped package and fold under the fish to fasten. Place on a rimmed cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining portions of fish.

Place baking sheet in the center of preheated oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Near the end of the baking cycle, open one of the packets to check the fish for doneness. Fish should be opaque in the center and flaky but still moist. When cooked, remove from the oven and carefully take fish out of the packets. Dollop a bit of the gremolata on top of each filet and serve immediately.

Tuscan Adventures: A Photo Montage

We're back from Italy! The week we spent was no less than blissful; we slept in late, whiled away afternoons wandering ancient cobblestone streets, driving through postcard-like scenery, drinking some of the best wine in the world and eating. Actually, eating probably isn't the right word. It was more like savoring; discovering; cherishing each bite.

I will share more detailed posts on the food, some recipes I learned, travel discoveries and our zany adventures once I've had some time to organize my thoughts and thoroughly review the AMAZING collection of pictures that JiT is putting together for an album (one I suspect he could probably publish as an art book).

For now, here is a taste of what's to come. These pictures were all taken in or around the villa we stayed at in Tuscany.

Villa Bordoni is an ancient estate located high on the hillside just outside of the village of Greve in Chianti. The villa is surrounded by its own olive groves and wine fields, which are used to make their own olive oil and chianti classico (both outstanding). The villa was purchased from the Bordoni family back in 2006 and it took them three years to completely restore the place before opening the 13-room inn. It is absolutely incredible!



We felt like royalty staying in a castle...the place was gorgeous and the food was incredible. Each morning, we enjoyed complimentary European breakfast....fresh baked French rolls with homemade strawberry jam and fresh churned butter. Muesli with fresh fruit and whole milk. Local cheeses, fresh squeezed juice and the world's best cappuccino. Each night we munch olives, crostini and local, artisan pecorino cheese at the bar while sipping the villa's wine. Then enjoyed dinner in the dining room or room service served on the upstairs floor of our room.

In between meals, we walked and walked and walked. Exploring the Tuscan hillside around the villa, heading to nearby ancient towns to wander the cobblestone streets, visiting museums and churches. Everyplace we went we were overwhelmed by the beauty around us and the warm, welcoming smiles of the people we met.

And that was just Tuscany! After four blissful days there, we took the train to Rome for adventures at a faster pace but just as incredible.

There will certainly be several additional posts on the topic, once I've recovered some of my ability or organize (much wine and total bliss have left me feeling lazy and scattered for today). In the meantime, I'll simply share my well wishes and good hopes that everyone is well! Looking forward to reconnecting now that we're back.

Crispy Kale....a crunchy guilt-free treat

If, like me, the mere thought of another bite-sized candy bar brings your post-Halloween candy-hangover raging back at full-force, the prospect of healthy snack probably sounds pretty good by now. And boy to I have one!

Bear with me here, because I'm probably going to lose some of you with this one: Oven-roasted Crispy Kale.

I realize how weird and strange the propect of baked kale leaves may sound --every time I make this, JiT eyes me warily for a bit before eventually grabbing a handful and munching away. But it really is quite tasty.

If you're not familiar with kale, its one of those threatening-looking, insanely cheap, dark grean leafies that looms scarily in the nether-regions of the produce section. Its incredibly healthy -- packed with vitamins and fiber and easy too cook. Sautee it with some olive oil for a side dish, mix with pasta or....my absolute favorite, crisp it in the oven.

Sprayed or lightly drizzled with olive oil and sea salt and placed in a thin layer on a cookie sheet, the leaves bake to a delicate crisp in about 10 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. Don't let them go to long or they'll start to burn -- and burned kale is yucky. But if you catch them at the perfect moment, when they're still bright green and light as a feather, they crunch in your mouth just like a chip. And with the olive oil and sea salt for seasoning, they really taste excellent. I actually prefer these to potato chips, and completely without the guilt. Happy snacking!

As a note, JiT and I are headed to Italy tomorrow for a week of fun in Florence, Chianti and Rome. We'll be sipping wine, munching pasta, cheese and truffles, taking a cooking class with a real Italian chef, wandering the streets of Volterra, visiting the Vatican and taking tons of pictures. While we've decided to ditch our laptops for the week, I'll be sharing all the details and probably some new recipes, as soon as I return. Until then, Ciao!

Crispy Kale
Serves 2

1 medium bunch of fresh kale, washed, dried and center rib stripped away
Olive oil (perferably in a mister for spraying)
sprinkle of sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a large, rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. If using olive oil in a mister, simply place kale in an even layer on the cookie sheet and spray with an even layer of olive oil. Otherwise, place kale in a bowl, drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss with your hands, making sure every leaf has a light, even coat. Then arrange on the cookie sheet in an even layer. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Place in the center rack of the oven and bake for 8 - 10 minutes, watching carefully to ensure the kale is baking evenly and does not burn. You may need to shift the leaves around a bit to ensure even baking. Kale is ready when the leaves are still green but cripy to the touch. Do not brown or burn. Dump into a bowl and serve immediatley.