Saturday Thoughts...Forgotten Vegetables? Beets

We were enjoying one of our favorite lunches, Chicken Saucepan Casserole with buttered canned beets.  My husband commented how sweet and delicious just buttered beets are, and how his mom often fixed them.  We both think they are an underrated vegetable.  Beets are a source of antioxidents, manganese, folate, and vitamin B2 and potassium.

If you haven’t had cooked beets for a while, here is a recipe for canning your own, and some recipes to use them besides as a simple vegetable side dish.  All of the recipes use the beet juice too, so nothing good is wasted.

Home Canned Beets

Deutsche Rote Rüben

Easy Pickled Beets

Deseret Cookbook Pickled Beets

Orange Beets with Sauce

Saturday Thoughts...Freezer Cole Slaw

 

Heather, who owns the very popular sandwich shop in our small indoor mall, was wondering if she could freeze some St. Patrick's Day Sale cabbage.  Here's the recipe that is our favorite to do just that!

I suppose it was the 1970’s when a coworker shared her recipe for freezer cole slaw with me.  What a revelation; nice crisp cole slaw from your freezer any time!  Much healthier with a sandwich than chips.  We like this recipe from "The Practical Produce Cook Book".   This is one reliable way to preserve cabbage besides sauerkraut.

I put mine up in ½ pints so my husband and I can share a jar with a meal with no leftovers.  It also freezes well in freezer bags flat, but I put them in a pan until they are frozen to prevent any liquid seeping out into my freezer.  

The 8 cups of cabbage is about 1 nice-sized head.  After you cut out the core, about 2 pounds will shred into 8 cups.  I use my food processor to speed this up and save my knuckles.  

I also rinse off the salt and let the cabbage drain again before adding the dressing, otherwise it is too salty for us.  You can drain it well after thawing and add mayonnaise or cooked dressing if desired.

                           Cole Slaw to Freeze

  8        cups  cabbage – shredded

  1        each  carrot – grated (I use 2)

  2        teaspoons  salt

  2        cups  sugar

  1        cup  white vinegar

     ¼     cup  water

  1         teaspoon  celery seed

  1         teaspoon  mustard seed -- optional

Mix cabbage, carrot and salt.  Let set 1 hour, and then drain well.  (I rinse and drain mine.)  Combine remaining ingredients and bring to boil.   Boil 1 minute.  Cool.  Stir into cabbage.

Let set 1/2 hour.  Mix well then put into freezer containers.  I leave about ½” headspace for expansion.

   "8 half pints or 4 pints or 2 quarts"

Saturday Thoughts...Small Recipes...Grandma's Peas and Carrots

 

If you remember Grandma making creamed peas and carrots, here’s the best recipe, from the "Farm Journal Country Cookbook 1959".  
The sauce is thickened with the cream and egg yolk which makes it gluten-free too, and it also freezes if you want to save half of the sauce for another time and prepare half the vegetables each time for 1 or 2 servings.  If you have a mandoline, it makes slicing the carrots easy.
Creamed Peas and Carrots
  1             cup  carrot slices, sliced thinly
¼              cup   onion, diced (optional)
  1             cup  frozen peas
  1             large  egg yolk
  1             cup  heavy cream
  2             tablespoons  butter
     1/2      teaspoon  sugar
                 salt and pepper -- to taste
                 fresh dill, if you have it
Slice carrots and cook with onion in 1 inch of water for 15 minutes.  Add frozen peas and cook another 2 or 3 minutes.  Drain.
Combine the egg yolk with the cream, butter and sugar.  Heat until mixture thickens in same pan.
Add the cooked vegetables, heat through.  Season with salt and pepper and fresh dill if desired.  

4 servings

Small Recipes...Creamy Green Bean Casserole

The day I planned to prepare this dish was a busy one, and I didn’t know if I wanted to bother with making a sauce on the stovetop and then wait while it baked.  I did want to use the sour cream left from making a sour cream cake though, so I read through the recipe again and realized I didn’t have to make the sauce separately!  So we enjoyed this with ham steak and fruit for dessert.  Double this and bake in a 1 1/2 quart casserole for 6 servings.

