Green Beans with Hazelnuts

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add green beans, trimmed; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Cover and cook, tossing occasionally, until green beans are crisp-tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in hazelnuts, parsley, and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Source: Everyday Food, September 2009

Green Bean Casserole

from Tyler Florence (of Food Network)

3 pounds green beans
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 T. unsalted butter
1 loaf crusty Italian bread
3 T. chopped fresh chives
3 T. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
4 T. freshly grated Parmesan
5 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds mixed mushrooms (such as button, cremini, shiitake), sliced
2 shallots, sliced
1 cup heavy cream

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a big pinch of salt and the green beans. Cook for about 5 minutes, the beans should still be crisp, they will be cooked more in the oven. Drain them and set aside. Butter a baking dish large enough to hold the green beans with 1 tablespoon butter and set aside.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Tear the bread into 2-inch pieces, put them into a bowl, and add 1 tablespoon chives, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Stir well to coat and spread onto a baking sheet. Bake just until the bread just starts to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 10 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream, add the remaining thyme and chives, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the green beans and stir well. Put the green bean mixture into the prepared baking dish, top with the croutons, and sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan. Bake until everything is hot and bubbling, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Raspberry Lemonade Pie

My friend Julie brought this delicious pie. She found the recipe (and the image) at: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/raspberry-lemonade-pie/detail.aspx


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 (3 ounce) package JELL-O Brand Lemon Flavor Gelatin
4 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed (ONLY USE 6 OZ!!!)
1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 (6 ounce) HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crusts

Directions
Add boiling water to gelatin mix in small bowl. Stir 2 min. until completely dissolved; set aside. Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in concentrate, then gelatin until blended.
Stir in COOL WHIP and berries. Pour into crusts.
Refrigerate 1 pie 4 hours or until firm. Freeze remaining pie up to 1 week before thawing to serve.

Reese's Mousse Pie

(Image from the website listed below)

I found this originally in a Hershey's cookbook one of my roommates owned (it was pictured on the front cover and looked so delicious that I made it for Simon's birthday--it's probably why he married me :). It can be found online at http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/6210/Peanut-Butter-and-Chocolate-Mousse-Pie.aspx

It is REALLY rich, but yummy!


9-inch pie crust, baked and cooled (I used pastry, but chocolate crumb crust would be good)
1 2/3 cups (10-ounce package) Reese's Peanut Butter Chips, divided
3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, divided
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
2 tablespoons boiling water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup cold whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Mousse Layer: Melt 1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1/3 cup milk in medium bowl until smooth. Add melted chips; beat well. Beat in remaining 2 tablespoons milk. Spread into cooled crust.

Chocolate Mousse Layer: Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small bowl; let stand 1 minute to soften. Add boiling water; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cool slightly. Combine granulated sugar and cocoa in medium bowl; add whipping cream and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until stiff; pour in gelatin mixture, beating until well blended. Spread evenly over peanut butter layer. Refrigerate several hours. Garnish with remaining chips. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Banana Caramel Cream Pie

From Kelsey Nixon, Cooking Channel

CRUST:
1 (9-inch) Perfect Pie Dough, recipe follows, baked and cooled

PIE:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
1/2 recipe Salted Caramel Sauce, recipe follows
3 bananas, sliced

TOPPING:
1 cup fresh whipped cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

PERFECT PIE DOUGH:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, chilled or frozen
4 to 6 tablespoons ice cold water

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Gray sea salt, crushed, or kosher salt


In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, mix together the sugar, salt, cornstarch, and flour. Over medium-low heat, slowly whisk in the milk.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks. Once the pastry cream starts to boil, transfer 1/2 cup of the pastry cream to the egg yolks and whisk to temper. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Continue whisking until the mixture coats the back of a spoon and is smooth and thick. Strain.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, and vanilla. Stir in 1 cup sliced bananas. Allow the mixture to cool.
Stir the custard to loosen, if necessary. Cover the bottom of the prepared crust with more sliced bananas and drizzle with 1/4 cup Salted Caramel Sauce. Top with half of the sliced bananas, then 1 cup custard, covering the bananas completely. Repeat layering with the remaining bananas and the remaining custard. Chill the banana cream pie until the filling is set, about 2 hours.

For the topping: In a medium bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, and vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form.
Top the chilled pie with the fresh whipped cream. Drizzle with additional caramel sauce, just before serving.

