tangy peanut green beans

I know a few people who will be excited to read that with this post, I am officially back in the kitchen and cooking after a bit of a hiatus. My inspiration was the farmers' market. I finally went to the one here in Poulsbo this past Saturday (I've been planning on doing so since arriving here at the beginning of July...better late than never, right?).

After being warned by my mom earlier in the summer not to get too excited, that it was a lot of arts and crafts, I was happily surprised by both the overall size of the market and variety of local fruits and veggies for sale. There were some fun things in the non-produce-but-still-food variety as well: locally made goat cheese and handmade pasta (my brother says he's going back next week to volunteer to be the Italian purveyor's apprentice). In the non-food category, my personal highlights were birdhouses and feathers for one's hair (which I thought Mickey needed, but he disagreed).

Ok, back to the food. My bounty from the market included: swiss chard (funny that a typically winter veggie in California grows in the summer in Washington), elephant garlic (the size of a tennis ball!), cherry tomatoes (which I would have ripe in the garden currently if I hadn't mistakenly bought some gigantic tomato variety that is probably never going to ripen instead of sweet 100s as planned), carrots, red potatoes, peaches, blueberries, cracked pepper goat cheese, and the star of tonight's dish: green beans.

The following could work as a side or as a meal for 2 served over rice or rice noodles (if the latter, be sure to mix them in when you add the sauce so they can soak up some of the tangy peanuty goodness; you could also think about adding some protein in the green bean cooking step in the form of mushrooms or tofu). Or you can be silly like me and eat [all of] the green beans on their own as a meal. Tangy, tasty green beans. Yum. Here's what I did:

Tangy Peanut Green Beans
Serves 2 as side or as meal over rice/rice noodles

the juice of 1 juicy lime (about 1/4 cup)
2 Tbsp. shoyu (may substitute tamari or soy sauce)
1 Tbsp. all natural peanut butter (it's all natural if the only ingredient is peanuts)
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
2 tsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. red chili paste
1 large garlic clove, sliced
1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp. refined coconut oil
3 handfuls green beans, trimmed
2 green onions, sliced (including green part)
a handful of unsalted dry roasted peanuts

Combine the lime juice, shoyu, peanut butter, agave, vinegar, garlic, and ginger in a food processor and process until well combined (garlic and ginger should be in small pieces).

Melt coconut oil in a wok or skillet over medium high heat. After pan is hot, add green beans. Cook, stirring every once in a while: goal is some blackening on the outside while not cooking too far past crisp-tender. For me, this took about 5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Carefully pour peanut sauce over and stir until well combined.

Serve topped with green onions and peanuts.

One year ago: curried carrots
Two years ago: homemade granola

cold soba noodle salad with pork and green beans

Soba noodles have been a hit lately. My new challenge is creating varied dishes with them that are nutritious, with some flavor, but not too much flavor (it's a fine line!). Luckily, soba noodles are quite versatile, so this hasn't been too difficult of a challenge to date.

The weather this weekend was fantastic: it finally felt like summer in Seattle. This meant something cold was in order. There was a tasty dish I used to make with pork, green beans, and peanuts: this combination was my inspiration for the following dish.

Play with the dressing. You can dial up or dial down any of the ingredients to change the flavor profile. I was going for a little peanuty with balanced salt and sweet but overall pretty mellow. Possible additions if you're looking for more kick would be garlic, ginger, and chili flakes. Diced red bell peppers would be a nice addition to the salad if you're interested in incorporating more veggies (and color!).

If you have any favorite soba noodle recipes, please send them my way.

As for my noodle salad, here's what I did:

Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Pork & Green Beans
Serves 4

dressing:
3 Tbsp. rice milk or water
2 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbsp. all natural peanut butter*
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. agave
the juice of 1 lime
*It's all natural if the only ingredient is peanuts. Salt is ok, too, but you may want to slightly reduce the tamari: taste to decide.

salad:
3 oz. soba noodles
1 Tbsp. refined coconut oil
3/4 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces (also slice in half lengthwise if fat)
1/2 lb. pork, thinly sliced and cut into 1" pieces
2 carrots, cut into 1" long matchsticks
2 green onions, sliced (white & green parts)
peanuts

Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cook soba noodles according to directions. Drain and rinse under cool water. Set aside.

Heat coconut oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Cook green beans, stirring occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

Add pork to wok. Stir fry until browned on the outside and cooked through. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix noodles, green beans, pork, carrots, and green onions together with dressing. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Serve topped with peanuts.

potato green bean curry

This has been sitting in my 'to post' pile for a couple of weeks now. Which basically means that I don't remember too much about it, other than conceiving it because it sounded good and it apparently photographed well. The fact that it made it into the 'to post' pile means that it met my expectations taste-wise.

I try to keep my cupboards stocked with curry powder, coconut milk, canned tomatoes, and garbanzo beans, so that I always have the basic staples for curry on hand. Vegetable and starch additions are interchangeable - throw in what you have available or what sounds good. We ate this dish as follows. If you omit the potatoes, I'd recommend serving it over rice or noodles. It would also be great with a side of naan.

