Slow Cooker Green Beans with Onions and Bacon

 

Green beans with Onions and Bacon

by Mama Jade

This recipe was actually a complete accident at my home one Thanksgiving.  I had placed green beans in the slow cooker and my mom added a bit of thin sliced onions and bacon.  We promptly forgot about them in the chaos that was Thanksgiving meal prep for a half dozen people.  We remembered them after the meal was complete and we had already eaten.  The green beans were melt in your mouth soft, the onions and bacon had nearly dissolved and they were tiny bites of heaven on a plate.

 

Ingredients:

Sea Salt and Pepper

2 lbs Green Beans, fresh and washed

Bacon, sliced

Vidalia Onion, thinly sliced

Olive Oil or Butter

Garlic, minced

 

1.  Line the bottom of a slow cooker with bacon, a single layer.  If you prefer crispier bacon, fry it first but add the oil to the slow cooker too.

2.  Add the onions, garlic and green beans, tossing together on top of the bacon.

3.  Add a pat or two of butter or a drizzle of olive oil, tossing the vegetables again.

4.  Season liberally with sea salt and pepper.

5.  Turn on low and forget about them for about 6 hours.

 

I have made these for every Thanksgiving celebration I’ve been invited to in the last 10 years.  I NEVER have leftovers, even when preparing up to five pounds of them.  I’ve made a few slight adjustments over the years, depending on who I make them for.  My husband likes to pick on me about the floppy bacon, so I began frying it before adding it to the slow cooker.  I still prefer it soft and melty though.  The garlic is optional, but it adds a whole new dimension of flavor.  Enjoy!

How to Microwave Corn on the Cob

Finally, fresh corn season in Florida. Here is an easy recipe for how to microwave corn on the cob. I’m giving you directions for plain corn on the cob, but you can spice it up however you like it. See the suggestions below or use whatever seasonings you like.

 

I love a fresh ear of corn on the cob. You should be seeing fresh sweet corn appearing in the markets and vegetable stands. Take it home and cook it right away for best flavor. Choose fresh ears of corn and cook within one day of purchase for best results. You can microwave corn in the husks or wrapped in plastic. Follow these simple directions for a quick, easy and healthy vegetable side dish.

Microwaving in the husk

Carefully peel back the husks on your corn, so that they remain attached at the base. Remove the silks from the corn by rubbing the corn under running water or brushing with a vegetable brush. Salt and pepper the corn and spread with butter if desired. Pull the husks back into place and secure with a rubber band at the top if necessary.

Microwave the corn for 2-3 minutes per ear, depending on the size of your corn. For more than 4 ears, microwave for 2 minutes per ear.

If your microwave doesn’t revolve, rotate the ears once during cooking to encourage more even cooking.

When the cooking time is up, wrap the corn in a heavy towel and let it stand for 5 minutes. The corn will continue cooking, and remain warm wrapped in the towel.

Microwaving husked corn on the cob

Corn that has been husked can be placed in a plastic bag, or wrapped in plastic wrap before microwaving. Season the corn and rub with butter if desired, before wrapping.

Microwave the corn as directed above. If your corn is frozen, it will require a longer cooking time. Check the package for instructions for the size ear you have.

Variations

• Season with Cajun spices or grill seasoning instead of salt and pepper.
• Use a herb butter containing any mixture of chives, parsley, basil, sage, or tarragon. Add a little lime juice to the softened butter as well.
• Use garlic butter to coat the corn before cooking.

 

Know Your Ingredients: Carrots

By Diane Watkins

Carrots are sometimes referred to as super foods, and my experience bears that out. When my first son was only a few months old, he wouldn’t take water, but wanted to drink constantly. My doctor didn’t want him to have fruit juices yet, because of the sugar, so I gave him carrot juice. He loved it and he drank a lot of it.

Over the years I had 4 sons. I thought back and realized that my oldest never had any of the ear infections, common colds, or other ailments that the younger ones had- not one single ear infection! The only thing I could point to was carrot juice. I know it may be coincidence, but I am convinced that the carrot juice made him more healthy and resistant to the everyday germs that we all encounter.

Now before you begin to think I’ve become a commercial for carrots, lets talk about selecting and cooking this healthy food.