For the Perfect Pie Dough:Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt and vanilla; cut or work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers or a cold pastry cutter until you have large pea sized chunks scattered throughout. Alternatively, pulse the dough in a food processor, or mix in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on low speed.
Add the ice water slowly while stirring with a fork, or in the food processor or mixer, until just combined. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, flatten and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Roll out one chilled pie dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Reserve the second pie dough disc for another use. Transfer dough to pie plate, pressing the dough lightly into the plate; trim the edges. Dock the dough with the prongs of a fork evenly over the bottom of the pie plate. Line the docked dough with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake the pie crust until the edges are brown and golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the weights. Return crust to the oven to finish baking for another 5 minutes.
Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie crust

To make the salted caramel sauce:In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring to a boil without stirring. If necessary, use a wet pastry brush to wash down any crystals on the side of the pan. Boil until the syrup is a deep amber color, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble. Stir in the unsalted butter, and salt, to taste. Transfer the caramel to a dish and cool.
Cook's Note: This recipe will last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Reheat before serving.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups sauce

Crepes with yogurt and fruit

Crepes are really easy to make and, in my opinion, very versatile and delicious. They definitely bring a little more excitement to lunchtime :)

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens - makes 18 or so crepes

2 eggs
1.5 cups milk
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp oil
1/4 tsp salt

Blend in a blender until smooth, then allow to sit for a short while until bubbles dissipate (I just put the blender-container in the fridge until I'm ready with the fruit etc, then bring it out to start making crepes).

Heat a lightly greased 6in skillet, remove from heat and spoon in 2 Tbsp batter (or so, depending on the thickness desired) then tilt the skillet to spread batter. Return to heat; brown one side only. Invert onto paper towels or a cookie rack to remove crepe (since my pan is not really nonstick, even with grease, I need to help a bit with my spatula). Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet occasionally.

When all your crepes are made, serve them with fruit and yogurt. Let the kids spoon in their own yogurt and choose the fruit they want (strawberries, bananas, grapes, raspberries, thinly sliced apples, whatever).

Or you can serve them with nutella and bananas (like BreAnne brought) or peanut butter, or whatever! Yum :-)

Homemade Nutella

Yield: 2 cups

3 cups chopped hazelnuts (This was 2 bags of Kroger brand chopped hazelnuts)
1 to 1.5 cup powdered sugar (I used 1.5 cups which comes out to about 7g sugar per tablespoon)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (high quality, such as Ghiradelli)
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
Salt (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place hazelnuts in a single layer on a shallow baking pan. Toast until the skins 12- 15 minutes. Stir the nuts halfway through baking to ensure an even color.
Process nuts in a food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until they have liquefied, about 5-10 minutes. First, you will get coarsely chopped nuts, then a fine meal. After a little while, the nuts will form a ball around the blade, and it will seem like you only have a solid mass. Keep processing. The heat and friction will extract the natural oils, and you will get hazelnut butter.
When the nuts are liquified, add in salt (to taste). Then slowly add in the sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Since the mixture is warm, it will be more fluid now than at room temperature.
Transfer the spread to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 months.

Paula Deen Baked French Toast Casserole

I found my recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/baked-french-toast-casserole-with-maple-syrup-recipe2/index.html

It is definitely not healthy, so I probably wouldn't make it for my family for breakfast... but it would be a nice dish to bring to a brunch gathering!

I only used about half of the "liquid" ingredients (some reviews said it was soggy, which I wanted to avoid). My changes are reflected in the recipe below:


Ingredients
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
4 large eggs
1 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt

Praline Topping, recipe follows

Directions
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (I actually just bought pre-sliced french bread from the reduced-price section, so my slices were at most 1/2" thick). Generously spray a 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Dip each bread slice in the mixture, flipping it over to make sure it is saturated, then place in baking dish. Line the bread slices in rows, overlapping each slice. Pour remaining mixture over the bread slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight (I did not do this)


When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.