            Creamy Green Bean Casserole

  1         can  cut green beans – drained (14 ½ oz)

     ½     cup  sour cream

  1         tablespoon  flour, all-purpose

     ¼     teaspoon  salt

  2        tablespoons  milk

  1         tablespoon  grated onion

  2        tablespoons  dry bread crumbs (or Panko)

  1         tablespoon  butter -- melted

Preheat oven to 350°.

Drain beans.  Mix sour cream, flour, and salt; stir in milk, onion and beans.

Pour into 3 cup casserole.  Combine bread crumbs and butter.  Sprinkle over beans.

Bake, uncovered about 30 minutes or until bread crumbs are brown.

3 Servings

 “Betty Crocker’s Old Fashioned Cookbook 1990”

Fresh versus Canned or Frozen Fruit and Vegetables

At coffeetime the other day, Myrna and I were talking about “always buying everything fresh”.  Most food shows and websites emphasize this like there is no other option and that fresh and organic are always superior.  Out here in farm country, we know that “organic” is only as organic as how far your crop is from the nearest regular farmer.  And as Myrna noted, many recalls are for “organic” produce.

We grew up in Minnesota in an area with canning factories and farmers who raised vegetable crops for canning or freezing.  We saw crops that were turned under if they were a little past peak, and the factories ran night and day for the short time that the harvest was in season.  English peas, sweet corn, and cucumbers for pickles were the popular crops there.  We have both lived where fresh produce was scarce,  of very poor quality and expensive too.

Because of this, we have no hesitation in buying canned or frozen PLAIN vegetables and fruits when we don’t have any home-canned of our own, and those vegetables are out-of –season.  I especially like plain, frozen vegetables I can cook in just the amount I want, with no waste, I usually buy them when they are on sale and stock up until the next sale, and the same for canned vegetables and fruit that we like.  I also buy those little cans of some vegetables, like sauerkraut, that we can use for one meal.  I'd rather have some canned vegetables with a meal than salty, fatty chips, for instance, and canned fruit instead of sugary fatty desserts.
We like canned goods; either home-canned or purchased, for emergency supplies too...they have their own liquid and don't need heat if you don't have it.   You can purchase fruits, vegetables, soups, meats, fish, poultry and legumes, as well as canning your own, to make quick emergency meals your family will actually eat.  We eat what we store and store what we eat.  We keep our pantries turned over regularly.

We don’t think out-of–season fruits and vegetables shipped from California or even Chile are really fresh!  We have a tendency to buy local fresh produce or buy canned or frozen produce.  As Myrna says, she’d rather have canned tomatoes in a recipe than the cardboard tomatoes sold as “Fresh” in a lot of grocery stores.

We think you can cut down on food waste and save money, as well as always having some fruit and vegetables on hand, ready to use.  If life gets busy or you bought more than you needed you won’t have moldy berries or rotted tomatoes on the counter. 

As for buying more fresh produce than you need; I always ask the produce manager if I can buy just a partial amount of those local store-bagged potatoes, grapes etc.  Both of our local supermarkets let you buy a smaller amount as they weigh them anyway.  I wouldn’t open factory-bagged and sealed potatoes, carrots or salad greens, however.  Use your fresh produce first and then frozen or canned for the rest of the week.

Deutsche Rote Rüben

This is a delicious recipe for preparing beets from the little cookbook “The Art of Hermann German Cooking", a fund-raising cookbook from the German settlement of Hermann, Missouri.  I remembered similar recipes from our childhood church dinners and potlucks, and thought we might like it as a change from Harvard Beets or simple, but delicious buttered beets.

The advantage to dishes like this is that you don’t waste the liquid from the beets, and it doesn’t run all over your plate.  I don’t know if this is how this dish is prepared in Germany, but the contributor used the German name for her recipe, and I suspect it was handed down in her family.

Deutsche Rote Rüben

  2         cups  cooked or canned beets

  1         tablespoon  butter

  1         tablespoon  flour

  2         teaspoons  minced onion

  1         cup  hot water – (Use beet liquid plus water if needed)

  1         tablespoon  sugar

  1-2      tablespoons  vinegar

     1/4   teaspoon  salt

Sauté onion in melted butter until yellow.  Blend in flour, add beet liquid and water and cook and stir until smooth and thickened.  Add seasoning and beets.  Heat thoroughly.

