Air Fryer Green Bean Fries

Green bean fries get extra crispy when cooked in the air fryer. Fresh green beans are first parboiled, then seasoned, air fried, and served with a special sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 cup flour

• 1 large egg

• 1/3 cup milk

• 2 cups seasoned fine dry bread crumbs

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• cooking spray

• lemon wedges for serving

Special Sauce:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup ketchup

• 2 teaspoons mustard

• 1 teaspoons minced sweet or dill pickle

• 1 teaspoon steak seasoning

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Combine beans and water in a saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook until beans are bright green and crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water.

2. Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees F.

3. Put flour in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together egg and milk. In a third bowl, stir together bread crumbs, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Drain beans and pat dry with paper towels. Toss beans with flour to coat, shaking off excess. Dip into egg mixture and then into bread crumbs to coat, shaking off excess.

4. Working in batches if needed, arrange beans in an even layer in the air fryer basket and lightly coat with cooking spray. Cook, turning once halfway through, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. (If you like, keep fries warm in a 250 degrees F (95 degrees C) oven.)

5. Meanwhile, stir together mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, minced pickle, steak seasoning, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl for Special Sauce.

6. Serve green bean fries with Special Sauce and lemon wedges.

Tomato Mozzarella Salad

With fresh tomatoes and basil in your garden now, this dish is the perfect summer treat.

Ingredients

• 3 large tomatoes, sliced

• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced

• ¼ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

• ¼ cup minced fresh basil

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.

2. Place tomato slices, alternating with mozzarella slices, on a large serving platter.

3. Combine oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well.

4. Drizzle over tomatoes and mozzarella; sprinkle with basil.

Zucchini Roses

I have a confession to make. I’m a guy that watches British fashion vloggers. Well … my wife does, and I’m just there for the gardening bits. One of the vloggers she follows recently posted a video making Courgette Roses. (“Courgettes” are what Brits call zucchini and summer squash. They have some weird names for veggies. Aubergine? Really?) Anyway, I found a version of the recipe with the temperatures and measurements converted to US units. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (about 8 ounces)

• All-purpose flour, for rolling out dough

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

• 1 small summer squash (about 6 ounces), cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced diagonally

• 1 small zucchini (about 6 ounces), cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced diagonally

• Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll the puff pastry out to a 12-inch square on a floured work surface.

2. Brush lightly with the olive oil and sprinkle evenly with the cheese, thyme and lemon zest.

3. Cut into 6 even strips.

4. Shingle alternating yellow and green slices of squash and zucchini along the length of each strip of dough making sure to leave half the dough strip uncovered and allowing the green and yellow skins to hang over one edge slightly.

5. Fold the uncovered dough over the squash and pinch together at the two ends.

6. Starting at one end, roll each strip into a spiral.

7. Lightly press the rolled tarts into a muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray.

8. Bake until the crusts are browned and crisp on the bottom, the top is dry and crisp and the squash is tender and browned on the edges, about 40 minutes.

9. Remove to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

Buttery Garlic Green Beans

Green bean recipes make the greatest side dishes. They take very little time to cook and, depending on the method, even less time to prep. This easy recipe for sautéed green beans is a perfect case in point. It preps in just 5 minutes, cooks in about 10 (depending on how crunchy you like your green beans), and is ready in 15 minutes.

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Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped in half

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ⅛ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning, or more to taste

• salt to taste

Directions

• Step 1

  Place green beans into a large skillet and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans just start to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and return to the skillet.

• Step 2

  Add butter and stir until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

• Step 3

  Add garlic; cook until tender and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

• Step 4

  Season with lemon-pepper seasoning and salt before serving.

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

These spring rolls are a refreshing change from the usual fried variety, and have become a family favorite. They are great as a cool summertime appetizer, and are delicious dipped in one or both of the sauces.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces rice vermicelli

• 8 rice wrappers (8.5 inch diameter)

• 8 large cooked shrimp - peeled, deveined and cut in half

• 1 ⅓ tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• 2 leaves lettuce, chopped

• 4 teaspoons fish sauce

• ¼ cup water

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons white sugar

• ½ teaspoon garlic chili sauce

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped peanuts

Directions

• Step 1

  Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Boil rice vermicelli 3 to 5 minutes, or until al dente, and drain.

• Step 2

  Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper into the hot water for 1 second to soften. Lay wrapper flat. In a row across the center, place 2 shrimp halves, a handful of vermicelli, basil, mint, cilantro and lettuce, leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side. Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper, beginning at the end with the lettuce. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

• Step 3

  In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chili sauce.

• Step 4

  In another small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce and peanuts.

• Step 5

  Serve rolled spring rolls with the fish sauce and hoisin sauce mixtures.

Christmas Orange Hot Chocolate

This is the perfect Christmas morning drink next to the fireplace with classic Christmas music playing.

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk

• 1 (1 ounce) envelope instant hot cocoa mix (such as Swiss Miss®)

• ¼ cup orange juice

• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Heat milk in a saucepan over high heat; whisk hot cocoa mix into milk until completely dissolved. Continue whisking for 1 minute, reduce heat to medium, and gradually stir in orange juice. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top and stir. Pour hot chocolate into a mug.