Fuzzy Fish and Almond Green Beans

Guess which dish was a hit and which wasn't?

If you guessed the green beans with almonds was a hit, you'd be right.

My youngest daughter, the fish lover, called my fish "fuzzy".

Fuzzy!?!

She elaborated that I added too much lemon zest so that it looked like the fish was growing grass.

That's funny as I zested the fish with orange, not lemon. She challenged me to taste it which I already had. I added the orange so I know darn well it wasn't lemon.

I thought the fish was okay, if not fabulous, and should have been marinated longer.

The green beans were very tasty so I'll provide the recipe.

 

GREEN BEANS WITH ALMONDS & GARLIC

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 



16 ounces French style green beans
2 tblsp butter or margarine
garlic salt
2-3 tblsp almond slivers

DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter in a small sauce pan.

Add green beans and almonds. Then very generously sprinkle garlic salt on top of the green bean and almond mixture. Mix well.

Cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Then simmer on low heat for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve warm.

Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Onions

I thought I'd try something a little different tonight than my regular zuchhini (which I love). I put my own attitude and spin on this, as I hope the American Idol judges would say about this recipe if they judged food.

I finished this dish shortly before American Idol aired tonight, so I had the pleasure of tasting it for the first time while I watched one of my favorite shows.

I'm really feeling Charlie and Lazaro tonight. Curtis is something else, too. What neat young men and awesome crooners.

Although I'm the best singer in my family, I was never AI material. Maybe someday, I'll make it into a cooking contest or a cooking show.

I can dream...

My softball umpire hubby was a dear last night and brought home my fav Skyline Chili with Cheese (for other Cincinnati chili lovers, a three-way). I was already asleep so I took it for lunch today.

 

Although it's super yummy, it's a ton of calories, so I made light dinner tonight - baked salmon with a side of my favorite zucchini with an added zing. It turned out sooooooo good, I'll definitely make it again. I bet you'll like it, too.

 

 



 

Zucchini, Mushrooms, & Onions

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 zucchini, sliced into french fry shaped pieces

1 slice of onion

1 handful of sliced mushrooms

1-2 Tblsp Butter

Lemon Juice

Pepper, to taste (I like a LOT)

 

 



 

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

Slice zucchini, onions, and fresh mushrooms. Thin slices are best.

 

Melt butter in a non-stick pan on medium heat.

 

Place vegetables in pan. Sprinkle generously with lemon juice. Sprinkle black pepper to taste. As I said above, I like a LOT of black pepper.

 

Let the veggies set for a couple minutes, then turn, sprinkle lemon juice and pepper onto ungarnished side. Let set for a couple minutes on that side.

 

Stir frequently until veggies are soft and golden.

Makes 2 servings. Double for a family of four.

 

Serve warm with a main dish.

 

 



 

Spicy Cajun Green Beans & Mushrooms

My husband came up with this recipe so he gets the credit. We used to serve it only on holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. Then I decided it was too good and too healthy to only eat a few times a year.

When I went on Weight Watchers several years ago, I ate this dish as a main course quite often. I lost 95 pounds and I enjoyed every bite of my green beans. I cut back on meat intake in favor of veggies and fruit and lots of exercise, something I need to do again, sadly.

Some people find it too spicy. If you do, cut back on the spices and try it again. I like mine spicy.

SPICY CAJUN GREEN BEANS & MUSHROOMS

INGREDIENTS

1 large can Italian cut green beans (you can use other green beans, but this variety works best for this recipe)
1 small can mushroom pieces (optional)
Cajun Seasoning
Black Pepper


DIRECTIONS

Pour 1 large can Italian cut green beans and 1 can mushrooms into large non-stick skillet with their juice.

Cover the green beans and mushrooms with a thick layer of Cajun Spice and Black Pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer. Cover with a lid until the liquid steams off. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn.

This is a great side dish to serve with ham or turkey and macaroni and cheese on a holiday. It's also a great dish to eat to lose weight, holiday or not.

 

Skillet Zucchini

I don't know about you, but I'm a full-time working mother and wife. Although I recently moved much closer to work and I don't have a long drive home, I still usually don't want to stand on my feet too long after a long hard day at the day job. I also write romance novels so I don't want to waste all my remaining energy cooking. Thus I prefer to make simple recipes on week nights whereas I'll get more creative and take more time on weekends to cook.

I will admit that since I get home a lot earlier (except this week when I had to work late to make up time for doctor appointments), I'm much more in a mood to cook and I'm having more fun with it than I have in a long time.

What about you?

Did I mention my youngest daughter HATES vegetables? I have to hide them in her food to get her to eat them. Even then, she usually figures out my madness and refuses to eat. Except for potatoes. We call her the "Potato Queen" and "French Fry Queen".

I'm a little picky when it comes to eating veggies, too. I was worse when I was her age although I've always eaten spinach and green beans, especially when my grandma cooked them.

I didn't touch zucchini, egg plant, spaghetti squash, or a number of other veggies until I was well into my adult years. I was absolutely sure I'd hate them and positively gag. Now, I'll fix a spaghetti squash or zucchini just for me.

Here's my favorite zucchini recipe, daresay as yummy (or more so) than Duffy's.

SKILLET ZUCCHINI

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium to large zucchini (per person)
1 pat butter
Lemon juice
Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse the zucchini. Slice off the ends and discard. Cut zucchini in half or thirds depending how long it is. Then slice lengthwise into several sticks. Leave skin on.

Melt butter in large non-stick skillet.

In a bowl, drizzle sliced zucchini with lemon juice. Generously sprinkle with pepper.

Cook in skillet, turning often to brown zucchini. If desired, sprinkle more pepper on as the zucchini cooks.

When the zucchini is browning and softened, remove from heat.

Serve warm.