Bad Publicity

They say there is no such thing as bad publicity, and it seems that many of the current advertising companies out there agree with this sentiment.

I don't.

I see an insipid commercial and immediately back away from whatever product they are hawking. I have never purchased a certain brand of pistachios that are supposedly synonymous with awesome. And after I heard someone comment on the grossness of the smacking sounds in a breakable chocolate bar ad, I can't bring myself to buy one without visualizing open-mouthed eating. However, since I seldom throw these items into my grocery cart, these were not major boycotts.

But with Thanksgiving approaching, I am facing a huge dilemma. King's Hawaiian Rolls have always been a necessary item on my Thanksgiving grocery shopping list. As good as I believe they are, they were never served with the holiday meal. I required these slightly sweet rolls for the perfect leftover sandwich: split the soft bun, spread on tart cranberry sauce, spoon on savory, sage-y stuffing, add sliced turkey (a little white and dark meat), pour over gravy, heat it all, and cap with the top of the bun. Perfection.

But, have you seen their latest commercial? with the sucking? a family sucking the rolls into their mouth? It, honestly, sucks. Big time.

What am I to do? Do I hold myself to my own code of conduct and shun those delicious buns because an ad agency was stupid? Or, do I overlook the vacuous publicity and still indulge in that perfect leftover sandwich? It really is perfect. That sandwich might be the entire reason I want to cook turkey and dressing and gravy and cranberry sauce. What is a girl who believes in bad publicity, but loves a good sandwich to do?

While I am debating, I think I will distract myself by changing up a Thanksgiving side. I have shared our favorite Chiffonade of Brussels Sprouts and Green Beans in Mushroom Sauce, but how about a different version of green beans for the holiday table?

Thanksgiving Green Beans almost seem beefy with a sauce including Worcestershire. It makes them a hearty standout on the Turkey Day table even before I mention the bacon and diced roasted red peppers. Yes. Bacon and roasted red peppers. And, the sauce is made with the bacon drippings. Yes. O.M.G.  No bad publicity here, just delicious beans.

Thanksgiving Green Beans

(adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray)

1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and rinsed

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

a few dashes Tabasco

1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped (from a jar...or make your own, they are pretty easy)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the green beans and cook for 3-4 minutes, until tender crisp. Drain.
Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large skillet until crispy.
Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside; reserve the drippings
Reduce the heat to low and stir the Worcestershire sauce, honey, dry mustard and Tabasco into the bacon drippings.
When sauce is warmed and combined, toss with the green beans to coat, add the roasted red peppers, and most of the bacon.
Garnish with the remainder of the bacon. (Serves 8)

South Dakota Magazine

So...in case you didn't know, I have been contributing semimonthly at South Dakota Magazine for almost a year. However, in poor blogger form, I have neglected the updates here On My Plate.

Let's do a quick catch-up with a rundown of my columns from last summer and so far this fall...

In June, we had The War for the Strawberries with Ace and I trying in vain to protect my precious berries from the squirrels. We did manage to save enough for Strawberry Mousse.

I also waxed poetically about the beautiful corn crops that later were destroyed by the drought. Thankfully, there was still some sweet corn for Fresh Corn and Radish Salad.

July brought my dilemma regarding what to take to the Antiques Roadshow and a Strawberry Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake.

Later, I cried for cucumbers to be made into Refrigerator Pickles...which led to a friend gifting me with more cucumbers than I knew what to do with in August. I now have refrigerator pickles as well as several other versions canned on my food storage shelves.

Zucchini was loud and proud in August with a rich and creamy Zucchini Alfredo

...AND sweet and delicious Zucchini Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies making the pages of the South Dakota Magazine website.

I whined about the difficulty of finding some ingredients here on the prairie and shared the recipe for the ever spicy Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Skewers in September.

Maintaining that level of heat with the kick of my Basic Salsa for Canning was easy.

I admitted to not really loving crock pot cooking, but making a concession for Chipotle Pork earlier this month. 

And, just this past week, I started looking ahead to the holidays and meal planning with Green Beans in Mushroom Sauce.




There you have it...a round-up of what I have been sharing through South Dakota Magazine. Hopefully, I can be a bit more faithful with updates in the future.

Not Fair

Fair foods. Do you hit the stands for deep-fried Twinkies? bacon-wrapped-beer-battered hot dogs on a stick? fried Coca-Cola? deep-fried bacon? fried Kool-aid? fried butter? chocolate-covered bacon on a stick? or is it some of the tamer selections that you crave, like corn dogs, cotton candy, and candied apples?

