Green Bean & Mushroom Salad

Like many Europeans I will go to the grocery store and buy whatever looks fresh. This dish was inspired by the first green beans of the season and some beautiful Crimini mushrooms. The combination of the tender crisp green beans, the meaty mushrooms, and the sweet roasted red peppers bathed in a light citrus dressing came together perfectly. This salad, served either warm or cold, is an ideal accompaniment to grilled pork chops or brought to a picnic. It has no mayonnaise so you don’t have to worry about it spoiling.

Makes 8 servings.

1 lb Fresh Green Beans (tips trimmed then cut in half)

8 oz Crimini Mushrooms (sliced thin) *

1 TBS Olive Oil

½ tsp Kosher Salt Divided

1 C Roasted Red Peppers (jarred peppers sliced)

¼ C Citrus Herb Vinaigrette *

Trim and wash the green beans and cut them in half. Boil or steam them until crisp tender. Drain and place in a large bowl.

Clean and slice the mushrooms thinly. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet until the oil is rippling. Add the sliced mushrooms and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Saute the mushrooms until they start to turn a light golden brown. Add the mushrooms to the bowl with the cooked green beans.

Drain the roasted red peppers and julienne them into small thin strips. Add them to the bowl with the green beans and mushrooms. Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and the ¼ cup of citrus herb dressing. Toss and serve immediately or refrigerate and serve cold.

* Pronto Substitutes

Crimini Mushrooms – Substitute white button mushrooms.

Citrus Herb Vinaigrette – Substitute your favorite Italian or citrus dressing

To print a copy of this recipe go to Green Bean & Mushroom Salad.

Roasted Honey Ginger Butternut Squash

As spring started to push out the winter chills I had a desire for vegetable but there was nothing fresh at the market. I decided to makeover one of my favorite vegetables, butternut squash. By roasting the squash, the naturally occurring sugars caramelize and mix with the honey, ginger and balsamic to create a vegetable that tastes like dessert. The first time I made them my wife and I were fighting over them. To say the least, there were none left at the end of the meal.

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

3 TBS Honey Ginger Balsamic Vinegar *

2 TBS Olive Oil

½ tsp Kosher Salt

¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper

1 Medium Butternut Squash *

Preheat oven to 425°F

In a large bowl whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cut the ends off of the butternut squash then peel completely. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Slice the squash into ¼ inches thick slices – they will look like half moons. Place the slices in the marinate, coating each slice completely.

Cover the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay the slices on the baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle any remaining marinade on top.

Place in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until soft and they have started to brown at the edges. Flip halfway through.

* Pronto Substitutes

Honey Ginger Balsamic Vinegar – This is available at specialty vinegar stores or you can mix 2 tablespoons of aceto balsamic vinegar of Modena plus 1/ tablespoon of honey plus ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger.

Butternut Squash – You can substitute any root vegetable such as turnips and carrots but your cooking time will vary.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Roasted Honey Ginger Butternut Squash.

Limoncello

Several years ago I had the pleasure to visit the Island of Capri. Situated in the bay of Naples what strikes you when you get off the ferry is the smell of lemons. This is where the Italian lemon liqueur was born and where I developed a taste for this sweet yet tart drink. Making your own Limoncello is easy but you must have patience since the entire process takes two weeks. The wait is worth it.

Makes 2 750mL Bottles

Ingredients

12 Lemons (organic preferred)

1 750mL Bottle of Everclear *

6 C Water

4 C Sugar

Microplane Zester

Rinse and wipe off the lemons. Zest the lemons using a microplane zester. Make sure you avoid the white parts of the lemon skin, this can be very bitter. You can the squeeze all of the zested lemons and freeze the lemon juice in ice cube trays for future use.

Place the lemon zest and the Everclear into a 1 Liter bottle that has been sanitized. Place it in a dark cabinet or closet for two weeks. Stir or shake daily!

At the end of two weeks, make a simple syrup with the sugar and water. Bring the water to a boil, add the sugar and stir until it has turned clear. Cool the simple syrup to room temperature. 

Strain the zest from the alcohol by placing a coffee filter in a strainer over a large bowl. Discard the lemon zest. Add the cooled simple syrup to the strained alcohol then pour it into smaller bottles. 

Store in the refrigerator for at least 5 days before drinking. Limoncello must be store in either the refrigerator or freezer.

* NOTE: Everclear is a brand name for 151-proof (75.5% ABV) grain alcohol. It is also called diesel alcohol.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Limoncello.