PECORINO AND BEAN SALAD

PECORINO AND BEAN SALAD
If you are looking for something packed with flavor and fresh to perhaps accompany your Super Bowl fare, try this delightful bean salad.  Olivia found this on the Food Network site and tried it.  She reports it is excellent.  If you are like we are and going a little crazy dealing with the cold weather, this dish might be just the thing to remind you of the freshness of Spring and brighten up your menu.

If you need further "therapy" to help you through the winter doldrums, start buying seeds for your summer garden or make a trip to a nearby year-round farmers market.  The markets sometimes have a nice selection of root vegetables, micro greens, and even seeds to consider for the coming summer.  We'll all make it through this winter.  Keep cooking and coping!
-Nanette

PECORINO AND BEAN SALAD

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 cups (9 ounces) shelled edamame beans
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
5 ounces pecorino romano, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Directions

In a small, nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, but not brown, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rosemary. Set aside.

Combine the edamame beans, cannellini beans, cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper in a serving bowl. Add the garlic mixture and toss well until all the ingredients are coated.

Chocolate Chip, Pecan, Banana Bread

CHOCOLATE CHIP PECAN BANANA BREAD
I don't know what it is like where you are, but it has been brutally cold here.  The temperatures rise a little, just enough to melt some old snow, and then the temperatures dip and more snow arrives.  It is enough to keep you making soup, hot chocolate, and anything to keep you warm on the inside and outside.  This scrumptious bread is just the thing with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate to keep the chill off your bones. Olivia tweaked a similar recipe she found online by adjusting some ingredient amounts and swapping out pecans for walnuts (just out of personal preference).  We hope you try it and like it. Remember, keep the coffee pot brewing, the snow blower filled with gas, and the hope of Spring alive!
-Nanette

CHOCOLATE CHIP, PECAN, BANANA BREAD

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 6 ripe bananas, mashed
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition.
5. Stir in the mayonnaise and bananas.
6. Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
7. Blend the flour mixture into the banana mixture; stir just enough to evenly combine.
8. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
9. Bake at 350~ until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 50 to 75 minutes.
10. Cool loaf in the pan for 20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  Serve with room temperature butter if desired.

Crab Rangoon

CRAB RANGOON
If you enjoy Chinese food and you've ordered crab rangoon very many times you know it can vary significantly in texture and content.  By that I mean it is sometimes overdone to the point of "why bother" or it often is so light on the crab that you might as well call it just --rangoon. You can avoid these problems by making this tasty dish yourself.  It if fairly easy and you can make them delicately moist and filled with lots of crab meat.  This recipe is also large on flavor thanks to the garlic, ginger, and soy sauce.  A nice light meal would be just these and a bowl of soup!  Olivia made these because she is a big fan of crab rangoon.  Try making your own and you may never be satisfied with restaurant ones again!
-Nanette

CRAB RANGOON

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temp
• 3/4-1 cup crabmeat, picked
• 2 green onions, sliced thin
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• wonton wrappers (You should only need one package)
• oil ( for frying)

Directions

1. Whip together the sour cream, cream cheese and soy sauce and sugar until smooth.
2. Fold in remaining ingredients (except wrappers) Heat oil to med-high and you want it around 1 1/2-2 inches deep.
3. Place a small bowl of water on your work surface and lay out 6 wrappers, and place around 1 1 1/2 t's in the center of each wrapper.
4. Moisten edges with water, bring up corners and pinch together, along with sides-you dont want filling to float away.
5. Place all 6 in the hot oil and repeat process.
6. By the time you have the next set of 6 ready to crimp it should be time to turn the rangoons.
7. You want them a nice golden color.
8. When done remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
9. Repeat until finished.

Olivia's Chili Con Queso

OLIVIA'S CHILI CON QUESO

This time of year (where we live) you need something to warm you during the cold weather and maybe you even need something yummy to munch on while watching a game.  Olivia offers this great recipe that can be as tame or spicy as you like.  She reports her husband even enjoyed spreading it on a warm tortilla and rolling it up. Use your favorite sausage and add interest with just the right amount of jalapeno to taste and black beans for even more texture.   Yum!
-Nanette

Olivia's Chili Con Queso

1/2 lb. ground pork sausage (This could be mild, hot, etc.  I used plain sausage.)
1 small red onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, finely chopped (Remove the seeds if you want it to be milder; add another jalapeño if you
                                           want to kick up the heat!)
3 tablespoons dried onion flake
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, optional
1/2 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 large brick of MEXICAN Velveeta Cheese, cubed
1 cup salsa
3/4 cup sour cream

Over medium heat, brown sausage while separating it into small pieces.  If your pan doesn't have enough drippings to brown the veggies, add the vegetable oil.  If you have enough drippings, don't add the oil.  Add in the red onion, jalapeño, and onion flake.  Stir to combine and sauté for two minutes.  Dump the black beans in, and continue to cook for two more minutes.  Place the cubes of Mexican Velveeta on top of the mixture, and reduce the heat to low-medium.  Stir the mixture so the cheese doesn't burn. After the cheese is melted, stir in the salsa and sour cream.  Serve while the mixture is warm with tortilla chips!