Green Beans with Balsalmic Vinaigrette

Fresh Green Beans were just beckoning me to buy, and I couldn't pass it by.  But what am I going to make this time?  Stir fry again?  what about the combination of stir fry and turn it into salad?
Wash, deveined, and cut into equal pieces, and blanch the green beans.

 Saute the green beans quickly in virgin olive oil with minced garlics and onions to heat through and sweat.
Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.    Prepare vinaigrette - mix extra light virgin oil and balsalmic vinegar, salt and freshly grounded pepper to taste.  Toss.  Serve - warm or cold.

 I made Pomme Duchesse and enjoyed another new method of potato cooking.

Vegetarian Curry with Potatoes and Apple

When I don't even the time to defrost the meat, I come up with something 'vegetarian' like dish.  And here is my photo journal of Vegetarian Curry with Potatoes and Apple.   When you bite into the diced Apple in the curry, it gives a burst of surprising experience.  If I am not mistaken, most of the people who has tasted "Japanese" style curry expect this 'apple' surprise in the curry.  It adds faint bouquet aroma to the curry.  Your tongue will delightfully appreciate the tartness and sweetness that mellows the taste of spicy hot curry.  And you want more of it.   If you have never tried it before, add some diced golden delicious or red delicious to your curry. 

Potato Salad with Vinaigrette

By the way, all these recipe testings I posted in June were not completed in the weeks of June.  They were completed in May.   I just did not have the time to post them due to my crazy final exam and oral surgery (I could not taste well).  It was a very stressful months, and I almost gave up on sharing them over the blog.  But I still cooked every night, testing the recipes and cooking methods, ....    So here is my adaptation of Mustard Vinaigrette (from Ad Hoc cookbook, p 179) with my Potato Salad with Beets served with hard boil egg wedges.  I am quite impressed with the function of Dijon mustard in vinaigrette and in other dressings.  It seems to provide that secret molecular combination to bring the mixture of vinegar and olive oil as in 'emulsification' together.  A tiny mustard seed indeed have a great power.   I like the smooth texture of this vinaigrette and less acidic taste from the champagne vinegar used.  Boil large diced potatoes and medium diced carrots till fork tender.  Mince 1 Tb of onions.  Mix in vinaigrette to chopped red beets and carrots first, then fold into potatoes.  Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  Toss in some chopped cilantro leaves from the garden.  Slice one hard boiled egg into wedges and serve.