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What's for Dinner?
Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish
"String Beans with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Blue Cheese and Pecans"
(Serves 6-8)
Blanche the string beans ahead to save time. Crumbled feta can be substituted for the blue cheese. For a vegetarian version of this recipe, omit the bacon and sauté the leeks in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
2 pounds string beans, stem end trimmed
Kosher salt
3 strips Applewood smoked bacon
1 leek, stem end trimmed, rinsed and thinly sliced (1 cup)
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
˝ cup toasted pecans
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Add string beans to boiling water and cook just until tender, 3-4 minutes. Remove with tongs and shock in ice water to set the green color and stop the cooking process. When chilled, remove from ice water, drain and reserve. String beans can be cooked and refrigerated several days ahead.
Cook bacon strips in a large sauté pan until crispy. Remove and crumble when cool. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat and discard extra fat. Re-heat bacon fat, add the leeks and sauté over medium heat until leeks just start to develop golden brown color, about 4 minutes. Add cooked string beans. When the beans are hot, add the blue cheese and pecans. Toss all to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Place on platter and serve. If making ahead, cool down and refrigerate in an airtight container up to a day ahead.
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Testimonial from Rich W. of Redondo Beach
If you love food, or merely like food, taking a cooking class with Mary Ellen will have you loving food as much as she does! My fiance and I took her class in July and it was a blast. Mary Ellen has a wonderfully warm, non-judging and friendly approach to cooking with her students. Her course is designed to make you look like a star. She is worth her weight in saffron!
Thank you Rich!!
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