simple sunday: lemon-garlic rainbow trout
I’ve been dreaming about rainbow trout since I had a really delicious one the other night at Ava. It was served with crabmeat and caramelized cauliflower with pine nuts. Wow!
Even though I would have loved to recreate the whole meal, I really wanted a quick dinner. This simple lemon-garlic baked rainbow trout could not have been better — it satisfied my craving for delicious rainbow trout and was quick and easy.
Be like me and crack open that bottle of wine now while you’re cooking. This is a great, light white wine – it is crisp and has great citrus flavors and pairs well with the trout.
Lay the trout filets skin side down on a greased baking sheet.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil to make a paste. Spread the mixture on the top of each filet.
Broil the trout for 5 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake for 10-12 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
Lemon-Garlic Rainbow Trout
2 lbs rainbow trout
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Lay the trout filets skin side down on a greased baking sheet.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil to make a paste. Spread the mixture on the top of each filet.
Broil the trout for 5 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake for 10-12 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
pimento cheese
My favorite thing about growing up in Louisiana, hands down, is the unique food. Until I was 11 or 12, I didn’t realize that there were people that didn’t eat king cakes and pimento cheese (the horror!).
Pimento cheese, a truly sacred Southern food, is a staple at baby showers, book clubs, church potluck dinners and everyone has their own version.
Here’s what you’ll need:
(I forgot the lemon juice, salt and pepper in the picture above – whoops!)
Do not under any circumstance add pickles to your pimento cheese. I’m disturbed whenever I see this addition in cookbooks.
In a bowl, combine the shredded cheese, chopped pimentos and mayonnaise. Use more or less mayonnaise depending on your tastes. Though I love mayo, I only add enough to bind the cheese but you can add as much as you’d like.
Stir in the lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt and pepper.
Here’s the risky step. Grab a fork and taste for seasoning. Make a pledge to yourself before this bite that you will not eat the whole bowl. Say it out loud so it feels real.
Now we’ve reached the fun part! What do you want to do with your glorious mixture of pimento cheese?
Spread it on white bread and eat it cold? Grill the sandwich for a tangy grilled cheese? Serve it with celery or fritos as a dip?
Or you can follow my lead and sneak downstairs every night before bed for a spoonful. Mmmm.
Pimento Cheese
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 can (7 oz.) pimentos, chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
In a bowl, combine the shredded cheddar, chopped pimentos, and mayonnaise. Stir in the lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt and pepper.
The pimento cheese will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.
bananas foster cupcakes
I’m not proud to admit it but I’m currently suffering sharp stomach pains from eating an entire dozen of these in one sitting.
These truly taste like bananas foster and they are really moist. I think this recipe was definitely worth the extra step of making the bananas foster.
Here’s the cast of characters:
From the 1/2 c of reserved banana mixture, add a few pieces of bananas to each cupcake well. Pour the batter over the bananas into the cupcake pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, frost each one with the cream cheese frosting. Drizzle the caramel sauce over each cupcake and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bananas Foster Cupcakes
4 cups powdered sugar
Combine the brown sugar, butter, rum, cinnamon, vanilla and bananas in a saute pan. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until the butter-sugar mixture starts to thicken. Remove 1/2 c of the banana mixture and set aside.
In your stand mixer, cream the butter until it is light-colored and fluffy. Beat in the sugar until combined. Add eggs, vanilla, rum, sour cream and the larger portion of the banana mixture. Mix well. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt then add to the mixing bowl.
From the 1/2 c of reserved banana mixture, add a few pieces of bananas to each cupcake well. Pour the batter over the bananas into the cupcake pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
While the cupcakes are baking, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together. Add the powdered sugar and half-and-half until you reach the desired consistency.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, frost each one with the cream cheese frosting. Drizzle the caramel sauce over each cupcake and sprinkle with cinnamon.
simple sunday: homemade applesauce
I had the flu this year. It was the first time I can even remember having the flu. It was really, truly as awful as everyone says it is and all I wanted to eat was applesauce. Just like the flu, applesauce was another thing I haven’t had in years.
When I started feeling better, I decided to make some from scratch. I don’t know why I thought it would involve a lot of steps but it was so EASY!
Start by peeling, coring and dicing the apples into 1/2-inch pieces. Put them into a pot with the cinnamon and sugar.