Carrots with Marsala

 Sue has two Italian cookbooks and one of them had this recipe for Carrots with Marsala. It looked good, and simple to make. Since I had some frozen carrots and also some Marsala I tried it for dinner. The recipe said they would work well with the sweet Marsala as carrots are naturally sweet, I think a sweet Sherry would work also.

 All of us thought they were very good, I did use frozen carrots rather than the fresh the recipe calls for as I thought they would be less work and I always have some in the freezer. I will certainly make them again as I always am looking for new vegetable recipes as we aren't good about eating them. I am sure the fresh carrots would be good also. 

Carrots with Marsala

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter

1 pound carrots thinly sliced

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup Marsala or sweet Sherry

 Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the thinly sliced carrots. Stir to coat with the melted butter. Add the sugar and salt and mix well. 

 Stir in the Marsala and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. 

 Pour in enough water to barely cover the carrots/ Cover the pan and cook over moderate heat until the carrots are tender.* Remove the cover and cook until the liquid reduces almost completely. Serve hot.

*Mine took about 6 minutes to cook till done. This will vary on how thick your carrot slices are.

Peas, Mushrooms and Celery with Tarragon

We like this vegetable combination that can be served year-round if you use frozen peas.  Ready in minutes, it spruces up plain vegetables without buying a costly prepared mix, and you get more of the goodies too.  We liked the crisp crunch of celery.  You can use any herb your family likes instead of tarragon, or leave it out and let the sumptuous taste of real butter shine through.

                

Peas, Mushrooms and Celery with Tarragon

  3        stalks  Celery -- thinly sliced

     ¾    cup  Mushrooms -- sliced

  3        tablespoons  Butter -- or olive oil

  1        Pound  Fresh or Frozen Peas

  3        teaspoons  Fresh Tarragon -- or 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon

Clean and slice celery and mushrooms.  In a 2 ½ quart saucepan, sauté them in the butter; sprinkle with dried or fresh tarragon.

Add peas and 2 tablespoons of water, bring back to a boil and simmer 3-5 minutes or until heated through.  Drain and serve in a preheated bowl.

6 Servings

Per Serving: 115 Calories; 6g Fat (46.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 161mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

Instant Pot Potatoes

 Vegetables work well in a pressure cooker, either on the stove or an electric cooker.

I have yet to use the steamer function on my Instant Pot as the manual setting works so well. I wanted potatoes to fry for supper so decided to do them this way.

 The charts in the book that came with it, called for a time of 12 to 15 minutes under pressure. You must also allow for time for the pressure to come up and than release.

 Worked so well that Bettie ate one as a baked potato for her lunch. The skin will not be crisp but she doesn’t care about that and said that it was excellent. I let the rest cool off, refrigerated them and had them fried for supper. Super easy.

 Potatoes in pressure cooker

4 to 5 potatoes medium to large

1 cup of water

Rack to place potatoes on

 Add water to pot, place rack in and lay potatoes on rack. Look lid in place and set to manual. Adjust time to 12 to 15 minutes, if very large you might want to add 1 or 2 minutes.

 When timer runs down, allow pressure to drop naturally or use a ten minute natural and then turn to vent steam. Always be careful when doing this so you don’t get burned.

 Remove potatoes and eat at once or cool for use later.

Potato Carot Packets

 Baking in foil is a version of baking in parchment that has been popular for many years. Usually done on a grill, hence the foil, It can also be done in your oven. I wanted something simple for a meal that could be done in the oven along with the chicken I was baking so this recipe for Potato Carrot Packets would cover the sides nicely.

 They really were good and I have fixed them again, You could put your favorite vegetable in these but they must be something that will bake in the same amount of time, not a soft vegetable such as peas or corn. 

 Nice on a cold day or evening and saves on dishes. Fun to serve though do be careful if opening them at the table as they will release hot steam when opened.

