Chicken Divan from Beth

Beth made Chicken Divan last night and I loved it! I had never heard of it before even though it seems to be fairly wide spread and well acclaimed. As a lover of curry it really hit the spot, but I love that she was inspired to do it from green beans from her grandparents garden. She told me that there are many variations out there but she combines elements to taste, therefore several ingredients listed don't have specific amounts. 

Ingredients

3 Chicken cooked breasts (shredded or cubed)

A couple handfuls green beans, steamed

Cooked Rice (for serving)

For the topping:

3 TBS melted butter 

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 to 2 cups Panko bread crumbs

Parmesan cheese

For the sauce:

2 cans "Cream of" condensed soup

1 cup mayonaisse

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded white cheddar

1 cup white wine

3 Tbs lemon juice

3 to 4 TBS curry

salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

1. Cook the chicken. Shred or cube it.

2. Steam the beans. 

* preheat oven to 350 degrees *

3. In a skilled melt the butter. 

4. Saute the minced garlic in the butter. 

5. Add the Panko, stir to combine, and toast until golden brown. 

6. Remove from the heat and add Parmesan cheese to taste.  Set aside. 

7. Start the rice.

8. Prepare the sauce from the ingredients above. 

9. Combine the meat and the veggies on a bowl with the sauce and mix well. 

10. Add to a baking dish and spread evenly. 

11. Top with the Panko mixture from skillet. 

12. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Serve over the rice.

 

Green Bean Salad with Goat Cheese Dressing

I found this recipe on the bulletin board at Whole Foods. We had it for supper last night and it was delicious. We used fresh local beans (and corn) from Gillespie Farms. We had a nice personal connection to our food last night as one of our house guests for this my birthday weekend has Gillespie as a maiden name! It was her husband Andy who had the idea of serving this dish with a nice piece of fish over it. Maybe we can try it with some local Striper, if we ever catch one! :D

This isn't a very good photo, but I just realized we had some leftovers and wanted to include a visual of this yummyness!

PW's Green Bean Casserole

I have left over green beans to use up. I am also in need of some serious comfort food. This recipe is compliments of Pioneer Woman who ALWAYS supplies rich yummy comfort food. I am going to replace the Panko with the French's onions. I've edited for what I did.

Green Bean Casserole

| Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Fresh Green Beans, Ends Cut Off (mine were left over)
  
• 4 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/4 Inch Pieces (pre cooked in microwave)
  
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ½ whole Large Onion, Chopped
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 2-½ cups Whole Milk (I went heavier - heavy cream and half and half just because I had it)
  
• ½ cups Half-and-half
• 1-½ teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• ⅛ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese (I of course added more)
  
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Sliced Pimentoes, Drained (I'd have loved even more)
  
• Extra Milk For Thinning If Necessary
• 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs - I ommitted and used French's Onions instead cause I was after comfort breading, not healthy breading! :D
  

Preparation Instructions

• Cut green beans in half if you like pieces to be a little smaller.
• Blanch the green beans: drop them into lightly salted boiling water and allow green beans to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain beans once they’re cool and set aside.
• Add bacon pieces to a skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon for two minutes, then add diced onion and garlic and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bacon is done (but not crisp) and onions are golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a separate skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or two, then pour in milk and half and half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne then add the grated cheddar. Stir while cheese melts. Turn off heat.
• Add pimentos to pan, then add bacon/onion mixture. Stir to combine. Pour over green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour into a baking dish and top with panko crumbs.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and topping is golden.
•