Selecting and Storing Carrots
The best carrots are fresh and dark orange in color. I usually avoid the “baby carrots”, they aren’t really babies, but carrot pieces cut from mature carrots. I figure they probably use the old, wilting carrots to cut the babies, so they may not be as fresh. Plus, most of the vitamins lie just beneath the skin–cut away to shape the babies.

Raw vs. Cooked Carrots – Nutrition

While I thoroughly believe in the nutrition of raw vegetables, carrots are so fiberous that most of the vitamins are not digested unless the carrot is cooked. Enjoy a few raw for the fiber and gently cook the rest. Even a gentle steaming is enough to soften the vegetable so that our systems can digest it well and extract the valuable nutrition. Save the cooking water to use in soups or other dishes.

How to Use Carrots
The list of uses for carrots is endless. Cook them and serve them plain or with a simple sauce. Use them in stews and soups, salads, and vegetable mixtures. Shred them and add them to muffins, cakes (Carrot Cake — my favorite!) and purees. Slice them thin for stir-fry. Juice them, either raw or cooked.

Try some of these recipes to get more carrots into your diet:

Easy Ways to Cook Carrots

Know Your Ingredients – Sweet Potatoes

by Diane Watkins

What has as much fiber as a bowl of oatmeal, almost twice the Vitamin A of carrots, more potassium than a banana, and is a good source of Vitamin B6 and Manganese? The sweet potato! Surprised?

The sweet potato is one of the healthiest foods in the Southern diet, achieving super food status for its powerful antioxidants and carotenoids that protect the body against cancer, heart disease and boosts the immune system.

One large sweet potato has approximately 162 calories, compared to 278 for a regular baked potato. It is naturally low in sodium and fat.

Of course, the problem is that most sweet potato recipes tend to drown them in butter and sugar. But this no longer needs to be true. Sweet potatoes are gaining attention of chefs and home cooks for their delicious flavors and outstanding nutrition.

More Sweet Potato Recipes:

How to Make Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet Potato Bisque
How to Make Healthy Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes Normandy
How to Make Southern Candied Yams Side Dish
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar
Tex-Mex Sweet Potato Salad with Zucchini, Bell Pepper and Corn
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Grated Sweet Potato Pudding
Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes
Honey Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Croquettes
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Best Sweet Potato Pie
Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Vermont Candied Sweet Potatoes

How to Make Baked Sweet Potato Fries

by Diane Watkins

Sweet potatoes are now listed as a super food – and this recipe is a good way to get more of these nutritious vegetables in your diet. These southern favorites are high in fiber, vitamins A, B6 and C, potassium, manganese and complex carbohydrates.  The extra fiber means that they don’t affect your blood sugar the way that white potatoes do. (Assuming, of course, that you aren’t loading them up with sugar.) Try these baked sweet potato fries with salt and pepper or be adventurous and try them with garlic powder, cinnamon, or your favorite seasoning mix. Sprinkle the seasoning on the pan to prevent the fries from sticking.  While the amount listed may seem like a lot, a good bit of it will be left behind on the pan.

Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

4 Sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
2 Tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon crushed black pepper
Large sheet pan
Oven, preheated to 425 degrees F.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spread the salt and pepper over the sheet pan.
2. Toss the sweet potato wedges in the olive oil to coat.
3. Spread the sweet potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Turn them once so that a little of the seasoning sticks to all sides. The majority of the salt and pepper should remain on the pan, creating a barrier to sticking.
4. Bake the sweet potatoes for 40 minutes, turning the fries halfway through the cooking time. The fries are done when they are brown and crispy on the outside and soft in the center. Large wedges may take longer.

More healthy sweet potato recipes:
How to Make Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet Potato Bisque
How to Make Healthy Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes Normandy
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar
Tex-Mex Sweet Potato Salad with Zucchini, Bell Pepper and Corn
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Grated Sweet Potato Pudding
Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes
Honey Glazed Sweet Potatoes

How to Make Healthy Baked Sweet Potatoes

by Diane Watkins

Baking or microwaving is one of the easiest ways to use sweet potatoes. Simply cook them the same way you would an Idaho potato. When it comes time to dress them, get a little creative. Instead of butter, try topping them with a sprinkle of cinnamon and top with a spoon full of pineapple tidbits. This is a healthy way to enjoy the flavors of sweet potato casserole, without the fat and sugar.