Potato Carrot Packets

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons melted butter or half oil and half butter

1 Tablespoon dry white wine or dry sherry

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3 small to medium baking potatoes peeled sliced into ¼ inch rounds

One large carrot or several baby carrots sliced into ¼ inch rounds

½ of a red, yellow or green pepper sliced into ¼ inch strips

¼ cup sliced mild onion or shallot

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

 Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients. On four pieces of aluminum foil divide the potato slices leaving a border on all sides. Divide the remaining carrot, red pepper and onions over the top of the potatoes. Fold the foil over the vegetables and pinch each packet closed.

 Place the packets on a baking sheet and bake in a 375°F. Oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Serve being careful of the steam released when opening the packets.

Red Potatoes with Browned Butter

We really enjoy potatoes…we grew up on them!  We don’t have them as often as our mothers served them, but when we can get small new red potatoes, I like to make this old-fashioned dish.  It’s important to let the butter get browned but not burned; don’t ignore it.  We like it with pork chops or sausage with sauerkraut…it takes us back to our childhood homes.                      
Red Potatoes with Browned Butter
  2           pounds  red potatoes -- quartered (about 8)
     1/2    cup  butter -- cubed
  1           teaspoon  salt
     1/2    teaspoon  pepper
Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Heat 5-7 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring constantly, until butter is golden brown. Remove from heat.
Drain potatoes; transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with browned butter and toss to coat. 
6 Servings

Corn and Noodle Casserole

  This is a recipe we thought most people would like doubled or tripled at a buffet or pot luck meal; or for a pleasant family meal. You have your vegetable and pasta in one…we enjoyed this with liver and onions and a green salad one day, and with pork chops baked in the oven at the same temperature and a salad on another day.  It’s nice to have at least one of your dishes baking while you prepare the rest of the meal, and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand.                      

Corn and Noodle Casserole Recipe

  1            can  whole kernel corn -- (15-1/4 ounces) well-drained

  1            can  cream-style corn -- (14-3/4 - 15 ounces)

  1            cup  cooked wide egg noodles -- 1 1/2 ounces uncooked noodles

  1            small  onion -- chopped

  1            small  carrot – shredded (or finely chopped)

  1            Large  Egg – beaten (optional)

     1/4      cup  Cubed Process American Cheese

     1/4      teaspoon  salt

     1/4      teaspoon  pepper

     1/3      cup  crushed saltines (about 10 crackers)

  1            tablespoon  butter -- melted

In a bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Transfer to a greased 1-qt. baking dish. Toss cracker crumbs and butter; sprinkle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until heated though. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Country Cooking

Sour Cream Smashed Potatoes

 In a hurry for a delicious side dish?  These mashed potatoes are quick and easy; no peeling required.  Sprinkle with a little fresh herbs if you have parsley or thyme.  The taste of real potatoes and butter make these extra special.                

Sour Cream Smashed Potatoes

  8         Ounces  Russet Potatoes

     1/4  Cup  Sour Cream

  1         Tablespoon  Butter

Dice unpeeled potato about 1/2" cubes.  Place in saucepan, cover with water.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover; cook 16 minutes.  Check for doneness with a fork.

Drain and place butter in pan and return to heat to melt.  Remove from heat, add hot potatoes and sour cream.

Mash lightly with a hand masher and serve on warm plates as a side dish.

2 Servings

Per Serving: 202 Calories; 12g Fat (51.7% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 28mg Cholesterol; 81mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat.

From the Garden...Celery Casserole

  I found this dish in a booklet I picked up at our local book sale…"Pillsbury  Come for Dinner 1984 .  I like celery as a vegetable, not just a seasoning, and I had all the ingredients, so we enjoyed it for lunch today.  I prepared it, slid it in the oven, and had plenty of time to get some pork chops ready to go with it, with some mandarin oranges for dessert.  I used Emmentaler for the Swiss cheese because I keep it on hand in the freezer to make Spätzle with  cheese, and it melts very nicely.  I made the bread crumbs from a couple of slices of bread in my little food processor.

To keep your celery a lot longer, keep it wrapped tightly in foil and refrigerated in your crisper drawer.

My husband thought it was great, creamy and crunchy with a nicely flavored topping.                

