Here's one of my favourite Spanish dishes - Although I have been making it for years the way a Spanish cook once showed me, this time I followed the preparation seen recently on a Spanish Cooking TV channel. Their ingredients included a small piece of or pork fat and a stewing chorizo (chorizo para guisar). If choosing a chorizo for this dish, be sure it is the right type which has the red pimiento colour. The small piece of tocino can be seen just to the right of the sprig of rosemary. Stewed Lentils (Lentejas Estofadas) 350 grams (1 1/2 cups) of small dark lentils - put them to soak the night before in water to cover 100 grams (3.5 oz) red stewing chorizo sausage - lightly pricked over with tines of a fork 50 grams (1.7 oz) salted tocino pork fat - cut into large diced pieces 1 TBSP flour 2 carrots diced fine 2 medium leeks, using only white stems sliced finely in rounds 1 lg clove garlic (this was optional but I wouldn't leave it out) - pass through garlic press 2 cups beef broth (I used 2 Knorr cubes) 1 bay leaf fresh rosemary - small sprig olive oil - about 1/4 cup 2 cups extra water to add after 1st hour 1. Soak lentils the NIGHT BEFORE in water to cover. * Note this if now often unnecessary with newer fast cooking lentils. 2. Next day drain and rinse lentils, put aside. 3. Heat olive oil in heavy cooking pot. When sizzling, add carrots, garlic and leeks. Lightly brown while stirring. 4. Add 1 TBSP flour and keep stirring for about a minute. 5. Add lentils, beef broth, whole chorizo, tocino, laurel and rosemary 6. Put on lid and simmer very gently for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Check after 1st hour and add up to 2 more cups water as needed. 7. Adjust seasoning and serve. ***************************************** Lentil & Potato Potaje (Potaje de Lentejas y Patatas) 3 cups of presoaked lentils 4 medium potatoes - cut into large dice 2 slices of stale bread 3 cloves garlic vinegar salt Put lentils in large pot, cover with water and begin to boil. As soon as lentils have begun to cook do the following: In a frying pan with 1/2 inch of oil brown the garlic and then add the bread and fry until brown. Remove garlic before it's too dark. Put browned bread and garlic into a mortar and grind to a paste. During the early part of cooking the lentils add the paste from the mortar to the lentils together with the oil that's left in the pan After about half an hour and before lentils are tender, add the diced or quartered potatoes, salt and finish cooking until all is tender. Check and correct salt and a dash of vinegar before serving. Source: A cook friend from Mallorca. *************************************** LENTIL & VEGETABLE SOUP Ingredients: lentils - 250 grams (slightly over 1 cup) garlic - one whole head onion - 1 large - quartered Kasseler smoked pork chop - 1 large (or 250 grams other smoked pork or bacon) ham or pork bone as for making stock 4 medium carrots - sliced into coins 2 stalks celery - diced 5 medium potatoes - peeled and cut into 8ths 6 flowerettes of cauliflower green beans - handful sliced tomato puré - small 4 oz tin olive oil - 4 TBS fresh garden herbs: 1 bay leaf, several sprigs thyme, Italian flatleaf parsley 2 or 3 sprigs chicken stock 1 liter (4 cups) or water and 3 Knorr chicken stock cubes salt & fesh ground pepper water to cook lentils vinegar - 1 teasp garlic croutons - optional garnish Method: 1) Turn on oven to 350F. Put lentils in large heavy bottomed stew pot with water to cover plus about 2 inches, bring to boil and simmer 45 minutes. Check water level and add more as needed. 2) Meanwhile put whole head of garlic into shallow baking pan together with quartered onion, Kasseler or smoked pork and ham or pork bone, drizzle with olive oil and roast in oven at medium heat about 45 minutes. 3) Remove baking tray from oven when all is nicely browned and cut meat into small dice and add to lentil pot along with onion. Squeeze garlic from skin into lentil pot, adding ham/pork bone along with oil and juices scraped from roasting pan. 4) Add rest of vegetables to lentils, chicken stock (or water and stock cubes), tomato puré, fresh herbs and bay leaf, parsley - reserving one sprig, fresh ground pepper. Bring to boil and simmer about 1 hour until vegetables are done, adding more water if needed. 5) When vegetables are tender, remove ham/pork bones and any bare thyme stems from pot, check for flavour and add salt as needed. Add vinegar and stir. 6) Serve with a bit of chopped parsley and more fresh ground pepper. Homemade garlic croutons are also nice as a garnish. Source: Recipe as I learned from a Mallorquin housewife years ago. ******************************* Lentil Purée Convert leftover stewed lentils into a delicious purée by putting them into a food processor and adding the following: 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth 2 lg cloves of garlic crushed and browned in 1/4 cup oil in small frypan 2 slices brown bread broken in small pieces and fried in the garlicky oil until brown Processed the above until smooth and then heat it gently. Dice more pieces of brown bread and toasted them in the frying pan with oil and garlic salt for the croutons. SharonCb

