Fresh Green Beans, Steamed

Fresh Steamed Green Beans

Fresh green beans are so much better the the frozen, and I have no use for canned green beans.  I perfer my green beans with just a little crunch or snap when I bite into them.  For that snap I find steaming to be the best cooking method.  

photo by: Mike Licht under Creative Commons Licenses

http://www.flickr.com/photos/notionscapital/  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The Ingredients

1 pound of fresh green beans

4 slices of bacon

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons white wine, or another mildly acidic liquid, such as deluded vinegar or apple juice.    

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Sea salt to taste

Preparation

Cut the bacon into ¼-inch wide strips and fry over medium heat.

Dice the garlic, I use a garlic press, set the garlic aside in a small dish.

Wash the green beans, remove any unwanted stems, trim, cut if necessary.  I prefer long green beans that are uncut, with both the little curled pointy ends and the stem ends intact, but no stems.

Set up a steamer basket in a 6 quart saucepans add 2 cups or water and bring to boil over medium, to medium high heat. Be sure that the water is below your steamer basket, you should not be able to see any water once you place the steamer basket in the saucepan.  Add the green beans and steam for 3 to 6 minutes; you will have to test the beans as they cook. I like then al dente, cooked but still crunchy.  Place the beans in a bowl, but we are not through, keep the beans close by.

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Once the bacon is cooked crisp strain the bacon from grease.  Return approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of bacon fat grease to the pan and sauté the garlic, once the garlic starts to turn light brown add the wine to deglaze the pan.   As soon as the pan is deglazed, add the butter stir until it is melted.

Combine and toss together the beans, bacon, garlic, and the bacon sauce, together, salt to taste.

Clifton

   

Post by Clifton's Cooking Blog.

Garlic Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Garlic Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Grilled garlic Parmesan crusted chicken, this is a marinated grilled chicken that is coated ranch dressing and parmesan- panko bread crumb coating.  

The Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
The juice of 1 lime juice
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Ranch Spread
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup ranch dressing

Parmesan Crumb Topping
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoons garlic salt,
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup shredded provolone

Preparing 

Mix the marinade 

Place the chicken breasts in a glass dish add the marinade.

Allow to marinade a minimum of two hours, it could marinade overnight

Just prior to cooking, prepare the ranch spread and parmesan crumb topping.

For the ranch spread, mix 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan and 1/4 cup ranch dressing. Set aside.

For Parmesan crumb topping, mix bread crumbs, garlic salt, shredded Parmesan and butter. The crumbs should be evenly moistened.

Cooking

Grill the chicken until it done.

Transfer cooked chicken to a preheated cast iron skillet. Spread 2 tablespoons ranch spread on each breast, then top with provolone and Parmesan crumb topping. Place skillet with the chicken back on the grill, but not over direct heat and cook until cheese melts and crumb topping begins to turn light brown. Serve immediately.


Enjoy
Clifton

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