Haricot Verts With Walnuts And Caramelized Onions

Great idea for the holidays or anytime! 

Fresh and easy!

Roast haricot verts (usually available around Thanksgiving) or green beans that have been coated with a little extra virgin olive oil at 400 degrees for a few minutes, until they start turning brown on the ends. While they roast, warm about two cups of chopped walnuts (or almonds) in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Remove from pan and then start caramelizing the onions (in the same pan to save dishes) that have been thinly sliced. Caramelizing onions takes time, about 20 minutes, but is easy to make. Patience is required and I find it easier when I'm in the kitchen doing other tasks anyway. For a pack of haricot verts, I used two large sweet onions. Cooking directions for roasting, heating nuts, and caramelizing can be found on the internet.

Leftover Idea
A few days after Thanksgiving, I used the leftover haricot verts and shrimp we had had as an appetizer in this pasta dish. So simple! While linguine or fettuccine cooks, reheat haricot verts (or green beans) in about two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (depending on how much is leftover!) and some chopped garlic. Add about 1/4 cup white wine and 1/4 cup leftover turkey stock (I had made turkey stock from the bones) and keep warm on low heat until the pasta is done. Mix with the pasta then add the shrimp (I removed the tails to make it easy to eat), and add a ladle full of the pasta water. The shrimp has already been cooked so it only needs to be warmed from the heat in the mixture. Top with freshly ground pepper and a little salt if needed. I would have added chopped fresh parsley if I had some. Maybe next time!

Potato Crust Frittata

Frittatas are crustless but there were just a couple of potatoes left in the potato bowl that were getting soft so it was time to make something with them or they'd end up in the compost bin. So rather than cook them separately for, maybe, breakfast potatoes or hash, I decided to use them in the frittata as a crust.

I thinly sliced the potatoes with a mandolin, tossed them in extra virgin olive oil and some Italian seasoning, and roasted them at 400 degrees until cooked through but not too soft, just a few minutes. (I always preheat the cooking sheet when roasting potatoes to prevent them from sticking.) 

While the potatoes cooked, I whisked 12 local eggs in a bowl, sautéed some savory local breakfast sausage in the same cast iron skillet that the frittata would be baked in, and chopped the left over roasted peppers, onions, and garlic from a previous meal, which amounted to about one cup. The chopped vegetables were then added to the whisked eggs.

When all the ingredients were ready, I first layered the potatoes and then the sausage on the bottom of a 12 inch cast iron skillet that was first prepared with a little extra virgin olive oil. The egg mixture was poured in slowly so it wouldn't disturb the potatoes and sausage. 

The entire frittata baked in the oven at 350 degrees until it was firm in the center. I didn't pre-cook the frittata over the stovetop because of the potato crust.

So, this is a great way to use up leftovers and a general idea of what I did. There are many precise, simple, time-saving frittata recipes available on the internet. Try a frittata for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner sometime! 

Local Fish Tacos

I saw a notice on Instagram about the fresh pollock that The Local Catch was going to have at the farmers' market with a suggestion for fish tacos. The idea piqued my interest and taste buds!

So I made the trip to the winter farmers' market that weekend and picked up two large fillets of pollock. I was told by a couple of people that Cilantro Mexican Grill uses pollock in their tacos and how wonderful they are. Well, I haven't eaten at Cilantro but it sounded good to me!

On my way out, these pea greens caught my eye. I thought they'd taste great in the fish tacos and grabbed two bags.

Here's the spread:

To make the tacos, I roasted the pollock with simple seasonings and high heat sunflower seed oil on a baking sheet in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. (Timing depends on the thickness of the fish. I took out the thinner pieces and finished cooking the thicker pieces a few more minutes).

Seasonings were a "spicy seasoning" (a salt-free mix I found at Whole Foods) and a little fresh ground pepper. By roasting, the fish was flavorful, gluten-free, and lower in calories and fat than fried batter.

While the fish roasted, my hands were free to prepare the taco fixings:

~ Homemade lactose-free Baja sauce (sort of)
1/4 cup lactose-free sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise*, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, juice from half a lime, a little "spicy seasoning" to taste. After mixing it all together and putting it in a small serving bowl, I sprinkled some smoked paprika on top.

~ Sliced fennel for some crunch and nice flavor

~ Shaved curly carrots because there were plenty available at the farmers' market

~ Pea greens, another great farmers' market find

~ Minced shallots

~ Fresh lime

I used organic whole-wheat tortillas instead of corn tortillas simply because I like the flavor better. To make this dish entirely gluten-free, use gluten-free tortillas/tacos.

And, by the way, fresh pollock tastes amazing in tacos!

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*For the mayonnaise I used Just Mayo. It's non-GMO certified, vegan, and is awesome.

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Photos of the Port of Galilee in Rhode Island I took this past summer, 2013:

Fishing trawler heading out to sea from the Port of Galilee

No compensation was received. These are products I love and want to share.