Black Sesame Sauteed Green Beans

BLACK SESAME SAUTEED GREEN BEANS

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Is there anything better than fresh produce in the summer? Confession... when its over 100 degrees outside I get a little overwhelmed around dinner time, but I can ALWAYS talk myself into firing up the stove for a bit of fresh produce. Today I got a great deal on some freshly picked green beans, and couldn't wait to cook them up. This recipe is fast, simple and adds tons of flavor without overwhelming the crispy earthy goodness of the green beans.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. fresh green beans, washed, stem-ends removed

2 Tablespoons HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS VEGGIE BLEND

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

drizzle of dark sesame oil

2 teaspoons of garlic powder

2 Tablespoons toasted black or white sesame seeds

HIMALAYAN Pink SEA SALT and fresh ground pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the prepared green beans in a pot of boiling water for two minutes. 

Immediately remove from water and plunge into a big bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain. Blot dry.

2. In a saute' pan heat oil over medium heat and then add Green Beans, HS Veggie Rub and garlic powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the bean begin to brown a little. Remove pan from heat, add the remaining ingredients- tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately.

 FAST, delicious and healthy .... three of my favorite things in the kitchen! Enjoy~

Lemon Herb Shrimp Scampi

LEMON HERB SHRIMP SCAMPI

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Today was just one of those days.... everything is running 20 minutes late, kids have extra curricular activities in two different directions, husband forgot to eat lunch and comes home starving-- you know, the whole house is filled with, what we like to call, HUNGER MADNESS.
SO.... needless to say- I needed a yummy dinner that could be on the table SUPER FAST- I love having a few delicious throw together dinners that take less than 20 minutes to make start to finish, but taste like I was slaving over a hot skillet all afternoon.

If you have shrimp fans in your house, they will LOVE this one! A little bit of butter, a zingy lemon or two and the perfect blend of herbyness that HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS is famous for! Add this shrimp to some fresh grilled veggies, or a batch of angle hair pasta and you will create a meal that will keep your sailors smiling!


INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup olive oil

1 pound fresh shrimp, medium-sized, deveined with tails off

1 1/2 tablespoons HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS SEAFOOD BLEND
1 1/2 tablespoons HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS FISH RUB

Juice of one Lemon (or about 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice)

Pinch or two of sea or HIMALAYAN PINK SEA SALT and fresh black pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons butter

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a Medium sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the cleaned and deveined shrimp to the olive oil. Generously sprinkle the HS SEAFOOD BLEND to the shrimp and let cook for 5-7 minutes. Toss the shrimp to turn them over and add a bit more of the SEAFOOD BLEND. Cook an additional 5 minutes or until the shrimp turn pin k and start to curl.
2. Remove pan from heat. Add lemon juice, butter and salt and pepper if you choose. Once the butter has melted give them another toss to coat them entirely and they are ready to serve! Would be delicious over Angel Hair Past, Parmesan Couscou, or your favorite Rice Recipe 

I love to serve this Shrimp recipe with freshly roasted red peppers, baked asparagus or when I am lucky - fresh steamed green beans! Its the perfect meal! When you only have like 10 or 15 minutes to throw something together.... so why not throw something delicious together!!

Herb Rubbed Mushroom Caps

HERB RUBBED MUSHROOM CAPS
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I love mushrooms! I do... I am a true-blue mushroom lover, sometimes I just eat them raw- I know thats probably pretty weird, but they are one of those veggies?? fungi?? well.. food! But I have come to grips with the fact that they are one of those foods people either LOVE or HATE... not many "in-betweeners" out there. SO for all those non-mushroom people out there, you may not be a big fan of this recipe, but I will say this much--EVERY time I make them... there are NO leftovers! They are perfect for parties, pot-lucks, game days, holidays, you name it! Cheap, Super Fast to make and DELISH! Its a simple recipe, which starts with (of course) MUSHROOMS! I pick them up in bulk at Costco or Sams, but for a normal family 1 or 2 of the smaller grocery store containers is usually enough for a side dish.

Really quickly, here are a few tips on storing and cooking mushrooms > > > > > > > > > >
If you won’t be using the mushrooms right when you get home from purchasing them, store them in a brown paper bag, just fold the top over loosely and your good to wait a few days. Just before cooking the mushrooms they will need to be cleaned. Although common wisdom says mushrooms should never be washed, many mushroom experts disagree. Wild mushrooms can be covered in all sorts of craziness including snail goo so always wash them to help remove bacteria. (For safety, they should also be thoroughly cooked.) Farmed mushrooms are either sprayed with pesticides and chemical fertilizers or grown in organic fertilizer (read: animal dung); either way, you should wash them. Nonetheless, don’t soak them in water, since it can really change their flavor. Instead, gently rub them with a damp terry towel or soft vegetable brush.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Dozen Large Mushroom
2-3 tablespoons HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS Veggie Blend
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
HIMALAYAN Pink Salt to taste (optional)

 INSTRUCTIONS
Start cleaning by the mushrooms in what ever way you see fit! Pop off the stems and hold onto them for another great dish later during the week. Get a large, non-stick frying pan or skillet and lightly coat with a bit of olive oil.
Place the mushroom caps, bottoms-up, inside the botton of your pan. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the caps and generously sprinkle with the HS Veggie Rub. After about 3-5 minutes they will begin to >snap,crackle,pop<
Check one of the mushrooms out towards the edge, by flipping it over. They should begin to look golden brown, if they are not then give them another few minutes.

 Deliciously Golden Brown!

< < NOW BACK TO THE INSTRUCTIONS > >

 Add another sprinkle of the HS Veggie Blend, and a pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt and cook for another 3-5 minutes. You will notice water or moisture start to collect at the bottom of the pan, that means that they should be tender and ready to eat! Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mushrooms with a slotted spoon to your serving dish (leave all that weird mushroom water behind) You can then dive right into these bad boys! I like to serve them with a multitude of different dips from simple ranch dressing, to spinach & artichoke or even one of my favorites; a jalapeno n' dill and sour cream dip that I will be featuring later this week! You name it, they are yummy on the side of something, or just by YUMMY ole' selves!! enjoy~