                             Celery Casserole

  3          cups  Celery -- sliced

  4          tablespoons  Almonds -- slivered

  8          ounces  Water Chestnuts, Canned -- sliced, drained

  4 1/2   ounces  Canned Mushroom Slices -- drained

  2          tablespoons  Butter

  2          tablespoons  Flour

  1          teaspoon  Chicken Bouillon

  1 1/2   cups  Milk

  2          ounces  Swiss Cheese -- shredded

                        Topping

     2/3   cup  Soft Bread Crumbs

  2          tablespoons  Butter -- melted

  3          tablespoons  Parmesan Cheese -- grated

Heat oven to 350°.  Grease 1 1/2 quart casserole.  In a medium saucepan, cook celery in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes, drain.

Combine celery, almonds, water chestnuts and mushrooms; spoon into prepared casserole.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, blend in flour and bouillon; cook until smooth and bubbly.  Gradually add milk, cook until mixture boils and thickens; stirring constantly.  Stir in Swiss cheese.  Pour evenly over celery mixture, stirring gently.

In a small bowl, combine all topping ingredients; sprinkle over casserole.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown and bubbly.

Six 1/2 cup servings.

Double recipe for a 13 x 9" baking dish.

Bacon Cabbage Soup

 We have winter weather now and soup is always good. I had about six slices of thick sliced applewood smoked bacon and a small head of cabbage so made bacon cabbage soup for supper. As I did not want it all cabbage, I added some frozen carrots, onions and potatoes to the soup. Turned out very well and we ate all of the small batch I made. I really don’t mind leftovers of soup as it usually is better the next day but this was gone so I am going to write down what I did so I can make it again. 

 The key is having some good chicken stock and sautéing the carrots and onion in about a tablespoon of the bacon fat so they have a browned taste for the added flavor.

Any vegetable will taste better for the few minutes spent sautéing it in some butter or other fat. You could vary the vegetables in this soup but this is a good, simple combination and highlights the cabbage.

Bacon Cabbage Soup

4 servings

6 slices of thick sliced bacon roughly chopped

one medium onion chopped

2 medium carrots sliced (I used about a cup of sliced frozen carrots)

2 small potatoes about 5 ounces peeled and chopped

4 cups chicken broth or stock

2 cups sliced (shredded) fresh cabbage

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon dry thyme

salt and pepper to taste

 Cook bacon in large sauce pan until crisp. With slotted spoon remove the bacon to drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat and sauté the

onions and carrot slices till the onions are opaque and the carrots are starting to brown. Add the chopped potatoes and cook for about 2 minutes more. Add broth, bring to a slow boil and add the bay leaf, thyme and salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes and then stir in the cabbage and bacon. Reduce heat to low and cook about 15 to 20 minutes longer until the cabbage is tender but not limp. Serve hot with cornbread or rolls or crackers.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

  In an ongoing quest for vegetables that all of us will eat this recipe for Brussels Sprouts caught my eye. I have always liked them and Lyle will eat about any vegetable though these are not one of his favorites. Bettie just plain doesn’t like veggies.

 Well, after trying this recipe I think that I can safely make it again as all of us liked them. What’s not to like about anything sautéed in browned butter? The fresh lemon juice perks up the flavor and helps with them not tasting too much like cooked cabbage. The sliced and sauté directions are easy and fast to fix so if you do a meal like I did with baked potatoes and meatloaf you only have to do the sprouts at the end.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon olive oil (I used all butter)

12 sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced (if frozen thaw part way before slicing)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

 Heat butter and oil in a skillet until butter is melted and starting to brown. 1 to 2 minutes. Stir sprouts and lemon juice into butter and cook; stirring constantly until sprouts are just heated through and starting to soften about 1 to 2 minutes. If using frozen they will take a few minutes longer ,3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and serve, pouring any melted brown butter left in pan over the sprouts

Broiled Tomatoes

My husband told me we “could have these again” after eating these delicious tomatoes.  Bettie and I have fond memories of old-fashioned breaded tomatoes, and these taste similar, without the soggy bread.  I used some hard but ripe garden tomatoes, not the best for fresh-eating tomatoes, but they were perfect for this recipe.   

I pulsed a couple homemade bread heels in the food processor, and had these ready for the broiler in just a few minutes.  I think you could use any shredded cheese you have on hand, or add some whole cheese to the bread when you process it.  Of course, you can simply pull your bread apart for crumbs too.    Use real butter, the flavor can’t be duplicated.    These were excellent with baked cod for a quick lunch.        

