Vegetable Medley with Rosemary and Lemon Zest

 

The other night when we had the Baked Bacon Cheddar Wings as an entrée, I was racking my brain trying to think of a light and simple side dish as an accompaniment. In an effort to help me with my thought process, Mike told me about a vegetable dish he had a restaurant while traveling recently. He described it as having potatoes, green beans and pearl onions and said it was really tasty. Of course, not being a cook, Mike wasn’t able to discern any herbs or spices included. Nevertheless, I thought the idea was a good one, so I decided to create my own “vegetable medley.” I combined baby red potatoes, fresh green beans, diced onions (I opted not to go with the pearl, as that would have been more time consuming), fresh mushrooms, garlic, red chili flakes, rosemary and lemon peel. Then I topped it off with salt and pepper, and a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice before serving. I was elated when Mike told me that my version was better than what he had at the restaurant. I know, he wasn’t just saying that to be polite, because the next day, he scoffed down the leftovers. Mike never eats leftover veggies (he’ll eat anything else reheated, but not veggies). This would be a great option for a “meatless” meal; or you can make it a complete one-pot meal by adding pre-cooked chicken, shrimp, or kielbasa. And, this is another one of those “versatile” meals; whatever ingredients you don’t like, just leave it out. On the other hand, the addition of some pre-cooked crumbled bacon would be a perfect touch (which I left out because I had enough bacon going on with the wings). 

Missing from photo: onion and olive oil

Chop onion. Slice mushrooms (if not already pre-sliced). Grate lemon zest. Finely chop rosemary.

In large saucepan, over medium-high heat, add potatoes with water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat; drain and let cool. 

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, quarter potatoes lengthwise. Set aside.

In same large saucepan, add salted water (enough to cover beans) and bring to boil. Blanch green beans until bright green and tender crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and shock in bowl of ice water (to stop cooking process). NOTE: This is where I made my mistake. I only blanched them for 2 minutes and they were too crunchy still. I ended up having to sauté the other veggies longer than I wanted, in order to cook the green beans more. So, I would suggest testing the doneness of the green beans before shocking them in ice water. 

In large skillet (or Dutch oven), heat olive oil. Add garlic, rosemary, lemon zest and chili flakes; let sizzle until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cooked potatoes, onions, mushrooms and blanched green beans. Sauté until onions and mushrooms are cooked and other vegetables are hot and coated with seasonings. (Add additional olive oil, if needed, to keep potatoes from sticking.)

Sprinkle with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

For a complete one-pot meal, add 3/4 pound of diced, pre-cooked chicken, or peeled, cooked shrimp, or sliced, pre-cooked kielbasa to skillet along with vegetables. You could also add cooked, crumbled bacon, if desired.

VEGETABLE MEDLEY WITH ROSEMARY AND LEMON ZEST
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, washed, not peeled
• 1 pound green beans, washed and trimmed
• 1/4 cup olive oil (more, if needed, to keep vegetables from sticking)
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used Baby Bella, but any kind will do)
• 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In large saucepan, over medium-high heat, add potatoes with water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to
    medium. Cover and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat; drain and let cool. When
    potatoes are cool enough to handle, quarter potatoes lengthwise. Set aside.
2. In same large saucepan, add salted water (enough to cover beans) and bring to boil. Blanch green
    beans until bright green and tender crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and shock in bowl of ice water.
3. In large skillet (or Dutch oven), heat olive oil. Add garlic, rosemary, lemon zest and chili flakes; let
    sizzle until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cooked potatoes, onions, mushrooms and blanched green
    beans. Sauté until onions and mushrooms are cooked and other vegetables are hot and coated with
    seasonings. Sprinkle with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Note: For a complete one-pot meal, add 3/4 pound of diced, pre-cooked chicken, or peeled, cooked shrimp, or sliced, pre-cooked kielbasa to skillet along with vegetables. You could also add cooked, crumbled bacon, if desired.