Praline Topping:

1/4 C butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Baked Ham, Cheese & Crackers

Ritz crackers
Ham
Cheese

Place crackers in a single layer on a sheet pan. Top with pieces of ham, then cheese of your choice. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Emeril's Tomato and Zucchini Gratin

• 1 pound Creole or beefsteak tomatoes, 1/4-inch slices
• 1 pound zucchini, 1/4-inch slices
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup fine bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped mild herbs (basil, chervil, tarragon, etc.)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Salt and pepper
• Garnish: parsley, Essence

Directions

Preheat the oven 400 degrees. Lightly grease four individual gratin dishes with olive oil. Season each slice of the tomatoes and zucchini with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. In a small mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, herbs, cheese and remaining olive oil. Mix thoroughly. Season the bread crumbs with salt and pepper. Alternate layers of the tomatoes and zucchini in each gratin dish. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top the vegetables. Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Garnishwith parsley and Essence.

Makes 4 servings

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch

Florence Mama's Candied Yams

Prep: 25 minutesBake: 1 hour

ingredients

• 3
  lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced crosswise in 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 1
  orange, thinly sliced into rounds
• 1
  cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (you can reduce it to 1 stick if you prefer)
• 1
  cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3
  cinnamon sticks
• 1/2
  tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1
  tsp. kosher salt

directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In an ungreased 2-quart baking dish place sweet potato slices, overlapping slightly and covering the dish. In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cook until sugar is dissolved, then add the orange slices. Pour the mixture over the potatoes, covering the entire surface.

2.Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake 40 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove foil and bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until the top is golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings plus leftovers.

nutrition facts

• Calories309
 
• Total Fat (g)15
 
• Saturated Fat (g)10, 
• Monounsaturated Fat (g)4,
• Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1, 
• Cholesterol (mg)41, 
• Sodium (mg)230,
• Carbohydrate (g)42, 
• Total Sugar (g)24, 
• Fiber (g)4, 
• Protein (g)2, 
• Vitamin C (DV%)14, 
• Calcium (DV%)6, 
• Iron (DV%)5, 
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Source: Better Homes & Gardens November 2010

Apricot-Dijon-Glazed Chicken

from Martha Stewart Living, October 2004

8 chicken thighs
Coarse salt & freshly ground pepper
1 jar (12 oz.) apricot jam
2 T. honey
2 T. Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse chicken thighs; pat dry, and transfer to a baking dish. Season well with salt and pepper; set aside.

Bring jam, honey, and mustard to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until thickened and reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Spoon apricot mixture over chicken thighs, spreading with back of spoon to coat evenly.

Bake chicken, basting with sauce from bottom of dish every 10 minutes, until juices run clear when chicken is pricked with a fork, about 30 minutes.

*A couple of changes I make - I use boneless, skinless thighs and kind of fold them in half to bake. I reduce the oven temp to 350 and bake for about 25-30 minutes or til done, but still baste every 10 minutes.

Garden Fresh Salsa

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Mexican tomatoes, partially drained
1 cup pace picante sauce (or other canned salsa of choice)
1 large Red bell pepper, diced
1 large purple onion, diced
4 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice, about 2 limes
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and diced (OPTIONAL)

Mix everything together and chill, covered, to allow the flavors to marinate.  Adjust seasonings to taste. Sometimes I add about 1 cup of frozen/canned corn for good measure!

Black Bean Toss (great as a salsa)

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed, drained
1 (15-ounce) can diced Mexican tomatoes, drained (rotel tomatoes)
1 (11-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (or about a cup frozen/fresh)
1 (7-ounce) can chopped mild or hot green chilies, drained     *I used the 4 oz size
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup salsa
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/8 Tsp Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients, adjust to taste. Let chill, covered, up to 10 hours. Great with blue corn tortilla chips or any other variety!
(from Vera Bradley 'Cooking with Friends' cookbook)

Salsa Roja (Roasted Red Salsa)

6-8 Roma Tomatoes

1 Poblano Pepper

1 Jalapeno Pepper

1 Small/medium Onion Diced (½ C.)

½ C. Cilantro

½ Lime

Preparation Instructions:

1.       1. .Broil the tomatoes and peppers for 10 Minutes, Turning half way through. (Enough to turn the skins black and able to peel) 

2.      2. While tomatoes and peppers are broiling dice onion and cilantro. Then rinse the onions for 30 seconds under cold water.

3.      3.Let peppers and tomatoes cool for a few minutes and remove the skins. Then remove seeds and veins from  the peppers and place them all into a food processor until pureed.

4.       4.Combine all ingredients, squeeze lime juice into the salsa and salt to taste.

