Roasted Sesame Green Beans

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (November 2005)

I didn't love these as much as I loved the Maple Mustard version, but they were still good and I will make them again probably. I might like just a bit more honey on them.

One thing I need to remember is that the garlic mixture started to overcook after a few minutes, so I didn't need to continue roasting for the recommended 10-12 minutes. I was using pretty fresh beans, and not winter grocery store beans, and they didn't need all that roasting anyway. If I was doing this with tougher beans, I would wait to put the garlic mixture on later.

Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (March 2003)

I like this for a quick meatball recipe. There is no browning of the meatballs, which I never feel is necessary for my tastes. You just simmer the meatballs in the sauce that you make. I like to make my meatballs fairly small and they cook quickly. This recipe goes with pasta, of course, but I really like to pair it with spaghetti squash. I don't like the squash on its own, and wouldn't try it with a meatless sauce, but with meatballs, I think it is great.

I usually cook the spaghetti squash whole, because then I don't have to cut it. I prick it with a knife and cook it at 400 for 50-60 minutes. Enough time to do everything else.

Sugar-Glazed Roasted Carrots

Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: B

Make Again: ?

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (February 2006)

These were fine, but not caramelized enough for me even though I cooked a little longer and my oven was at correct temp. I think I might prefer a stove-top glazed version more.

Roasted Maple-Mustard Green Beans

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (November 2005)

These are delicious and easy. A good way to prepare supermarket green beans.

Roasted Cauliflower with Curry-Yogurt Sauce

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

Grade: B

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (January 2007)

Some of the prep time can happen while the cauliflower starts roasting. It actually took me 8 minutes to prep the cauliflower and get in in the oven, so this recipe really takes less than 40 minutes, and most of it is unattended while roasting. I prepped all the sauce ingredients, and sauted my onions (should have been shallot) and spices, then waited to prepare the sauce until the cauliflower was almost done. I used less oil than the recipe called for (2 T instead of 4 T) and used some olive oil spray to spray florets instead.

I'm not sure if I love this recipe. It seems more complicated than my previous way of roasted cauliflower, which was just to cut florets and season with 1 T of olive oil and salt. I might use the sauce recipe again which was good, but very spicy.

Spicy Stir-Fried Green Beans

Prep Time: 13 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (January 1999)

This is another favorite recipe. I almost always stir in some rice right into the green beans, right after adding the liquids, and make it into a light fried rice type recipe. I use only 1 tablespoon of oil for this recipe and it still works great. I usually make this a vegetarian entree and only get 2 servings from this. I should try adding a little scrambled egg and nuts to make it even more filling.

This last time I made this, I didn't have scallions, so I used a thinly sliced shallot, which worked well and was maybe even more delicious.

Grilled Potato Salad with Corn and Poblano Chiles

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Grade: A
Make Again: Yes, but I would try to do potatoes ahead
Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (July 2001)

This was very delicious, but took a while to make. Partly because I had to roast the poblano chilies and peel, seed, and cut them. Also there is the two step process of cooking the potatoes - first boiled, then on grill. However, this does allow you to precook the potatoes 2 hours early and then grill them with the rest of your dinner. I think if you do that, and have all the other ingredients prepped, this recipe will work nicely for a barbeque.

I am going to try the other versions of this recipe (German and Arugula Mustard), before I do the poblano and corn again, but I did really like these flavors.

Sauteed Green Beans and Red Onion

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: B+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Foods (April 2004)

I give this recipe a B+ because I don't end up craving this recipe, but perhaps that isn't fair. I don't generally crave green beans. As far as simple vegetable recipes go, this is a very good one, and the red onion and balsamic vinegar add a lot of flavor. I find that 1 tablespoon of oil is enough, and 2 tablespoons would actually make this too greasy for my tastes.

Spicy Chili-Fried Edamame

Prep Time: 14 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes boil, 5 minutes stir-fry

Grade: A+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Restaurant Favorites at Home

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. This is a very addictive snack, with a spicy and sweet component. I have altered the original recipe to use less oil (2 T instead of 4 T.) You need to be careful when using less oil when you add the ginger and garlic so it doesn't stick to pan and burn. Otherwise, using less oil works well.

You have just about enough time to prep all ingredients while water is heating up to boil.

I have served this as an appetizer and had all my ingredients ready including the edamame boiled, and just done the stir fry at the last minute. The cooking time might need to be slightly longer if ingredients are cold.

NOTE: In case you have not eaten edamame in the pods before, the pods are inedible. These are eaten by putting in mouth closing teeth and pulling pod back out. This way you get the beans and the spicy sauce.

Spicy Chili-Fried Edamame Recipe

1 pound frozen edamame in their pods (frozen soy beans)
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced/grated (about 2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add edamame and salt, return to boil, and cook for about 6 minutes, until beans inside are tender. Drain, and refresh with cold water to stop cooking.

2. Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil in small bowl and set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in 12" non-stick skillet over high heat, until shimmering. Add edamame and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

4. Push beans to the side and add 1/2 tablespoon more oil and the chiles. Stir fry for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

5. Add 1/2 tablespoon more oil and the garlic and ginger. Stir constantly for about 1 minutes.

6. Add soy sauce mixture and cook while stirring until liquid has evaporated, about 30 second.

Cauliflower

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

This is my recipe, but it was inspired by a pasta recipe from Everyday Foods magazine. I like that pasta recipe, but this is a little bit simpler and is a nice side dish. I'm not a big fan of Cauliflower plain, but I do like it when it is roasted or part of a casserole/gratin type dish. The roasting is pretty healthy, but the casseroles are way too heavy for a vegetable dish. This is a nice alternative, where you get the crunchy topping and a little butter flavor, but can still taste the vegetable.

You could skip the bread crumbs, but they add a nice crunch. Do not try to used dried breadcrumbs, they will be nasty in this dish, because they are not cooked. If you think it is a pain to pull out the food processor for this one little step (I agree), you can make a lot of fresh bread crumbs at once and freeze what you don't need for use another time.

If I am using fresh thyme I like to add it before adding the water and steaming. If I am using dried, I add it with the salt at the beginning.

2 slices bread (stale is OK) , torn into several pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets about 1"
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Put bread in food processor and pulse 10-15 times until you get a nice crumb, smaller than pea size (see picture below), but larger than dried bread crumbs. You should have 3/4 to 1 cup.
2. Toast bread crumbs in a small skillet over medium, stirring frequently so they don't burn. When dried out, remove from heat.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Add cauliflower and 1/8 teaspoon salt and all of the thyme. Increase heat to medium-high and saute for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
5. Add 1/4 cup water and cover for a few minutes, till cauliflower is tender. Remove cover and make sure all water has evaporated. Turn heat up if necessary to get rid of excess moisture.
6. Remove from heat and toss with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pan Roasted Broccoli

Prep Time: 18 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe: Cook's Illustrated January 2006

There are lots of good variations of this recipe from Cook's Illustrated on the subscriber website shown above. The one I have tried several times and liked was with the Spicy Southeast Asian Flavors. It is very delicious and goes well as a side dish for any type of Asian food.