Potato Green Bean Curry

Serves 2-3

olive oil

2 handfuls fingerling potatoes, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds

2 handfuls green beans, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces

2 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, chopped

14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 handful mushrooms, sliced

about 7 oz. coconut milk (not lite)

2 Tbsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

chopped cilantro, to top

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix potatoes with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and a generous pinch of sea salt. Transfer to baking sheet. Roast in oven 10 minutes.

Add green beans to same bowl as used for potatoes. Mix to coat with some of the olive oil that remained in the bowl. After potatoes have roasted for 10 minutes, add green beans to baking sheet and roast an additional 10 minutes.

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add curry powder and red pepper flakes. Stir to coat. Cook 1 minute.

Add tomatoes and coconut milk. Cook, stirring occasionally until bubbly.

Add roasted vegetables, garbanzo beans, and mushrooms. Mix well. Reduce heat to low, simmer for 5 minutes. Serve topped with cilantro.

stir fried vegetables with peanut sauce

It's been a busy weekend (so much so that I'm catching up on my blog writing on Sunday evening - though it's typically a Saturday morning activity for me - and I have yet to make dinner tonight!).

Here's a quick recap:

Friday night's festivities were meeting up with friends at a local German pub. It was an adventure that included one of the biggest pretzels I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying - complete with brown mustard, cheese, and salami (my cleanse is officially over!).

Saturday was spent mostly in the sunshine in the backyard. My hibiscus plant has been transplanted from the pot it was inhabiting into the ground. I am the proud new owner of a tropicana lily that is past blooming this year, but is going to be breathtakingly beautiful next year. I planted some aromatic herbs in the garden to try to deter the bugs/worms that have been munching on my cruciferous veggies.

This morning was filled with a nice long run and a trip to the farmers' market. This afternoon, JR, Marika and I went into the city to enjoy Opera in the Park at Golden Gate Park. It was possibly my favorite Sunday afternoon of all time - we had a picnic of wine and cheese while listening to arias from Madame Butterfly, The Marriage of Figaro, and more. The sun was shining. It was lovely.

All of that has very little to do with the following recipe. But so it goes.

I made this dish last week out of the random veggies that I had on hand. It's been awhile since I've made peanut sauce. This was a good reminder of how delicious it is. We ate it these stir fried veggies for dinner one night, then had enough leftovers to turn it into another meal by accompanying it with carrot ginger soup on the following night. Here's what I did:

Stir Fried Vegetables with Peanut Sauce

Serves 3-4

Peanut sauce:

1/2 c. natural peanut butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp. tamari (can substitute soy sauce)

3 Tbsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp. agave nectar

1 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/8 tsp. sea salt

about 4 oz. rice milk (can substitute lite coconut milk or water)

Stir fried veggies:

1 Tbsp. refined coconut oil

1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced

2 handfuls green beans, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into 2" strips

2 tomatoes, sliced

a handful of button mushrooms, quartered

3-4 servings of brown rice

Cook rice according to directions.

Meanwhile, process peanut sauce ingredients (except rice milk) in food processor. Add rice milk 1 oz. at a time until desired consistency is reached (a little runnier than ultimately desired, as it will thicken slightly as it cooks). Set aside.

Heat coconut oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add onions, green beans, and red pepper. Stir fry for 4 minutes. Add mushrooms. Stir fry 1 minute. Turn off heat. Add tomatoes and peanut sauce. Stir until combined and heated through. Serve over rice.

One year ago: cold quinoa salad

walnut pesto tomatoes and green beans

It is the middle of week #4 of my 4-week cleanse. That's 4 weeks of no sugar, wheat, dairy, or meat. I am feeling fantastic: sleeping better, waking up with more energy, and just feeling generally really fit.

Vegetables continue to be a staple of my diet, although I am eating relatively less of them than last week. Or at least fewer that are raw. Weeks #2 and #3 called for 70% raw fruits and veggies. For this final week, I'm down to 50% raw fruits and vegetables.

This dish combines raw and cooked veggies. I thought it might be a little strange, but ended up being really tasty. Here's what I did:

Walnut Pesto Tomatoes & Green Beans

Serves 2

1 clove garlic, sliced

1/2 c. basil leaves, packed

1/4 c. walnuts

3-4 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 large handful green beans, trimmed

Combine garlic, basil, walnuts, and 2 Tbsp. olive oil in food processor. Process into a thick paste, adding more olive oil if needed to reach desired consistency.