I haven't been to a fair in ages, but Hubs hit the agriculture-centered DakotaFest this week. He didn't come home with tales of wild fair foods, just a bag of Kettle Corn. 

*sigh* Not fair. 

Don't get me wrong. I love the salty and sweet combo of Kettle Corn, but I also get a hankering for all those things that are just so bad for me. Fried things sometimes call my name. I was hoping to live vicariously through Hubs' gastric fair adventures.

Oh well. I will just have to make some Deep-Fried Green Beans with a Zesty Dipping Sauce. They aren't as wild and crazy as some fair food, but they are a fairly tasty treat.

Deep-Fried Green Beans

(adapted from Taste of the South)

vegetable or peanut oil (for frying)

1 cup flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 pound green beans, trimmed

1 cup buttermilk

In a large dutch oven, add oil to a 2-inch depth.
Heat to 375 degrees.
In a shallow bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt and peppers.
In a second shallow bowl, pour buttermilk.
Dip green beans into buttermilk.
Then, dredge wet beans in flour mixture to coat.
Fry beans in oil, in batches, until golden and crisp, about 3-5 minutes per batch.
Remove from oil; drain on paper toweling.

Zesty Dipping Sauce

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic salt

Whisk together all ingredients.
Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Fridge Friday: Episode 11

Is it Friday? Yes, by golly, it is. Maybe it is time to roll out another Fridge Friday post. It seems my last contribution to this feature was back in August, but I am not going to apologize for the neglect. I have a life that I live. I love blogging, but it doesn't always fit in that life. 

But, sometimes, like today, it fits. It might be late in the evening, but I have some time and some energy and throwing a few more photos and a recipe up on the blog seems like the thing to do. So...check out my fridge...

What do you see? Brussels sprouts, spinach, eggplant, bacon, yogurt, butter, milk, wine, pickles, peppers, Pumpkin Spice creamer? Can you tell that there are green beans in the bottom right produce drawer?

This fall has been unseasonably warm with temperatures in the 70s and 80s, but the recent dip back to the more normal 40s has me craving soups. One of the soups that I have made basically since I was first married is a Potato, Bacon, and Green Bean Chowder. Forgive me, for does include a can of creamed soup. I have considered altering the recipe to eliminate what is a culinary no-no for some, but why? I don't cook with cream soups often. A can now and then isn't going to be the death of me (or anyone). Most importantly, it tastes good. Really. The soup is rich, hearty, and comforting. It is the perfect thing to warm up a damp, cold, November Friday.

(And, if you really miss me when I don't make it to the blog, become a fan of On My Plate on Facebook. Just "like" the page and you can have (almost) daily little bits of my babbling in your news feed.)

Potato, Bacon, and Green Bean Chowder

10 slices bacon, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

2 cups potatoes, cubed (I use baby reds and leave the skins on.)

3 cups water

1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

In a large dutch oven or stock pot, fry bacon until crisp.
Add onion and saute until translucent.
Pour off fat (sometimes, I don't do this...yes I KNOW how bad for me that is, but there is so much FLAVOR in bacon fat.)
Add potatoes and water.
Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the green beans and simmer for about 5 more minutes until the beans are tender-crisp and the potatoes are fork tender.
Stir in soup and sour cream. (I once used French Onion chip dip when I didn't have sour cream...divine, if slightly scary substitution.)
Gradually add the milk. (If you poured off the bacon fat, you might consider subbing cream for a portion of the milk...or not.)
Season with pepper (and salt, if you feel the need. I think the canned soup has enough salt.)
Add parsley.
Heat to serving temperature.
Do no boil. (Serves 6)

Dull/Not Sharp

I seem to have an issue with my food photos. Try as I may, I can't fully conquer lighting issues. I submit my images to TasteSpotting and FoodGawker only to be declined time and time again. The most frequent comments on the rejections are regarding lighting, composition, and of course, "dull/not sharp."

Just as in the kitchen, I have absolutely no formal training behind the camera. Everything I do is through trial and error. From time to time, I have bookmarked informative sites full of tips and tricks for food photography, but let's face it, my attention span isn't long enough to read them, let alone actually implement any of the advice.

My camera is also very inexpensive (Canon Powershot A550) and has been dropped a time or two. The lens was even jammed half in and half out after one unfortunate kiss of the concrete. It has seen better days, but for my limited skills and budget, it does the job...except for those pesky rejections. (Thank goodness for TasteStopping.)