Or maple syrup and a vanilla bean. Or cinnamon and nutmeg. Or peanut butter.
Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are ready, you should be able to use the back of a spoon to mash a piece of the apple on the side of the pot.
Using a fork, mash the apples until you get the desired texture. You can leave the applesauce chunky or if you want it smoother, you can puree it in a blender or food processor.
I’ve been eating the applesauce straight out of the tupperware in the fridge, but its great to keep around to use as a substitute for oil in baking recipes or as a topping for a pork tenderloin. Yum!
Homemade Applesauce
4 apples
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
Peel, core and dice the apples into 1/2-inch pieces. Coat a pot with Pam and add the apples, sugar and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the apples until you get the desired consistency.
cajun sandwiches
This is a blast from my past. My mom used to make these Cajun sandwiches when I was younger but I didn’t know them as Cajun sandwiches then. I knew these by their military slang – S**t on a Shingle. My mom just taught me the more polite name for them more recently.
One of the best things about these is that they freeze so wonderfully and can be pulled out when you find out you are having unexpected company or haven’t had time to prepare anything for your husband’s study group.
Note the jalapeno cheddar Bully cheese in the picture below — I’m finding every use for it possible! Also, the loaves of party bread can be found in the deli section of my grocery store, not the bread aisle. Confusing, I know. I am just telling you in case you can’t find it in your grocery store on the first pass through either.
Brown the ground beef and sausage in a skillet.
After the meat has browned, drain the fat then add the cheese and seasonings.
Cook over medium heat until the cheese has melted and the mixture is combined.
Turn off the heat. Spoon 1 – 2 tbsp. of the cheese and meat mixture on each slice of party bread.
If you are planning to serve the Cajun sandwiches right away, bake at 350 degrees F for 10 – 15 minutes until the tops are lightly browned.
If you are planning to save them for another night, freeze on a cookie sheet for 4-6 hours. Once frozen, remove them from the baking sheet and store in a ziplock bag in the freezer until you are ready to use them.
Cajun Sandwiches
1 # ground meat
1 # Jimmy Dean sausage
12 oz Mexican Velveeta, cubed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp.red pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
2 pkgs party rye bread
Brown ground meat and sausage. Drain any grease and add the Mexican Velveeta. After the cheese melts add the seasonings and mix well. Spoon 1 to 2 tbls on each piece party rye. Freeze on cookie sheets and then store in bags in freezer ‘til needed. Bake frozen at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes.
peach streusel cake
The weather has been so dreary lately and I felt like a pick-me-up dessert that would remind me that warmer, brighter weather is just around the corner. I found this recipe in Food & Wine Magazine and it called for…frozen peaches!
Being from Louisiana, land of the sweetest peaches, I couldn’t image the blasphemy of using frozen peaches at first. But the desire for a summer dessert and the ease of the recipe convinced me to give it a try. Spoiler: it was totally worth it. Yum!
I know this looks like a lot of ingredients, but with the exception of the peaches, you probably have all of them in your pantry or fridge. After running out to the grocery store for the frozen peaches, I realized I could have probably used any of the frozen fruit in my freezer that I keep for smoothies.
Start by tracing the bottom of your springform pan on a sheet of parchment paper. Cut the circle out of the paper and lay it in the bottom of the pan, then grease the pan and paper with Pam. The parchment paper will help the cake release easily from the pan after baking.
In your oven, toast the chopped pecans until the barely start to brown. There is a fine line between adding a toasty flavor and burning the nuts, so be sure to watch them!
Combine the flour, brown sugar, salt and chopped pecans.
Add the butter and mix until it is the consistency of a paste. Resist eating a spoonful.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light, 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time; beat in the sour cream and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until incorporated.
Spread two-thirds of the batter in the pan.
Coarsely chop the peaches and fold them into the remaining batter.
Spoon the remaining batter and peaches into the pan.
Scatter the streusel crumbs on top and press them into the batter.
Bake the cake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; loosely cover the cake with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
Let the cake cool before slicing and serving.
Peach Streusel Cake
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
One 10-ounce bag frozen peaches, coarsely chopped
Preheat the oven to 325° and butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
In a bowl, using your fingers, combine the flour, brown sugar and salt. Add the butter and mix until smooth. Add the pecans; press the mixture into clumps.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light, 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time; beat in the sour cream and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until incorporated.
