Italian Beans & Greens

I first had this at an Italian restaurant called Umberto's in Myrtle Beach, SC.  They serve this as a starter with every meal.  It was so delicious that I had to take a chance and ask for the recipe.  I didn't really think they would give it to me, but lo and behold the waiter came back with a typed up copy.  Apparently I wasn't the first person to ask, and the restaurant was nice enough to have a revised, simplified version on hand for customers who asked. 

I've made this several times since, and it is pretty filling.  It is also really easy to make!  It's almost like a really thick soup and we usually just eat as a main course with some Italian bread.

Italiana Beans and Greens
2 cans of Northern White Beans
3/4 of a can of chopped collard greens (drained)
1 can of chopped tomatoes with juice
4 chopped garlic cloves
1 small onion, sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. ham base (Make sure you use this!)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix everything in a large, glass baking dish.  Cook for 1 1/2 hours, covered. 

Sweet & Salty Granola

I have tried MANY different granola recipes.  I've liked them all to some extent, but when I made this one, I stopped searching.  This is the only granola recipe I will use now.  This was the first time I used olive oil in a granola recipe and it really made a difference.  I make this almost every week to use for breakfast or snacks.    You won't be sorry if you try this recipe!

Sweet & Salty Granola  (Adapted from The New York Times)

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup dried cranberries (or any dried fruit)

3/4 cup wheat germ

1 cup of chopped nuts (I use peanuts or almonds)

3/4 cup maple syrup (I've used regular syrup, which is fine, but maple really makes a difference.)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 egg white

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts and fruit.  Mix in the maple syrup, olive oil, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

In a bowl, whist the egg white for about 2 minutes, until it becomes foamy.  Mix into the rest of the ingredients.

Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Press the granola mixtures down into the pan evenly.  Bake for about 45 minutes, until slightly browned.

Once it is cooled completely, I break into clusters and store in Ziploc bags.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

These are hands-down my favorite muffins.  I stumbled across a blog called For the Love of Cooking and found this recipe.  The muffins come out moist and delicious and are easy to make.  They are also a good way to use up ripe bananas.  I make these all the time!

***I have recently discovered that if you have very ripe bananas that are in danger of becoming rotten, put them in the freezer before then.  The peels will turn black, but when you take them out and peel them, they will be ready to use.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins original recipe here 

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup of canola oil
1/2 cup of fat free vanilla yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large, very ripe bananas
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a muffin tray with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, white sugar and brown sugar until well combined. In another bowl, mix the egg, oil, yogurt, vanilla and mushed bananas until mixed thoroughly. Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Don't overmix. Add the chocolate chips and fold them into the batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown and a tester inserted into the muffin comes out clean. Cool completely before storing.

Bacon, Tomato & Onion Pasta

So, we have had a busy past couple of weeks.  We were out of town for two weeks visiting family.  While it was great to be with everyone, I can't say I was sorry to be home.  I missed my house, my bed, most of all cooking.  The night we got home, all I wanted was comfort food.  And when I think comfort food, I think of something I grew up on and ate very frequently- pasta. 

I got this recipe awhile ago out of a Rachel Ray magazine.  I made a few changes and halved the recipe.  To me, this was simple comfort food.  It only has a few ingredients and is not anything fancy, but it defintely hit the spot.   Oh, and I don't normally cook with bacon, but we had some left over, so this recipe was perfect.

Bacon, Tomato & Onion Pasta adapted from Rachel Ray Magazine

8 oz. thin spaghetti

5 slices of bacon

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 large egg yolk

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/4 cup parmesan  cheese, plus extra for sprinkling

1/2-3/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water

salt and pepper

In boiling, salted water, cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta water.  In a large pan, cook 5 slices of bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon and discard most of the bacon fat, except 1 tablespoon.  Add onions and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until softened.  Add chopped tomatoes of and cook for 2 minutes more.  Add pasta water (start with 1/2 cup) and bring to a boil.  Add the rest of the water if needed.  Stir in the spaghetti and remove from heat.  Stir in the egg yolk.  Add the bacon and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with extra cheese on top.