Chocolate-It's What's for Dinner

Remember when I made these preserved lemons? Well I was thinking about what to make for a vegetable side dish for Thanksgiving and I hit upon haricot verts with preserved lemons. I really do like haricot verts better than regular old green beans - they are much thinner and just tastier. I'm sure it's just psychological but C'est La Vie (since I'm in a French sort of mood). This is such an easy recipe that it need not be saved for a special occasion. Green Beans with Preserved Lemons 1lb haricot verts 1 preserved lemon olive oil Steam haricot verts until just tender but  they still have a little crunch. Do not fully cover the pot while steaming as this leaves them with a murky green color. Leave the cover partially on the pot (trust me they will look nice and green). Place preserved lemon in a food processor and stream in olive oil until desired consistency. Pour over haricot verts and serve. I actually ended up using only half a lemon because it was a muta...

I've been making this recipe for a long time. It is so simple and it is so tasty.  I'm such a sucker for balsamic vinegar. There's no need to use expensive stuff here - the cheap stuff will do.  Just be sure that it is a good tasting cheap balsamic.  If it doesn't taste good to start, it won't taste good once it's reduced. Balsamic Braised Chicken Thighs ( Health Magazine ) 1 lb chicken thighs salt/pepper 2 T olive oil 1/4 c shallots, minced 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1/4 c red wine 3/4 c balsamic vinegar 1/4 c chicken stock 1/4 c honey 1 bay leaf Preheat oven 350.  Salt and pepper the chicken thighs.  In a skilled add olive oil and brown the thighs on both sides (3-5 minutes). Remove from pan.  Add the shallots and thyme to skillet and cook until shallots are tender but not browned. Add wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the chicken bits. Cook until the wine evaporates and you can hear the shallots begin to sizzle again. Add chicken, balsamic ...