It seems that it has come to the point where I have to decide if I really want to work to improve my photos, or if I am OK with being labeled as Dull/Not Sharp. While I want my photo quality to be good enough for you to want to try the recipe, I am not sure I want to invest more time/money/energy in them. It is important to me that all parts of this blog remain fun. I don't want to feel like I am tied to a ball and chain of yet more work. There is enough going on in my life that I don't enjoy; this blog and producing photos for it should never fall into that category. I think that I would rather play with the food On My Plate than with the camera.

So for now, you will have to suffer through my Dull/Not Sharp photos to accompany my tried and true recipes. I think that I have a doozy for you today. Green Beans with Garlic, Basil and Cherry Tomatoes has been in mind to share almost since the beginning of On My Plate. Its bright and crisp (not dull/not sharp) flavors have been paired as a side with many meals, but I have never managed an acceptable photo. Today was not an exception. The afternoon light glared on the beans making them appear greasy. Appetizing, huh? Sorry. Please forgive the photo and grab the recipe. You will be sorry if you decline to sample Green Beans with Garlic, Basil and Cherry Tomatoes On YOUR Plate.

Green Beans with Garlic, Basil and Cherry Tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans

1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (halved if large)

Bring large pot of salted water to boil and add beans; simmer until tender.
In large skillet or saute pan, melt butter.
Add garlic, sugar, basil, salt and pepper.
Add tomatoes; cook until heated, but not mushy.
Add the drained beans and toss to coat with the garlic/basil butter. (Serves 4)

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Tis many nights after Christmas and into the New Year, but I am still trying to catch up with posts that I had wanted to make over the holidays. I hope that recording my menus will help me to plan other meals and future holidays...and hopefully, even give you a few ideas. So...please bear with me while I reminisce over what was on my plate this Christmas season.

I hosted my parents and younger sister for Christmas Eve dinner. We had a casual, but hearty dinner followed by our family gift exchange. My usual plan for our Christmas Eve meal is to serve soup, sandwiches, and Christmas cookies, but this year, I shook things up a bit while still keeping it relaxed.

Christmas Eve Dinner

SALAD

Seven Layer Salad

SIDE DISHES

Green Beans with Almonds

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

Dinner Rolls

MAIN COURSE

Baked Spiral-Cut Ham

with Simple Glaze

DESSERTS

Pecan Pie

Triple Berry Pie

Seven-Layer Salads have been around since before I was born. They are potluck staples and overall classics for their ease of preparation and great presentation. Recipes vary, and I have previously shared with you a Cooking Light version that omits the frozen peas in favor of kidney beans, but for Christmas Eve, I wanted the crisp, green sweetness of the peas. A cut glass bowl makes the most of the visual appeal of this salad.

Classic Seven Layer Salad

1 head iceberg lettuce, cored and cut into pieces
1 cucumber, seeded and sliced
1 cup frozen peas, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups thinly sliced celery
1 red onion, thinly sliced
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
½ pound bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Layer first 5 ingredients one at a time (do not mix) into a large glass bowl so you can see each layer.
Mix all mayo, sugar, sour cream, and seasoned salt together and pour evenly over salad.
Finish with a layer of cheese then the final layer of bacon.

Green Beans with Almonds starts by steaming fresh green beans and sauting sliced almonds in a little butter. Lemon juice brightens the flavors of the entire dish just before serving. I love the crispness of fresh green beans. Yum!

Green Beans with Almonds

½ pound fresh green beans
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste

Steam beans for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender-crisp.
In a small skillet, melt butter and add almonds on medium heat until toasty. Remove from heat.
Mix olive oil and lemon juice together in a medium-large bowl.
Toss drained beans with olive oil mixture. Top with toasted almonds.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions was a new dish that will definitly be repeated in our home. A creamy sauce is poured over layers of thinly sliced potatoes and onions and baked. How easy is that? This version omits any cheese and uses mayonnaise for a flavor boost. I admit that the ingredients did worry me a bit, but the end result was a fabulous potato dish that did not disappoint us on our holiday table.

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

5 large potatoes, pared and thinly sliced
½ cup chopped onions
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
¼ cup mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon pepper
paprika

In a 1 1/2 quart greased casserole, layer potatoes and onions.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour and whisk until smooth and frothy.
Gradually add the broth, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Stir until this mixture thickens.
Pour over potatoes and onions. Sprinkle generously with paprika.
Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.

Our ham was basted with a Simple Ham Glaze of corn syrup, brown sugar, brown grainy mustard, and spices. I had chosen a spiral cut ham that baked beautifully with the glaze and was tender and juicy.