From Lüchow's German Cookbook Savory Green Beans 2 pounds fresh green beans 2 tablespoons butter or drippings 3 cups bouillon or stock 1 tablespoon flour 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons vinegar 1 small piece summer savory 1 tablespoon chopped parsley Wash beans; break off tips an remove strings; break or cut in four pieces each. Place in saucepan with butter or drippings and bouillon; cook covered 25 minutes, or until tender. Add more bouillon if necessary. When nearly done, sprinkle beans with flour, sugar, salt, and vinegar. Cook uncovered a few minutes more. Sprinkle with herbs and serve. Serves 6

Thanks, Teresa - copied and saved!

Green beans are not on my list of favorites so I always have to dress them up for myself. Here are some of my favorite recipes but I don't have any casserole recipes! Haricots Verts With Goat Cheese And Warm Bacon Dressing 3 lb haricots verts (or regular green beans), trimmed 1/2 lb bacon slices, cut into thin strips 1/2 c chopped shallots (about 3) 2 garlic cloves,chopped 1/4 c Sherry wine vinegar 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 cup olive oil 1 c crumbled soft fresh goat-cheese (about 4 ounces) 1/2 c fresh pomegranate seeds (optional) Cook beans in water until tender crisp. Cook bacon until crisp. Saute shallots and garlic in drippings until soft. Add vinegar and mustard. Whisk in oil. Toss beans with dressing top with cheese and bacon. NOTE: I prefer this without the goat cheese and I also leave out the pomegranate seeds. Make-Ahead Garlic Green Beans Blanching the beans in salted boiling water and then shocking them in ice water (to stop the cooking process) proved to be the most consistent method of evenly cooking the beans. Cooked green beans can be held in the refrigerator for up to two days and then quickly reheated with a little water in a covered skillet when ready to use. We tossed the green beans with dry-roasted garlic and softened butter, with delicious results. Gardenlad's Green Beans with Poppy Seed Dressing 1 1/2 lbs green beans, tipped, tailed, and stringed if necessary. 2 tsp poppy seeds 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tbls white wine vinegar 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp honey 2 tbls minced shallot Salt & pepper to taste. Lightly steam beans until just tender. Set aside. Heat small skillet over medium low heat. Add poppy seeds and toast, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Add the oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, shallot, shat & pepper to the poppy seeds. Whisk until well blended. Warm dressing in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beans and toss to coat. Cook until beans are warmed through. from: Eating Well GREEN BEAN, PECAN, AND FETA SALAD (CindyMac) 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed 1 small purple onion, thinly sliced 2-3 ounces crumbled feta cheese 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic coarse salt and fresh ground pepper to taste CUT green beans into thirds, and arrange in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam 5-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Immediately plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process; drain and pat dry. TOSS together green beans, onion, cheese, and pecans in a large bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour. WHISK together olive oil and next 5 ingredients; cover and chill 1 hour. POUR vinaigrette over green bean mixture, and chill 1 hour; toss just before serving. ~adapted from Southern Living magazine