Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms, Balsamic, and Parmesan

I absolutely adore roasted veggies.

Seriously, just throw your favorite asortment on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with some olive oil and garlic powder... and oh my goodness, heaven.

I saw this recipe on Pinterest, and I had to give it a whirl.

The hubs isn't too big a fan of green beans, and didn't mind stating it... as he downed the dish.

It's the perfect summer side. Not too heavy, but is still full of flavor.

Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms, Balsamic, and Parmesan

(Original recipe by Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen)

source

Ingredients

• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced in 1/2 inch slices (I used brown crimini mushrooms, but any mushrooms will work)
• 1 lb. fresh green beans, preferably thin French style beans
• 1 1/2 T olive oil
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 T finely grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Wash mushrooms and let drain (or spin dry in salad spinner, which is what I did.) While mushrooms are drying, trim ends of beans and cut beans in half so you have bite-sized pieces. (An easy way to trim them is to gather a small handful of beans, stand them up on cutting board, holding loosely so they will fall down and have ends ends aligned, then trim. Repeat with other end.) Cut mushrooms into slices 1/2 inch thick.

Put cut beans and mushrooms into a Ziploc bag or plastic bowl. Whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pour over, then squeeze bag or stir so all the beans and mushrooms are lightly coated with the mixture. Arrange on large cookie sheet, spreading them out well so beans and mushrooms are not crowded. Roast 20-30 minutes, starting to check for doneness after 20 minutes. Cook until beans are tender-crisp, mushrooms are cooked, and all liquid on the pan from mushrooms has evaporated. Season beans to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper, then sprinkle with finely grated parmesan. Serve hot.

Yields 4-6 servings.





Caprese Salad

I know, I know.

Where have I been?

I guess I took an unintentional summer hiatus from my food blog.

(to read my regular ol' blog, go here)

But summer's not over yet! I mean, really. Have you been outside??

We've got a long way to go before Fall hits... at least where we live, anyway.

However, my basil? Totally a fan of this heat.

It's just gone crazy. So in an attempt to use it up, I've been scouring the internet looking for basil recipes.

One of my favorite no-fail ways to use basil, though, is a light caprese salad.

Absolutely delish.

So here ya go.

Caprese Salad

(By Ree Drummond)

Ingredients

• 2 cups Balsamic Vinegar
• 3 whole Ripe Tomatoes, Sliced Thick
• 12 ounces, weight Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced Thick
• Fresh Basil Leaves
• Olive Oil, For Drizzling
• Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes, or until balsamic has reduced to a thicker glaze. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl or cruet. Allow to cool.
When you're ready to serve, arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter. Arrange basil leaves between the slices. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the salad, getting a little bit on each slice. Do the same with the balsamic reduction, making designs if you want. Store extra balsamic reduction in fridge for a later use.
End with a sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper.

Serve as a lunch, with crusty bread. Or serve alongside a beef main course for dinner.

Yields: 8 servings (or one really big salad for yourself...)



Red, White, and Blue Trifle

Anyone else hot out there??

Although I personally prefer the cool crispness of Fall, there are a few really fun treats that only seem to come with summer. Beach trips, fireworks, chlorine and sunblock scented kids, and easy summer food. Just throw something on the grill, pull out some popsicles, and you're good to go.

And in the spirit of independence, I thought I'd share a perfect 4th of July dessert which is, of course, incredibly simple. I love trifles not just for the ease of making them, but also for their beautiful presentation.

Red, White, and Blue Trifle

(Original recipe by Paula Deen,

found in the Cooking with Paula Deen July/Aug issue)

Ingredients



1 (16-ounce) container frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow crème

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar

4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1 (18-ounce) jar strawberry jelly, melted and cooled slightly, divided

4 cups fresh blueberries

1 prepared or commercial angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes

Garnish: fresh strawberries, blueberries

Directions

In a large bowl, combine whipped topping, cream cheese, marshmallow crème, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine strawberries with half of jelly. In a separate bowl, combine blueberries with remaining jelly. To assemble, layer about half of cream mixture in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top cream mixture with half of cake cubes and all of blueberries in jelly. Top with remaining cream mixture (reserving a little for top), remaining cake, and all strawberries in jelly. Garnish with reserved cream mixture, strawberries, and blueberries, if desired.

Makes 12 servings.