Simple Ham Glaze

1 cup light corn syrup
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons brown grainy mustard
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 dash ground cloves

In 2-quart saucepan combine all ingredients.
Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium heat and boil 5 minutes.
Brush frequently on ham during last 1/2 hour of baking.

Our pies were *shock* frozen, premade versions from Schwan's. I had picked them up to have on hand as quick sweet treats for Hubby and I, but decided that it was time to clear them from the freezer. I don't mind making pies, and I know that it may seem a disgrace to serve frozen pies at a holiday, but in reality, my family didn't mind. I had one less thing to fuss over, and it made the prep for the evening much easier. Rachel Ray often says to take the help where you can get it. I don't know that I will again serve frozen pies for a holiday meal, but I certainly won't worry if I do. I may not have millions and billions of homes to visit with a sleigh full of toys, but I always seem to have plenty of good things on my plate for Christmas Eve...even when I don't prepare my own pies.

Slumping in My Soup

I have had a headache all day. My tummy has also been doing a bit of grumbling. Functioning hasn't been an easy task. Showering and trying to behave like a human instead of a huge piece of lint on the sofa required that I give myself a pep talk. I went to work for awhile this afternoon, but my plans to head back after dinner were foiled when a quick minute of shut-eye turned into an evening of being dead to the world. Thankfully, the nap helped. The pounding in my head has gone down a couple of decibels.

I had no interest in food all day, but one does have to eat. Hubby can and will cook, but it is nice when I have something ready when he comes home after his own long day. We seem to have been eating a lot of soup lately, but a mild brothy soup of new potatoes, fresh green beans, and ham was just what I needed. It was warm, soothing, and simple. Hubby could perk his servings up with some hot sauce or lots of pepper. I could savor the gentle broth just as prepared before slumping back into the sofa to baby my aching head.

Green Bean and New Potato Soup

1 pound fresh green beans, washed and snapped
1 pound new potatoes (or 3 large baking potatoes)
½ onion, diced
1 ham steak, fat removed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 quart, more or less, low sodium chicken broth
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup water

Clean and cut up all the ingredients.
Place the potatoes, onion, and ham in soup pot.
Add the chicken stock and enough water so there is an inch of fluid above the vegetables.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes.
Turn the heat down to low and add the green beans; simmer till the green beans are tender.
Add a little more broth or water if this gets too dry.
Combine the cornstarch and water and add to the soup to thicken. (Serves 6)

Of Mush and Men

Hubby hates pureed food. When I tried a Yellow Pepper Soup, he growled at me that he still has all of his teeth and doesn't need his food to be blended mush. He asserts that one of the things he doesn't like about mashed potatoes is that they don't need to be chewed. He claims to not like mush. However, make that mush beef flavored, and suddenly it seems OK.

I tried a new meatloaf recipe tonight that was total mush. I knew as I was mixing it that it had far too much liquid and filler, but ignored the slime that was sticking to my hands and plopped it into a loaf pan anyway. If I hadn't been so tired tonight, I would have tried harder to restore a sense of texture and firmness to my meatloaf, but as it was, I was lucky to get it in the oven at all. After baking for almost an hour, it came out just as I had feared: spongy, beefy mush. The flavor was good. The seasonings were right. The texture was awful, sloppy, squishy MUSH. I don't know about you, but I don't do well with a mouthful of yuck. I don't care if it tastes good, or not. Mushy meatloaf brings on my gag factor. Needless to say, even though Hubby ate 2 large portions without a word about the gruel-like stuff sliding around on his plate, it wasn't a recipe that I will try again.

The meal was saved by one of my favorite sides of all time, Roasted Green Beans. Fresh green beans tossed with some olive oil and liberally seasoned with coarse salt are an insanely good pleasure for me. They must be roasted to the point of having crusted browned bits, but don't fear; they aren't burned. The roasting brings out the sweetness of the veggie, and the combination of the crisp bits and the salt make them taste like incredibly healthy French Fries. I kid you, not. No mush about this. You have to try Roasted Green Beans to know what you have been missing.

Roasted Green Beans

2 pounds green beans
1-2 tablespoons olive oil (just enough to lightly coat beans)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste

Pre-heat over to 400 degrees.
Wash, dry well, and trim green beans.
Put green beans on a jelly roll pan.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. (I like them salty so I use about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.)
Use your hands to be sure all the beans are evenly coated and spread them out into a single layer.
Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until beans are fairly brown in spots and somewhat shriveled.
Serve hot or at room temperature. (Serves 4)