Southwestern Pasta Salad

Ingredients for Salad:
1/2 lb bowtie pasta
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 roma tomatoes, diced or about 3/4 C or halved cherry tomatoes
1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 C sliced green onions
1/2 C frozen fresh corn
zest from 2 limes
optional: 8 oz diced cooked chicken (use Taco Chicken)
1/2 C Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese (or you could sub grated jack, cheddar or pepperjack)
Southwestern Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

Cooking Directions for Salad:
Boil pasta in salted water until cooked. Place lime zest in large bowl.
When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse immediately with cold water to cool. Place the pasta in the large salad bowl with the lime zest. Add black beans, tomatoes, diced pepper, green onions, corn (no need to thaw the corn), and chicken if desired. Toss with dressing. Taste, and add additional salt and pepper to taste. For best results, chill for 1 hour before serving. Right before serving, sprinkle cheese on top. Serve with extra lime wedges if desired.

Ingredients for Dressing:
6 Tbs fresh lime juice (about 3 juicy limes)
1/4 C white wine or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
2 tsp sugar (add a touch more if your limes are extra sour/bitter)
3/4 C canola oil
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro

Cooking Directions for Dressing:
Place the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar in a blender. Process until smooth.
With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated. Add the cilantro and pulse so it gets broken up, but some pieces still remain in tact.

Ensalada De Chayote- By Amanda Bingham

I though I would post the original recipe if anyone was feeling adventurous (I have to use either Paul or Google translate if I cant remember something).
1 lb Chayotes (they look like green pears, and are by all the peppers in Meijer, which is the only place I have seen them).
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp Poblano pepper, chopped (remove the seeds, they are the hot part of this pepper)

Dressing
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup olive oil

Peel the chayotes with a potato peeler (I suggest wearing rubber or latex gloves when doing this, the juice from the chayotes does weird things to my hands). Cut into quarters, then cover with water and boil on the stove until tender (about 25 minutes). Meanwhile, combine the onions, bell peppers, and poblano peppers. When the chayotes are done, cut them into small cubes and let them cool, and then combine them with the peppers and onions.
Combine the dressing ingredients, and blend until smooth using a food processor or blender. Combine the salad and dressing, and let sit in refrigerator for one hour to allow the flavors to mix.

Pasta Salad Dressing

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon or brown mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced
black pepper to taste
2/3 cup olive oil

Measure vinegar (or lemon juice) and mustard (or mayonnaise) into a 2-cup measuring cup. With a small whisk, stir in garlic, a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Measure oil in another cup. Slowly whisk oil into mixture, first in droplets, then in a slow, steady stream to make an emulsified vinaigrette. 

I also added a little bit of sugar.  :)  I toss this on pasta salad with all of my favorite ingredients like bacon, grape tomatoes, broccoli, shredded mozzarella cheese, nuts (this time I only had slivered almonds on hand), and olives.  I know there are probably a million ways to do it, but I mix everything but the dressing together and then add the dressing about 15 minutes before eating.

Jicama Salad

From Martha Stewart Living Magazine

3 jicama (about 2 lbs.), peeled
3 beets, trimmed and peeled
3 large carrots, cut into 3-inch lengths
5 navel oranges
1/3 c. freshly squeezed lime juice (4 limes)
5 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c. unsalted peanuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut jicama, beets, and carrots into fine julienne. Toss in a large bowl.

Cut ends off oranges; using a paring knife, remove peel, pith, and outer membranes, following the curve of the fruit. Remove whole sections; add to bowl with vegetables. Squeeze juice from membranes into a bowl; reserve 1/2 cup.

In a small bowl, whisk together reserved orange juice, lime juice, and oil. Pour over vegetable mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

*This makes A LOT. I halved the recipe and still had plenty!

Green Bean, Tomato, and Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
• 3 wide strips lemon zest*, cut into thin matchsticks, plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved, or 3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 1/4 small red onion, diced small
• 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 1/2 ounces feta, crumbled (1/2 cup)
• 2/3 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves**

Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook green beans until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil. Stir in tomatoes, onion, chickpeas, and lemon zest. Add feta and parsley and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange green beans on a serving platter and top with tomato mixture.

*Note: I don't use "wide strips" of zest, I just zest the lemon and include it in the dressing.

**I like flat-leaf parsley the best!

Source: Everyday Food Magazine, June 2011