Spread two-thirds of the batter in the pan. Fold the peaches into the remaining batter and spoon into the pan. Scatter the streusel crumbs on top. Bake the cake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; loosely cover the cake with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.Transfer to a rack and cool for 30 minutes, then remove the ring and let the cake cool completely before serving.
simple sunday: salmon in a foil packet
Three great things about this recipe:
1. It keeps the fish — you can cook any fish, not just salmon, like this — super moist.
2. All of the veggies can be changed depending on what you feel like eating, or even just what you have in your fridge.
3. NO MESS!!
Regarding number 2: here’s what I had in my fridge (and freezer — thanks to Jennifer’s boss, the salmon was in the freezer):
Lay a piece of foil on a cookie sheet and spray lightly with Pam. Make a mound of spinach on one end of the foil, then lay the piece of salmon on the spinach. Season the salmon with salt and pepper.
Add the mushrooms and tomatoes to the top of the salmon, then squeeze a lemon wedge or two over the vegetables.
Fold over the long end of the foil to seal the packet.
Make sure all of the edges are wrapped tightly so no moisture escapes!
Cook at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. After cooking, BE VERY CAREFUL when opening the foil packet. Steam can leave a nasty burn on your hand.
To serve, spoon the vegetables over the salmon on a plate then drizzle with a little bit of balsamic vinegar.
Salmon in a Foil Packet
12 oz. fresh wild salmon
1/2 c mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c grape tomatoes
2 handfuls of baby spinach
1-2 lemon wedges
Lay a piece of foil on a cookie sheet and spray lightly with Pam. Make a mound of spinach on one end of the foil, then lay the salmon on the spinach. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes to the top of the salmon, then squeeze a lemon wedge or two over the vegetables.
Fold over the long end of the foil to seal the packet, making sure that the edges are wrapped tightly. Cook for 20 – 25 minutes in a 400 degree F oven.
pot roast
Wow!! This is the best pot roast I have ever had!
Normally, I make pot roast in the crock pot. Its delicious and really, really simple. It basically requires you to throw a bunch of things in, stir it around, and walk away for 8 hours.
I was watching America’s Test Kitchen on PBS a few weeks ago when they made this pot roast. I don’t know if it was because I was hungry, but it looked better than anything I had ever eaten and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Unfortunately, it also looked more complicated than my regular pot roast so I kept putting off making it. Turns out that it wasn’t hard at all — the prep time was only about 20 minutes!
This is what you’ll need to make the best pot roast I’ve ever eaten (I doubled the recipe since we had people over the evening I made it — normally you’d only need one chuck roast):
Separate the chuck roast into two pieces along the main line of fat. This will allow you to remove the big piece of gristle in the middle of the roast. This piece of gristle never really renders like the fat, so its best to remove it before cooking.
If you have trouble separating the two pieces of the roast, use a knife to help.
Once you’ve separated the roast, lay the pieces on a cookie cooling rack set in a jelly roll pan. Salt the meat liberally on both sides and let it rest for an hour.
After an hour, sprinkle pepper on the meat. Then roll the meat into a spiral. This will make it into the shape of a roast again so it will cook evenly.
Using kitchen twine, tie the meat tightly. DO NOT be lazy if you don’t have kitchen twine and use nylon string. It will melt and ruin the dish. Do I sound like I know what I am talking about? I do.
Set the meat aside while you prepare the vegetables. Start by sauteing the sliced onions in a dutch oven.
Once the onions have browned, add the celery and carrots. Saute for 5 minutes until they have softened, then add the garlic.
After the garlic has cooked for 30 – 45 seconds, add the beef broth, wine, tomato paste, bay leaf and thyme sprig.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, then add each piece of meat.
WHAT? No browning before you add the meat?? Why not?
Normally when you make a roast, browning the meat before braising it produces the maillard reaction. This is when the sugars and amino acids bond to create the great, deep flavors that comes from browning the meat. However, if the majority of the meat is out of the liquid while cooking (which, in this recipe, it is) and it cooks for long enough (which, at 4 hours, it will) the maillard reaction will still occur.
Not browning the meat is part of what makes this recipe so easy!
