Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts

In my stocking this Christmas I was happy to find a great little cookbook, Everyday Tapas A Collection of over 100 Essential Recipes. Flipping through the pages, I noted several recipes I wanted to try right away. Among them was green beans with toasted pine nuts.
Tapas has become really popular over the past couple of years but if you're not familiar with tapas, basically it's savory little nibbles that are usually eaten pre-lunch or pre-dinner (much like an appetizer). Originating in Spain, they can be made from different ingredients- seafood, eggs, cheese, vegetables, nuts, meats and olives. Sometimes they're served with dipping sauces to add an extra layer of flavor but are almost always served with a glass of wine, beer or sherry.
For this recipe, instead of serving before our dinner, I made it as a side vegetable dish to go along with our pork. It was nothing short of delicious! The flavors melded together beautifully- the slightly crunchy green beans glistened with the sauce, the carmelized onions and garlic lent a note of sweetness, the paprika added just enough warm spice and the toasted pine nuts were little crunchy tidbits. I hate to admit this, but the green beans stole the show. Seriously, it outshined the main dish. If that's not enough incentive to try this recipe, I don't know what possibly could.

Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 c. pine nuts
1/2-1 tsp. paprika
3/4-1 lb fresh green beans (I used haricot verts)
1/4 onion, minced (I used red onion for color)
1/2 garlic cloves chopped finely
salt and pepper to taste
lemon wedege
1/4 c. vegetable or chicken broth

Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottom skillet, add the pine nuts and cook for about 1 minutes, stirring all the time and shaking the skillet, until light golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pne nuts from the skillet, drain on paper towls and then transfer to a bowl. Set aside the skillet with oil. Add paprika to the pine nuts, stir together until coated and set aside.
Trim green beans and remove any strings if necessary. Boil in hot water for 3-5 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain in collander. (* Note- I use haricot verts and because they are much thinner and less firm than green beans, I skip this entire part, adding straight to onions in the later step)
Reheat the oil in the skillet (on medium heat), add the onion and cook for 5-10 minutes or until softened and starting to brown. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the beans and broth to the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing together with the onion until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze lemon over beans, add toasted pine nuts and toss together. Transfer to serving bowl.

Baked Portobella Caps with Melted Goat Cheese

If you're like me, chances are you probably over-indulged during the holidays (and still intend to do so up until New Years). No need to beat yourself up about it, I've got the perfect solution for a meatless, low carb and low calorie dinner you can have ready to eat in under an hour. Baked Portobella Caps with Melted Goat Cheese taste indulgent and rich but is a meal you can feel good about- I've adapted this recipe from the South Beach Diet Cookbook. Anyone who's had portobella mushrooms knows how hearty they are, and as such are often a great substitute for traditional meat in burgers. Pair the 'meaty' mushrooms with the tart flavor of goat cheese, crunchy pine nuts and zesty marinara sauce and you've got a sure fire winner.

Baked Portobella Caps with Melted Goat Cheese

*feel free to add any veggies you may have on hand for the filling. Zucchini, squash, bell peppers, leeks or celery would all be great in this recipe as well.


28 oz. marinara sauce
4-6 portobella mushrooms (depending on size)
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
2 T. pine nuts
4-5 cloves chopped garlic
1 carrot, small dice
1/4 onion, minced
3 mushroom stems, small dice
1/2 tbsp. dried italian herbs
salt, pepper to taste
4 oz. goat cheese
1/2 T. olive oil


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the sauce in the bottom of a 9X11 baking dish. Having already removed the mushroom stems for chopping, scrape out the gills with a spoon and discard.
Meanwhile, place a pan on the oven and heat to medium high. Add the olive oil, then the carrot, onion, mushroom stems, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the italian herbs, basil, pine nuts and garlic, stirring for an additional 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add goat cheese, stirring to combine.
Fill the mushroom caps with the goat cheese and veggie mixture.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve with the marinara sauce.