It's All About the Garnish!

Christmas Eve 2009: Rosemary Garlic Green Beans with Pancetta

 
Because my Christmas Eve dinner was going to be heavy on the meat and potatoes, I needed a veggie side dish that would be light, yet savory at the same time. Salads were out because I didn't want to fool with last-minute dressing/tossing. Also out was anything that could get mushy if the husband took too long to carve the roast. And, I didn't want to put anything on the table that would be icky if it got cold while we devoured the meat. And, that's when I had my 'aha' moment...my sister-in-law's green beans. Over Thanksgiving, I saw that she was able to let put everything in one pan and let it hang out just before serving the meal. And, when they finally got to my end of the table, it didn't matter that they weren't steaming hot.

So, I present to you, Sarah's Rosemary Garlic Green Beans with Pancetta:

Throw all of this into a medium skillet:

* A couple ounces of chopped pancetta

* A bit of extra virgin olive oil

* A couple sprigs of rosemary

* A few handfuls of green beans (blanched -boiled for a few minutes, drained, hosed down with cold water)

* A few cloves of crushed garlic

* A couple shakes of salt and pepper

Cook on medium-high heat for about seven to ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve.

Party Food: The Battle Between Good and Evil

Spinach-Bacon Bites
(Or as I like to call them: The Battle Between Good and Evil)

Hors d'oeuvres aren't generally considered to be healthy. Sure, you can try to convince yourself that those Ranch Dressing-covered sticks of celery and carrot are part of your daily requirement of vegetables, but we know the truth. The fact is, party food is supposed to be bad for you. That's part of the fun! The recipe below is an attempt to assuage the guilt of gorging with wild abandon. Is it healthy? No. But, it IS 75% spinach, and that has to count for SOMETHING, right?

1 medium red onion, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt, pepper, seasonings (it's up to you!)
2 cups frozen, chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed of juice)
1 cup Panko (Japanese white breadcrumbs, you can find them by the soy sauce)
1 cup crumbled cheese (bleu, feta, ...something STRONG)
1 package thinly cut bacon, pieces cut in half crosswise

Sautee onion until it begins to brown at the edges, about ten minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Mix eggs, seasonings and spinach in a large bowl. Add Panko, and combine. If the mixture doesn't begin to ball up (almost like dough), add more Panko until it does.
Roll mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. Stuff each ball with a bit of cheese, and wrap with 1/2 slice of bacon.

Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Place as many bacon-spinach balls as you can, without squishing them, into the pan. Make sure the bacon 'seam' is touching the bottom of the pan. The heat will 'seal' them.

Cook for about 5-7 minutes. Turn once, cook for another 5-7 minutes. Remove to a serving tray and garnish with additional sprinkles of cheese. Kid yourself you're eating something wholesome.