Before sticking the top on the pot and putting it into the oven, use a piece of aluminum foil to cover the dutch oven, then put the top on. The aluminum foil will help seal the pot and keep the moisture and steam inside.
Cook the pot roast in the oven at 300 degrees F for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, turning halfway through cooking.
Once the meat has cooked for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, remove it from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Tent the meat with the foil you used to seal the pot. This will keep it warm while you make the gravy.
Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprig from the dutch oven and empty the contents into a blender.
Add 2 cups of beef broth to the blender and blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the gravy into a pot and add the balsamic vinegar, wine and chopped thyme. Stir until combined.
Slice the roast and drizzle with some of the gravy before serving. Pass the remaining gravy with the pot roast.
A great wine for a pot roast is the Warwick Estate Reserve from South Africa. It is a smooth red blend with notes of fruit and oak.
Enjoy!
Classic Pot Roast
1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck roast
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions , halved and sliced thin (about 2 cups)
1 large carrot , chopped medium (about 1 cup)
1 celery rib , chopped medium (about 3/4 cup)
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 cup beef broth , plus 1 to 2 cups for sauce (see note)
1/2 cup dry red wine , plus 1/4 cup for sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 sprig plus 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
ground black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sprinkle pieces of meat with 1 tablespoon salt (1½ teaspoons if using table salt), place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet, and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Heat butter in heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add carrot and celery; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes longer. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 cup broth, ½ cup wine, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme sprig; bring to simmer.
Pat beef dry with paper towels and season generously with pepper. Using 3 pieces of kitchen twine, tie each piece of meat into loaf shape for even cooking.
Nestle meat on top of vegetables. Cover pot tightly with large piece of foil and cover with lid; transfer pot to oven. Cook beef until fully tender and sharp knife easily slips in and out of meat, 3½ to 4 hours, turning halfway through cooking.
Transfer roasts to cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Strain liquid through mesh strainer into 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig. Transfer vegetables to blender jar. Allow liquid to settle 5 minutes, then skim any fat off surface. Add beef broth as necessary to bring liquid amount to 3 cups. Place liquid in blender with vegetables and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer sauce to medium saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat.
While sauce heats, remove twine from roast and slice against grain into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer meat to large serving platter. Stir chopped thyme, remaining ¼ cup wine, and vinegar into sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon half of sauce over meat; pass remaining sauce separately.
cream cheese king cake
Every Louisianan knows what Epiphany brings… King cake season!
King cakes, a Mardi Gras tradition, are similar to cinnamon rolls. Generally they have a plain cinnamon filling, but the fillings can include cream cheese (like this one), apple, lemon, praline or strawberry.
The most important part of the king cake is the little plastic baby hidden inside. It symbolizes the baby Jesus. Tradition says that the person that gets the baby in their piece has to bring the king cake to the next gathering.
My favorite king cake in the world is from Manny Randazzo’s in New Orleans. It is so rich and just melts in your mouth. I just had a piece of one last week (thanks, Aunt Frannie and Mary!) and it inspired me to make one at home!
If you want good king cake in Texas (or anywhere other than southern Louisiana, for that matter) you have to have one shipped to you or make it yourself. The things that they try to pass of as king cakes around here look like colored cardboard. They taste even worse than that, if you can believe it.
I “cheated” and used frozen bread dough to save time. Don’t let anyone tell you that they can tell the difference. They can’t. In fact, don’t even tell anyone that you didn’t make the bread dough. It can be our secret.
So here’s what you’ll need:
The bread dough can be found in the freezer section of your grocery store. A couple of days before you want to make the king cake, stick the dough in the refrigerator and let it defrost and rise.
Make the cinnamon filling by combining the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped pecans.
Pour the melted butter in the bowl and mix until crumbly. Set aside.
To make the cream cheese filling, combine the sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and softened cream cheese.
Beat until smooth using an electric beater. Set aside. And resist taste testing the whole bowl.
On a floured surface, roll out the bread dough into a 12″ x 18″ rectangle.
Using a spatula, spread the cream cheese filling in an even layer.
Sprinkle the cinnamon filling over the cream cheese.
Disclaimer: My forté is cooking, not photography. I couldn’t do anything with this shot to make it look like anything other than ground meat. It’s not.
