Honey Balsamic Bean Salad

I debated posting this recipe becuase it is good, but didn't blow me out of the water with it's amazingness.  But I haven't been to the grocery in quite a while, so cooking has been minimal at my house.

I found this recipe on one of my food bloggy stalks - over at 101 Cookbooks.  It piqued my interest due to the large amount of thyme (yum) and honey.  I thought I would give it a try since I had most of the ingredients on hand and shocking, I was getting tired of our standard salad with the same dressing almost every night.  I know, I know - not the most appetizing picture.  I'll get better, I promise.  I tried to replicate the original recipe which according to 101 Cookbooks can be found in Teaching My Dad to Cook Flapjack using haricots verts instead of the romaine.  And they called for cooked beans, I just went straight for the canned.

Honey Balsamic Bean Salad

1 can each of Black Beans, Pinto Beans, and Chickpeas

1/3 lb. Haricots Verts

1/3 c. toasted sliced almonds

For the dressing:

2t. Olive Oil

1 1/2 T. Honey

2T. Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/2 T. Lemon Juice
1/4 t. salt
10 sprigs fresh thyme

Rinse all the beans and place in a large bowl.  Blanche the green beans and chop roughly into thirds and add to the bowl with the beans.  Lightly toast the almonds and add to the bowl as well.  Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a separate bowl and mix well.  Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs and add to the bean mixture along with the dressing.  Mix to combine and let sit.

This was something that was a risk - totally outside of what Stud and I would normally eat.  We had this with turkey burgers which would normally be served with tater tots and a baby spinach salad.  And it was a tasty alternative, but not something I would add to my regular menu.  And Stud thinks it's gross leftover, but I don't mind it.  I think it's even a little better once the thyme has had time to spread it tastiness throughout.  So overall, a nice alternative to a salad with dinner, but not a total replacement.

Hey that's me!

Hey Pillsbury, I'm glad you liked my tomato pie!

Daily Fluff

Beau and I were crafty over the weekend.  Doesn't he look thrilled!?!?

Pizza Night - Pesto Cheese Pizza

This was literally a what do I have in my fridge kinda pizza.  It helped that I had stocked up on tasty cheeses for the tomato pie.

Pesto Cheese Pizza

1 Dough Ball
1/2 cup pesto
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese
1/3 cup goat cheese
1 pint grape (or cherry) tomatoes
1 bag fresh spinach
1 clove garlic

Stretch the dough out over a cookie sheet coated with olive oil.  Spread the pesto in a thin layer over the dough, it does not take much.  Layer on the mozzarella cheese.  Saute the spinach with some olive oil and garlic.  Once it's wilted, layer over the mozzarella.  The add the rest of the cheese, breaking the goat cheese up into little crumbles, and finally the halve the cherry tomatoes and add to the top.  Bake in a 475 degree oven for about 18 minutes. 

This one is really tasty.  The crust could barely support all the gooey goodness on top.

Pillars of the Earth

This is what Stud and I will be watching as soon as it's on Netflix (so tomorrow) since we do not pay for Starz.  Have I mentioned how much I love instant Netflix?? 

And if you haven't read the book, do it.  It's a good one.

Tomato Pie

OK so this is one of those things I refused to eat until I was about 20 - I used to have a thing with tomatoes (they made me gag) and now they are up there with avocados on my "I am obsessed" food list.  Seriously, avocados and tomatoes make everything better.  I just had to learn that winter gross tomatoes are a completely different thing than fresh juicy red summer tomatoes.  Lesson learned.  Tomato pie is pretty simple to make and so so so so good.  And once I actually have some ripe tomatoes in my garden, it will be even better!  I wish you could smell it.  Please try this at home, it will change your life.

Tomato Pie
1 Pie Crust (I just used the Pillsbury crusts)
3 T. Dijon Mustard
1 c. Cheese
Tomatoes
Basil
Parsley

This recipe is nice because it's really easy to make do with what you have and change it to what you like.  For the cheese, I used a mixture of mozzarella, gruyere and goat that I had left over from this week's pizza (more to come on that later) and for the tomatoes, I used three plum and then the yellow cherry from my tomato plants and a few red grape I had in the fridge (I know, cardinal sin putting tomatoes in the fridge, but I needed them to last).  So you can use whatever cheese you have on hand, and the same with the tomatoes.

Lay the dough in a pie pan - I used a quiche pan and my mom uses a tart pan, whatever works - and line it with tin foil.  Blind bake the pie crust for about ten minutes according to package instructions.  I think it was at 450 degrees.  Remove from the oven and spread the Dijon mustard around the bottom of the pie crust.  Then sprinkle on all the cheese and then layer the tomatoes.  I would just make sure to only have one layer of pretty thinly sliced tomatoes or it gets too soggy.  Drizzle the top with a little olive oil and put back in the oven and bake for another thirty minutes.  When it's finished, sprinkle the top with fresh basil and parsley.  I actually let it cool for about ten minutes before we ate and it was perfect.

You know you want to eat this.  Do it.


Welcome if you're here from Pillsbury via Facebook!  I hope you like my blog, and sorry for the quality of the pictures - I am neither a professional photographer (I just use my phone half the time) nor a professional chef!

Louisville DRAMA

So my hood is at war with CSX.

We have this battle going on about the train horns in my hood.  Something happened, or more didn't happen (I think) and now the trains blow their horn at every crossing.  We used to be a "quiet zone" and now, I'll admit, the train horns are obnoxious.  And I don't even live right next to them, I live about four blocks back.  But on an actually pleasant night the other week, Stud and I kept the windows open and they did blast the train horns at EVERY crossing, no matter the time.  It was a restless night, but I got used to it quickly (Stud....not so much...the boy is a little rough around the edges without his full, uninterrupted eight-ten hours)  And now that it's back to sweltering heat and we are using our monster AC, I can't hear the trains at all.  I actually thought they had stopped the honking.  But the battle continues and should I choose to take up the cause, I can join a Facebook group!