To Bake Sweet Potatoes:

Wrap each potato in foil and place in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour.  Remove from the oven and slit open. Stuff as desired.

To Microwave Sweet Potatoes:

Wash the outside of each potato and prick the skin in several places with a fork. This will allow the steam to escape without rupturing the skin. Place on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 8 minutes. Press the potato, it will yield easily when done. If it is still hard, microwave for 2 more minutes or until done. Cooking times vary with the size of the potato and the power of the microwave.

Cooking with Tomatoes

COOKING TIPS
Cooking with Tomatoes

Oh, the joy of summer, a vine ripe tomato. Roasting or grilling tomatoes concentrates their flavor for a rich taste.
To peel: Immerse tomatoes about 30 seconds in boiling water; remove and place immediately in cold water. Remove the stem, and the skin will slip right off.

To seed: Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Gently squeeze each half, using your fingers to remove seeds.
Tomato Shells: Cut a 1/2 inch slice off the stem end of each tomato. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp being careful not to pierce the shell.
Roast: Preheat oven to 450° F. Halve tomatoes crosswise. Place halves, cut side down, on a shallow baking pan; brush with oil. Roast until lightly browned, about 20 minutes; cool.
Grill: Cut tomatoes in half. Brush cut surfaces with Oil or dressing made with oil and basalmic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt, fresh ground pepper and basil. Place cut side up on aluminum foil or greased grill over hot coals about 10 minutes. Do not turn.

Recipes for Fried Green Tomatoes and Fried Ripe Tomatoes

Gazpacho

What better soup for a hot summer day? Gazpacho uses all the fresh flavors from your summer garden in a delightfully cool soup. Just be sure to make it ahead so that the flavors have time to mingle and develop. The recipe calls for blending, but I like mine a little chunky. Best of all, no cooking required!

Gazpacho Soup Recipe

2 cucumbers, sliced
5 green peppers, diced
½ loaf of hard bread or equal amount of hard rolls, broken into chunks
5 ripe tomatoes, cut up
3 cloves crushed garlic
¼ onion
¾ cup olive oil
¾ cup wine vinegar
3 cups tomato juice or v-8 juice
cayenne pepper and salt to taste

1. Place cucumbers, green peppers, bread, tomatoes, garlic and onion in large bowl.  Add oil, vinegar, water and seasonings.
2. Refrigerate together at least 24 hours.
3. Mix in blender and pour into bowl.
4. Refrigerate a few more hours and serve in chilled bowls.
5. Top with croutons or fresh chopped vegetable garnish.  Serves 8 to 10.

Cream of Tomato Soup — Tomato Bisque Recipe

This is one of my favorite recipes. The soup is so easy to make, but the flavors are fresh and rich. I’ve had Tomato Bisque in gourmet restaurants that wasn’t as good as this soup. Make it with fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes for the very best flavor, but canned chopped tomatoes are also good when you’re in a hurry or tomatoes are out of season.

I like to make the soup without the cream and freeze it in individual portions. Then I reheat it and add a tablespoon or two of cream to the bowl of  hot soup.

Tomato Bisque Recipe

5 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 quart chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil to garnish

1. Put peeled and chopped tomatoes into a saucepan with the chicken broth.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.  Be careful with salt as some broths are salty. Remove from heat.
4. When ready to serve, add the cream.  Garnish with fresh basil.

*Be careful when reheating. Cream will curdle if boiled, reheat gently. Or do as I suggested above and add the cream to individual bowls at serving time.

More Soup and Stew Recipes

Watercress and Corn Soup

This is a delicious and different soup, sure to wow your guests.Grow your own watercress to have a constant supply available for this soup.

Watercress and Corn Soup Recipe

4 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
¼ teaspoon marjoram
2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
½ cup watercress, chopped finely
3 Tablespoons butter
salt and pepper

Simmer together: broth, parsley, and marjoram for 5 minutes.  Add corn and simmer for another 20 minutes. Strain through a course sieve if desired.  Stir in watercress and butter just before serving.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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