                            Broiled Tomatoes

  4         medium  tomatoes

  1         tablespoon  dijon mustard

     ¼     teaspoon  salt

     ¼     teaspoon  pepper

     ¼     teaspoon  cayenne

  6        tablespoons  butter -- melted

  1        cup  bread crumbs -- soft, fresh

  1        cup  Parmesan cheese -- freshly grated

Preheat broiler with rack 5 1/2 inches from heat.

Cut tomatoes in half.  Spread cut sides with mustard, sprinkle with salt, black pepper and red pepper.

Place tomato halves on shallow pan.  Combine butter, breadcrumbs and cheese.  Spoon mixture over each tomato half.

Broil 2 minutes until crumbs are brown and tomatoes are heatd.

8 Servings

  Adapted from "Southern Living Heritage Recipes"

Baby Potatoes With Tomato Corn Sauté

I tried this colorful side dish because I had both small Yukon Gold potatoes and cherry tomatoes to be used up.  It’s fairly quick and easy, but both my husband and I thought we would make it next time with sweet red peppers instead of the tomatoes for color and even more flavor. 

Combination dishes like this are a great way to use up any produce getting past its prime, and the results can be a little different each time.   You can use butter, bacon drippings, or lard as well as the olive oil.                    

 Baby Potatoes With Tomato Corn Sauté

  12            Ounces  Small Potatoes – halved or quartered

  1              Tablespoon  Olive Oil

  1              Cup  Corn Kernels -- about 2 ears

  1 1/2       Teaspoons  Garlic -- thinly sliced or minced

     1/4       Teaspoon  Salt

     1/4       Teaspoon  Crushed Red Pepper

  1              Cup  Cherry Tomatoes -- halved

     1/3       Cup  Fresh Cilantro

  1              Ounce  Parmesan Cheese -- shaved (about 1/4 cup)

Boil potatoes in a saucepan covered with water for 10-15 minutes or until tender; drain.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add corn, garlic, salt and crushed red pepper to pan; sauté 2 minutes.

Add potatoes and tomatoes to pan; cook 1 minute more.  Top with cilantro and cheese.

4 Servings

Description:  "Cooking Light"

Per Serving: 164 Calories; 6g Fat (30.3% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 6mg Cholesterol; 273mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

Caramelized Potatoes

This recipe is a quick, delicious way to use canned potatoes.  If you don’t have any, cook your own, cool and peel them.  Waxy white or red small potatoes work best if you don’t have canned ones.

These are even more delicious than caramelized carrots, because the potatoes aren’t sweet themselves.

You definitely want to use a non-stick skillet for these, and don’t burn yourself with the hot caramel.

We enjoyed them with a grilled sausage and sauerkraut.                     

                           Caramelized Potatoes

  1         pint  small potatoes -- or can (16 ounce)

  1         tablespoon  butter

     ¼      cup  Brown Sugar -- packed

Rinse and drain your potatoes well and dry with a paper towel.  If they aren’t all similar in size, cut any large ones in half.

Melt butter in a skillet.

Stir in the brown sugar and heat over medium heat, stirring until it bubbles. Wait until it turns brown and starts to caramelize.

Add potatoes and cook 3-5 minutes (until heated through), turning over once or twice.  I cover mine between stirring.

2 Servings

Per Serving: 155 Calories; 6g Fat (32.6% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 68mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Green Beans with Olives

I like the old Best of Gourmet Cookbooks from the 80’s and 90’s because “gourmet” isn’t necessarily elaborate, just good ingredients well-prepared, and the recipes are often for 2 servings.  This easy recipe was perfect for lunch today.
                         Green Beans with Olives

     1/2      Pound  Green Beans -- trimmed

     1/2      Teaspoon  Dried Oregano

  4             Kalamata Olives -- pitted and chopped

  1             Tablespoon  Butter

                        Lemon Juice -- to taste

Boil the beans with the oregano in a pan of salted boiling water for 5 minutes, or until crisp tender.

Drain the beans and toss them with the olives, butter and lemon juice.

2 Servings

  "Best of Gourmet 1991"

Per Serving: 103 Calories; 8g Fat (64.5% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 184mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat.