Grandma's Green Beans

Okay, confession. Neither one of my grandmas ever made these for me. This isn't even their recipe; however, I justify the name because I will make these for my grandchildren one day. Granted, about 2,593,829 things have to happen for me to be in that position, but a girl can dream, right?

Right.

My friend, Rebekkah, is the queen of green beans. Actually, she's the queen of vegetables. Period. She can take that old moldy tomato at the bottom of the pile and turn it into something mouth-watering. She always tells me, "If you don't like the taste of vegetables, you aren't cooking them right."

Interesting concept, right?

So I decided to make my vegetables tasty. And let me tell you what ... if I could make all my veggies taste like these green beans — buttery and sweet and salty — I'd never have to eat a french fry again.

WAIT. No. I didn't mean that. That was a false statement. Let the record show, I enjoy french fries ....

... and "Grandma's" green beans.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fresh green beans
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. live oil
• Minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp. brown sugar

Directions:

•  First, cut off all the ends of the green beans and rinse them. Discard the ends.
• Warm up about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
• Add the green beans and the garlic. Turn heat on medium low and cover.
• Stir every 5 minutes or so, making sure they don't burn. If needed, turn it down to a lower heat. We want them to cook slowly and almost marinate in the olive oil and garlic as they cook.
• After about 15-20 minutes, add a tablespoon of butter to the pan and move around until melted. If you're brave and feel like it, add more butter. Life is short (although more butter might make it shorter).
• Cover again and let cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Once again, keep an eye on it.
• Add salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar. Mix thoroughly.
• Serve as a side dish
• We want these green beans to be just the right consistency, and this timeline is what worked best for me. We don't want them soggy, but we definitely want them softer and not raw and crispy (unless that's your thing). Every pan and stove heating is different, so it's important to just keep an eye on it, allow it to stay at a low heat, and stir every few minutes until they're at your desired consistency.

The beauty about green beans is that they're versatile. They go great with steaks, chicken, pork, or fish. Personally, I love serving these to Tim with a big juicy steak and a loaded baked potato. Now doesn't that just sound amazing?

Love and cooking-veggies-the-right-way,
Rachael
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Puree salsa

I work in an office that has an ice cream chest. Yes, I said it. A chest full of ice cream; unlimited to those of us who have dedicated our lives (or at least 40 hours a week) to The Journal. This shouldn't come as a surprise to you, as our office revolves around food. I have a feeling I'll be losing a few pounds once I leave this place of temptation next week.

My friend, Jessica, recently brought in some incredible salsa for us to try. Now, I love Mexican food, but it's hard for me to find salsa that I just absolutely love. I'm not a huge fan of all the big chunks of tomatoes and onions. Have I ever told you about how my baby brother used to throw up whenever you said the word "tomato?" No? Another story for another time.

So I begged and pleaded, and Jessica was kind enough to share her recipe. It was incredibly fresh, tasty, and full of all-natural ingredients that are easy to find during the summer.

Ingredients:

• 3 tomatoes
• 1 onion 
• 2-4 cloves of peeled/minced garlic
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 jalapeño 
• 1 good handfuls of fresh cilantro

Directions:

• Cut your tomato's and onion into big chunks and remove seeds
• Slice open the jalapeño pepper and remove the stem and seeds. Set the seeds aside, (that's where all the heat is)
• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend till desired texture
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• If you like more heat add the pepper seeds and blend again
• Let chill in refrigerator before serving

Enjoy!

Love,
Rachael

Buffalo chicken fingers

So we've already talked about the Super Bowl, right? We've discussed the impending boredom, violence, and most importantly, we've touched on the menu. I had an epiphany, though.

It was about buffalo wings.

I have a weird history with wings. Growing up, I never truly liked them. I loved the idea of them, and the concept that they were deep-fried, dipped in ranch, and were kinda' spicy. The problem is, every time I ordered them, I'd have 2 bites and wish I had chosen something else. Until recently, I had that kind of touch-and-go relationship with them.

I can't tell you when I actually fell in love with wings, but one day I noticed I was always ordering them when we went out to eat. So I looked up the nutritional information, and it would blow your mind how much fat and calories are in a single restaurant serving. So I took control. Because I am a control freak.

This recipe is so good, and the great thing is that it doesn't look healthy. In fact, it looks so unhealthy that I had to talk my husband down from the ledge (figuratively) when he saw them. He was convinced I was trying to sabotage his diet. You may be wondering why it's good that they look unhealthy. Well, because as the wife of a once fast food junkie, I know how hard it can be to get your family to eat healthy.

I think I should also apologize that I don't have any great pictures up. My lovely husband who I love with all my heart stole my camera this morning to take to work for some unknown purpose, and I had to wait until they were cold to photograph them. I'll forgive him, though, because he just called to say he was unloading the dishwasher.

Now that, my friends, is sexy.

Ingredients:

• Buffalo sauce (sold at any grocery store near the barbecue sauce)
• Boneless chicken tenderloins
• Whole wheat flour
• Cornmeal
• Olive oil

Directions:

• Pour enough buffalo sauce into a bowl that the chicken tenderloins are fully submerged.
• Let the chicken sit in the buffalo sauce and marinate for about 20 minutes.
• Add about 1/2 cup olive oil to a pan over high heat.
• Pour equal amounts of the flour and cornmeal into a separate bowl. Stir it up.
• Transfer the chicken from the buffalo sauce to the flour/cornmeal mixture. Completely coat the chicken.
• Place the chicken in the hot pan with olive oil. The oil should only be about 1/4 inch from the bottom of the chicken. We don't want it to be completely covered. Olive oil is good for you, but it's not that good.
• Let it sit on high heat for 3-5 minutes or until the bottom side is browned and has formed a crust.
• Flip the chicken and let it sit for the same amount of time. 
• Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce/

That's it! With just a few minor adjustments, you've got yourself a healthified Super Bowl treat.

Love and buffalo sauce,
Rachael