I made this stuff up! Cooking with Mimi

Japanese-Style Sesame Green Beans

This was one of the side dishes I made for Christmas dinner. I didn't get a picture of them but they were yummy and easy to make. The recipe came from allrecipes.

Japanese-Style Sesame Green Beans

1 tablespoon canola oil 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil 1 pound fresh green beans, washed

1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds 1 handful of cashews optional

Directions:

1.

Warm a large skillet or wok over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, pour in canola and sesame oils, then place whole green beans into the skillet. Stir the beans to coat with oil. Cook until the beans are bright green and slightly browned in spots, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in soy sauce; cover, and let sit about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and cashews.

Spinach and Pear Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

This is the salad we made for New Year's Eve. Very refreshing and different with the pomegranate in it! The original recipe called for walnuts, blech poor people nuts! I substituted pecan pie candied pecans. Yummy!
Spinach and Pear Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

1 medium garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons pomegranate juice

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

5 ounces baby spinach

1 medium pears, cored and cut into slices ( Anjou or Bartlett)

1/4 cup candied pecans, chopped

2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, fresh

1 ounce parmesan cheese, shaved

Directions

1. whisk together the garlic, oil, vinegar, pomegranate juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Place the spinach in a large serving bowl, Add the pear slices and walnuts and toss gently.
3. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss again.
4. Divide the salad among 4 serving bowls. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and Parmesan evenly over each serving.

Texas Caviar

This is my mom's recipe and it's so so good! This recipe is sort of a jumping off point. If you use the canned tomatoes you don't need to add the hot sauce or vinegar but it's up to your personal taste. We tend to use more avacado.

Texas Caviar 

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce (like Texas Pete)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 avocados
• 1 yellow or green pepper diced up
• 1 (15 ounce) can white corn kernels (we use frozen corn)
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans or black-eyed peas
• 3-4 whole roma tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes with mexican peppers)
• 1 cup diced onions
• 1/2- 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 to taste salt & pepper

Directions

1. Whisk together the vinegar, oil garlic and hot sauce.
2. Then fold in the avocado and the rest of the ingredients.
3. Season to taste and serve with Tortilla chips as an appetizer or you can serve also as a salad in lettuce lined bowls.

Tortellini pasta salad

We made this salad up for the 4th of July party we went to. We didn't really have a recipe just made it up as we went along. It turned out really tasty. I'm guessing at amounts we used but it's not rocket science you can add or take away as your taste suits you. Enjoy!

• 1 pkg dried or fresh tortellini
• 1 bottle italian dressing (caeser would work also) we used almost the whole bottle. It really depends on the tortellini you use to see whether it soaks the dressing up or not.
• 1/4 cup Pesto (If you don't have pesto it's okay to just use dressing but I like the pesto)
• 2 handfuls Arugula
•  Handful Fresh Basil
• 1 container Grape Tomatoes cut in half
• 1 Red, or Orange Pepper chopped up
• 1 Cucumber diced up
• 3/4 cup Feta Cheese (Bleu Cheese would work also)
• 1 can Black Olives sliced
• 1-2 jars Artichoke Hearts
• Salt to taste 
• Pepper to taste

Cook Tortellini as directed on package. After it's done, rinse it with cold water. If the tortellini is hot when you add the dressing it will make your salad dry out. Chop up the rest of the ingredients and toss your salad together. Chill for 4 hours. Check and see if it needs more dressing and add as needed. Enjoy!

 

Mexican Veggie Casserole

Another recipe my Aunt requested. This comes from Paula Dean's magazine.

Mexican Veggie Casserole

• 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 3 cups chopped zucchini
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 can (15 oz) can corn, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) ranch style beans
• 1 can (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
• 1 pkg (1 oz) taco seasoning mix
• 2 cups shredded cheese, divided
• 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 12 corn tortillas divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x9 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.

In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Add zucchini and onion: cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in corn, black beans, ranch style beans, diced tomatoes, and taco seasoning mix.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream.

Layer 4 tortillas over bottom of prepared pan. Top tortillas with half of zucchini mixture;top evenly with half of cheese mixture. Place 4 tortillas over cheese mixture top with remaining zucchini mixture. top evenly with remaining cheese mixture. Cover top of casserole with remaining tortillas. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with green onions, if desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!