Starting with the widest side, roll the dough tightly light a jelly roll.
Bring each end of the roll together to form an oval-shaped ring, seam side down. Place the ring on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Using scissors, make cuts 1/3 of the way through the ring at 1-inch intervals.
The dough still needs to rise a second time. When I need something to rise, I like to turn on the gas burners for a few minutes and let the stovetop get warm before putting the baking sheet on the range.
Once the dough has risen for an hour, bake the king cake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees F.
While the king cake is in the oven, combine the powdered sugar with a tablespoon of water to make a smooth frosting.
This was the point when I started thinking about the baby that belongs in the king cake. Surprisingly, I didn’t have a little plastic baby lying around. I didn’t even have a dried bean. I didn’t want the king cake to be baby-less, of course, so I scoured my pantry for something I could use as a stand-in. At first I couldn’t find anything, but then found a bag of stale pretzel M&Ms. Jackpot!
When the king cake comes out of the oven, use a spatula to lift a portion of it slightly up. Stick the plastic baby or bean (or pretzel M&M) into the bottom of the king cake.
Frost the king cake while warm with the powdered sugar frosting.
Scatter the sprinkles on the frosting before it dries.
Enjoy!
Cream Cheese King Cake
1 package of frozen white bread dough
cinnamon filling:
1 c packed brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
2/3 c chopped pecans
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c melted butter
cream cheese filling:
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla
frosting:
1 c confectioners’ sugar
1 tbsp water
green, yellow and purple sprinkles
small plastic baby or dried bean
A day or two before you plan to make the king cake, pull the bread dough out of the freezer and refrigerate. It will rise in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
To make the cinnamon filling, combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans and 1/2 cup flour. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly. Set aside.
To make the cream cheese filling, beat the cream cheese with the sugar, lemon zest and vanilla until fluffy. Set aside.
Lightly flour a smooth surface and roll out the bread dough into a 12″ x 18″ rectangle. Using a spatula, spread the cream cheese filling in an even layer then spread the cinnamon filling over the cream cheese.
Starting with the widest side, roll the dough tightly light a jelly roll. Bring each end of the roll together to form an oval-shaped ring, seam side down. Place the ring on the parchment paper.
Using scissors, make cuts 1/3 of the way through the ring at 1-inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Bake for 50-55 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
When you remove the king cake from the oven, use a spatula to lift a portion of it slightly up. Stick the baby or bean into the bottom of the king cake. Frost while warm, then sprinkle with purple, green and gold sprinkles.
pepper bacon green beens and valentine’s day shout out!
This post is dedicated to Whitney – my fabulous husband!
He is the sous chef behind the scenes that has made keeping this blog possible. He takes pictures when both of my hands are dirty, he keeps things from burning when I am distracted, and he provides endless encouragement to me.
I love you, Whit!
In honor of Whitney, I am going to make his favorite green beans. This is my mother-in-law’s recipe and it is really fabulous!
Green beans are already my favorite vegetable… but pair them with bacon and I am toast. There is nothing I have encountered in my life that has bacon in it that I don’t like.
These are the ingredients:
Snap the ends off of the green beans and put them in a bowl. Fill the bowl with water until it barely covers the green beans. Cover with saran wrap but leave a small bit unsealed to let steam escape.
Microwave the green beans for 4-5 minutes. This will cook them as if you are blanching them, letting them remain slightly crunchy.
Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook in a saute pan for 3-4 minutes.
After the bacon browns, but before it becomes crispy, add the green beans and seasonings. Turn the heat up.
Using a pair of tongs, toss the green beans and cook for a minute or two more. Serve immediately.
Bacon Green Beans
1/2 lb. green beans
2-3 slices pepper bacon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. Paul Prudhomme’s vegetable magic
Snap the ends off of the green beans and put them in a bowl. Fill the bowl with water until it barely covers the green beans. Cover with saran wrap but leave a small bit unsealed to let steam escape. Microwave the green beans for 4-5 minutes. This will cook them as if you are blanching them, letting them remain slightly crunchy.
Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook in a saute pan for 3-4 minutes. After the bacon browns, but before it becomes crispy, add the green beans and seasonings. Turn the heat up. Using a pair of tongs, toss the green beans and cook for a minute or two more. Serve immediately.
Is there any wine left? 