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I know this is two weeks late, but how was everyone's Thanksgiving? Mine was full of food (of course), new and old family and friends, and lots of Cranium madness. I think we've started a new tradition! If you haven't played or have no idea what i'm talking about. GO OUT and buy it...right now! Cranium is a combination of, charades, pictionary, trivial pursuit, word puzzles, and a lot of freaking fun all rolled into one. Sounds like a good time right? Well it was!
For Thanksgiving I stepped back and let my dads girlfriend, Jackie and her family take the reins. They did a great job fattening us all up with amazing food. I however am thankful that I brought the only dish there with a green vegetable.
I made a green bean salad that I learned in cooking class the day before! I altered the recipe a bit and added my own special touches.
Green Bean Salad
Ingredients:
3 bags of whole frozen green beans (I was so happy to find the pretty green and yellow ones!)
3 packages of pre-slices mushrooms
1 red onion
2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 whole parsley bunch chopped
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
To begin toast/ brown your almonds in a small sauce pan with about a cup of canola oil. You might not use it all but its better to have more infused with the almonds than not enough.
Set that on medium heat until the almonds have turned a golden toasty color.
You will use the oil for the dressing and the almonds to garnish the salad!
As for the mushrooms and onions
Sautee them with a little oil until they turn tender, or however you like it!
Next blanch your green beans.
You'll want to add them to boiling water with salt and a splash of oil to keep them green for about 5 minutes and then remove them immediately straight to a strainer and into an ice bath or just run really COLD water on them like I did. You really don't want mushy green bean salad.
Dressing Ingredients:
4 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs dijon mustard
salt and pepper
2 tbs honey
1 tbs white truffle honey!!!
enough almond oil to emulsify dressing
So I was so excited to buy white truffle honey after Erin my co-worker told me about it. I got it at Thyme an adorable cafe in Santa Monica. You know I love white truffle anything, I really expressed my love for it here. I've been racking my brain on how I can drop it into something subtly so I don't overpower the dish, but still give it that added amazing truffle flavor. I decided it would give a great hint in my dressing where I already add honey! Plus this dish has mushrooms, what a great compliment!
Basically I drained the oil into the blender, added all the ingredients and blended well. I used my moms vita-mix. It's this blender that's motor has the power of a small car! With a 2-horsepower (1380-watt) motor you know you can blend anything...and well! For $500 I would hope so!
Once everything has cooled to room temp add the green beans, sauteed mushrooms and onions, sliced cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, and toasted almonds. Then drizzle the dressing and toss carefully to get a good even coating. :)
Enjoy!!
From the pictures it sure looks yummi, and come to think of it healthy and good for you. move over mashed potatoes stuffings and all the other side dishes.
ReplyDeleteThis should be a regular turkey dressing...good job! I think I'll try to make it at home without the white truffle honey (too expensive lol)
ReplyDelete