Side Dishes

Yield: Serves 6 – 8 4 strips bacon, cut into slivers1 medium onion, finely chopped2, 28-ounce can flat-cut green beans (also called Italian green beans)2 teaspoons salt or more to taste1 teaspoon pepper

Yield: 8 servings This is just how authentic Spanish Rice should taste! The recipe is from my friend, Chef Duane Thompson. The “secret” ingredient is the tomato-flavored chicken bouillon. It gives the correct color and consistency to the rice. Rinsing the rice before cooking removes the sticky starch covering and keeps the rice fluffy, not gummy.…

Yield: about 10 cups preserves 8 cups chopped figs8 cups sugar½ cup water or fresh lemon juicehalf a lemon, thinly sliced *I like to cook my fig preserves until they are very thick, up to 6 hours. You might like yours thinner. Sometimes I pick the figs, cut them up, and start the cooking process –…

Every year I seem to discover a “break-out” recipe. This is definitely a winner for this year. Thanks to my wonderful, lovely friend, Trish, for sharing this dish with me. It sparked lots of chatter on FB, and she is gracious to let me post it here. All my family went crazy over it at…