Bean Salad

I got this from a website and really liked it so I've incorporated it into my cooking :)

Need:

Green beans, trimmed

White beans, trimmed

2 cups chopped tomato (I like italian tomato)

1 tbsp sherry vinegar or wine vinegar

2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

1/2 crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:

Cook beans in boiling water 5 min or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Combine the tomato and next 4 ingredients in a bowl. Divide the beans evenly among plates.

Spoon 1/4 cup tomato mixture over the beans. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sliced basil and 1 tablespoon cheese.

Grad Students' Eggs Benedict

An easy, Saturday-morning recipe for the grad student on a budget. Excellent with a side of sliced fruit or hashbrowns, make it for your flatmate and they'll never let you go.

Ingredients
Hollandaise sauce
1/3 cup butter, melted (keep warm).
3 tbsp water, boiling.
2 eggs, yolk/white separated.
1 tbsp lemon juice, warm.
1 tsp salt.
2 tbsp sugar.
(optional) 1 tbsp blackcurrant syrup.
Main dish
2 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted
1 tbsp butter
2 eggs, whole
6 strips bacon
2 slices mild cheese

Directions
1a. Fry bacon strips at med-low/low heat.
1b. To top of double-boiler at low heat (water should not be boiling), add egg yolks and beat with metal whisk until thickened.
2. Add 1 tbsp boiling water, beat until thickened. Repeat, 1 tbsp at a time, for a total of 3 tbsp boiling water.
3. Add warm lemon juice, whisking constantly. Ensure the yolks do not break up.
4. Remove top of double-boiler from heat, beat until thickened.
5. Add 1/6 cup warm butter, whisking constantly, until thickened. Repeat, 1/6 cup at a time, for a total of 1/3 cup melted butter.
6. Add salt, sugar, and syrup (optional).
7. Reserve in fridge until ready to use.

8. Increase temperature of frying pan burner to medium/medium-high as fat begins to melt away from meat.
9. Broil back side of bread, turn over, butter slices, and broil top side as bacon becomes crispy.
10a. Poach whole eggs and remaining egg whites in egg poacher for 5 minutes, or,
10b. Bring pot of water to boil, reduce to simmer, add 1 tbsp vinegar, create vortex in center of pot, crack egg into vortex center, and allow to cook approximately 7 minutes for cold eggs.
11. Top bread with bacon, cheese, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce.

Serves 2.

White Wine Sangria

This sangria is quite sweet but for those who don't mind, its pretty good :)

Need:

1/2 c. water

1 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon or 1 stick cinnamon

2 bottles dry white wine

1 tray ice cubes

1 lemon

1 orange 1 banana

Do:

Combine 1/2 cup water, 1 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick. Bring to simmer and cook 5 minutes. Slice 1 lemon, 1 orange and 1 banana. Pour hot syrup over fruit and refrigerate.

At serving time, transfer fruit mixture to a large clear glass pitcher. Add 2 bottles dry white wine, such as a burgundy. Add a tray of ice cubes and stir. Serve in wine glasses.

Cooks Tip: You may substitute dry red wine for white wine. In addition to fruits listed here, you may use peaches, nectarines or strawberries

Coq au Vin (Blanc)

3 lb chicken, still on bone, with skin
2 tbsp rosemary

4 strips bacon, diced
OR
1 oz lardoons

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh Italian parseley
1 cup frenched cremini mushroom
3 diced Roma tomatoes
1 cup baby carrots
1 minced large white onion
3 chopped large scallions
3 tbsp balsamic vinaigre
1 tbsp white vinaigre
3 tbsp garlic paste
1 cup boiling water
8 tsp chicken broth concentrate
750ml dry white wine

1. Combine pork, dill, parseley, mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, onion and scallions in airtight container with vinaigre. Allow to marinate overnight in refrigerator.
2. Rub chicken with rosemary and place in bottom of slow cooker.
3. Add garlic paste, ensuring even distribution.
4. Add marinade to slow cooker.
5. Add wine.
6. Add broth concentrate, mix to ensure concentrate dissolves in wine. Begin slow-cooker at low heat.
7. After 15 minutes, lift lid and add water. Stir and cover.
8. Continue cooking at low heat for 6 hours. The meat should fall off the bone.
9. In the last hour of cooking, turn heat to high.

Serves 8.