French Bean Casserole

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It's been a joke with me that I can't stand the classic holiday bean casserole. The one that uses Campbell's soup and canned onion rings. But then I came across this recipe in a British magazine and it didn't use pre-prepared items and I thought I would try it. It was a really big hit. But last Thanksgiving we had the whole family over and I made this and I forgot to serve it! It's a big recipe and it needs eaters. I wrote a smaller version below. But for now you need a very big casserole dish. Also, you can use frozen beans but it won't taste nearly as good. Très ordinaire as a matter of fact.

½ stick butter
1 small onion, diced
¾ lb button mushrooms, quartered
salt and pepper

3 level Tbls flour
1 ½ cups hot milk
grated nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 lb fresh French beans, cut in half, blanched, and drained
3 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbls breadcrumbs


In advance: can be made two days in advance.

Heat 1 Tbl butter in pan and cook diced onions until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms. Season and cook about 6-8 minutes.

Melt remaining butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Whisking constantly, pour in the milk and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Whisk until glossy and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Combine the beans, onions and mushrooms, and white sauce. Butter a casserole dish and put in half the bean mixture. Sprinkle on half the parmesan and top with the rest on the beans. Combine the remaining Parmesan with the bread crumbs and sprinkle over the top.

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
This big version serves at least 12 people.

Smaller Version

1 tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion, diced
4 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
salt and pepper

1 level Tbls flour
½ cups hot milk
grated nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/3 lb fresh green beans, thin ones, cut in half, blanched, and drained
1 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbls breadcrumbs

Heat 1 Tbl butter in pan and cook diced onions until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms. Season and cook about 6-8 minutes.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Whisking constantly, pour in the milk and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Whisk until glossy and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Combine the beans, onions and mushrooms, and white sauce. Butter a casserole dish and put in half the bean mixture. Sprinkle on half the parmesan and top with the rest on the beans. Combine the remaining Parmesan with the bread crumbs and sprinkle over the top.

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Lita’s Plain Fried Rice

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Before Lita taught me how to make fried rice I was clueless.

You use the cold left-over rice - do not use fresh hot rice. In a saute pan, appropriate for the amount of rice to be fried, add oil to lightly cover the bottom, a tablespoon or two. Heat the oil just until you get that hint of a rainbow in the oil, but the oil is not smoking. Add the rice and smash it about a bit with the bottom of a wooden spoon. Keep pushing the rice around gently, turning down the heat if needed, until you get the consistency of crispiness that you want. While cooking, add salt and pepper. I should note that I do not put salt in the rice when I cook it the first time.  Lita told me not to salt it, so I don't.  It doesn't seem to need it the first time round.  Fried rice can take quite a bit of salt, which is the key flavor ingredient. It’s a bit like making hash-browns. You want that element of crispiness, which are known as rice crackers.

Adding to the Fried Rice

If you want to add things to the friend rice you do so after it has been fried up. I like to get the add-in ready ahead of time.

1. egg - depending on how much friend rice you have, you simply add to the finished fried rice a scrambled egg or two. The eggs are fried in a separate pan, and then kept ready to add in a small dish.

2. green onions - have then all sliced up and add to the finished fried rice. It's a pleasing thing to cut the green part on the diagonal.

3. peas &/or corn - just put some into the friend rice and they will warm up quickly. I'm talking of frozen of course.

4. leftover meat - I dice up the meat and have it ready to throw into the friend rice. If you like you can fry up the meat a bit in a separate pan, the one the egg was scrambled in for example.

5. You can put in anything you want, just make sure that when you put it into the fried rice it's pretty much already to eat.

6. Seasonings - If I'm adding extra ingredients to the fried rice then I also add seasonings like soy sauce, or sambal, or sesame oil, or you name it. Just don't be heavy handed. You want to sneak up on it, tasting as you go.

Roasted Potatoes

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As many potatoes as you like. Maybe 8 to 10
olive oil
1 package dried onion soup mix
or 1 package taco seasoning
or anything you want to put on it

Preheat oven to about 375 degrees.
Get a big flat pan with short sides, cover with tin foil. Slice the potatoes into 8 wedges each.
Drizzle some olive oil over the potatoes on the pan. Sprinkle the soup mix over them, or whatever else you want, and toss about.
Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes covered with tin foil.
Then remove the foil and cook until nice and crispy, about 30 to 40 minutes.

If you like these can be cooked uncovered at a much lower heat. Like 300 or 325, or whatever. This works very well for while you are at church and want them finished when you get home.