Lightly steam green beans until bright green. Rinse under cool water and divide between two plates. Mix tomatoes with pesto. Top green beans with tomatoes. Enjoy!

salmon spinach salad with lemon olive dressing

I have been eating a lot of salad this week. I'm currently 13 days into my 28-day cleanse and am on day 7 of the "70% raw fruits and vegetables" segment (7 more days of that to go). I'm a little surprised: it hasn't actually been very hard. Twice weekly farmers' markets and the weekly CSA delivery have certainly helped and also ensure that I'm eating a good variety of raw fruits and veggies so I don't get bored. Granted, this dietary rule has led to some interesting (JR would say "questionable") meals. For instance, the other night my dinner was comprised of a bowl of tomatoes (with basil, olive oil, and balsamic, so quite tasty), a bowl of blackberries, and a small bowl of nuts.

JR has been eating a lot of frozen burritos this past week.

One night he didn't have to reach for the freezer was the night I made this salad. I had been thinking about it ever since I happened upon tuna-sized cans of wild-caught red sockeye salmon at the grocery store. Sockeye salmon is my favorite - it's from the northern Pacific, has beautiful ruby flesh, and is especially high in Omega 3 (the good fat). The fresh version tends to be pretty expensive in this area (I've seen it as high as $18.99 per pound), so I picked up a couple of the reasonably priced cans to test them out.

What I did not anticipate was the bones and skin in the can. But if you can get past that and clean the fish as you remove it from the can, the flavor was great.

This is clearly modeled after Nicoise salad. I had actually been planning on making a Nicoise dressing, however was unable to locate Nicoise olives at the grocery store. I improvised. The result was delicious. Thinking about it now, a few days later, kind of makes me want to eat it again. Perhaps it will make another cameo during my second week of 70% raw. Here's what I did:

Salmon Spinach Salad with Lemon Olive Dressing

Serves 2

lemon olive dressing:

juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. dijon mustard

10 green olives, pitted

10 kalamata olives, pitted

1 clove garlic

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

remaining ingredients:

2 handfuls spinach

7.5 oz. can salmon (or fresh salmon, cooked and flaked)

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

a handful of green beans, trimmed

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 Tbsp. capers

Make dressing by combining all ingredients in a food processor.

Lightly steam greens beans just until bright green. Rinse under cold water.

In a large bowl, mix spinach with half of the olive dressing. Distribute onto 2 plates. Add remaining salad ingredients to plates, topping with capers. Add dallops of remaining dressing and freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!

One year ago: honey ginger salmon

blackened green bean salad

We are having dinner at Dave and Ashley's house tonight. They asked that we bring a salad, so my mind went immediately to something lettuce or spinach based. Not having yet landed on what sort of salad to bring, I was flipping through a magazine earlier today and paused on a recipe for skillet cooked green beans. That sounded pretty tasty. It wasn't until later in the day that I realized I could introduce a few twists to this recipe and turn it into something that could pass as a salad...who says a salad has to have lettuce in it, anyway?

The result was super tasty, beautiful, and flexible: it can be eaten, hot, cold, or any temperature in between. Here's what I did:

Blackened Green Bean Salad

Serves 4

1 large orange

2 tsp. canola oil

1 lb. green beans, rinsed and trimmed

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. champagne vinegar

a handful of pecans, toasted

freshly ground black pepper

Finely grate the zest of orange; set zest aside. Segment orange, removing as much of the pith as possible. Slice each segment in half lengthwise and crosswise, cutting each segment into 4 pieces. Set aside.

Heat canola oil over high heat in a large skillet. When it begins to smoke, add the green beans. Sprinkle with sea salt. Cook, stirring only every 2 minutes or so, until the beans are half blistered and blackened, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the orange juice, olive oil, and vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.

Transfer the green beans to a serving platter. (If your salad is going to travel, like mine, or you're preparing it ahead of time, allow the green beans to cool in pan then cover and store in fridge until ready to use). Scatter orange slices over beans, then pour dressing over the top. Sprinkle with orange zest, toasted pecans, and freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!

One year ago: sauteed radicchio

sauteed greens beans with fried shallots

You may recall my recent fascination with fried leeks. Well, it's happened again with another onion-like vegetable that has historically only rarely appeared in Cole's Kitch: the shallot.*

*I think the only shallot I've used in the past played a part in a salad vinaigrette.

As was the case with the fried leeks, these shallots could be put on just about anything - a garnish on other veggies, salads, soups. (An idea for doubling-up on shallots: mince half and use in your salad vinaigrette and fry up the other half to garnish the salad. Double yum!) The green bean-shallot pairing was inspired by a recipe my mom had clipped from a magazine (I'd cite it here, except that the source had been clipped away, so I'm not sure exactly when or where it came from). Here's what I did:

Sauteed Green Beans with Fried Shallots

Serves 2-3

1/2 pound green beens, rinsed and trimmed

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1 tsp. butter

sea salt

Heat oil in a large pot (to make cleanup easier by keeping any oil splatter contained in the pot) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot enough to sizzle in response to a drop of water, add shallots. Cook until shallots are deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove with a fork or slotted spoon onto paper towels.

Steam the green beans in a vegetable steamer over medium heat until crisp tender. Drain and return to pan with butter. Saute until butter is melted. Season with sea salt.

Serve green beans topped with fried shallots.