Party Broccoli

Need a fancy veggie that's fast, easy and elegant? This one cooks in under five minutes. Like my Grand Green Beans Recipe, you may use your favorite cooking oil to subtly change the taste. For this one I use peanut oil.

This recipe came to be in a flash of creativity. I needed a fancy vegetable for an unplanned, yet special meal. I opened the fridge, checked out what I had on hand, and created:

Party Broccoli

3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large clove garlic, slivered
1/2 small onion, thin sliced
1/2 pound broccoli florets, separated
5 small mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Heat oil in frying pan. Add onions, broccoli and garlic, then sauté until onion begins to turn translucent. Add cranberries and pecans. Sauté one minute more. Serve immediately.

Grand Green Beans

I prefer my vegetables raw, but on occasion, I've been known to cook them just a bit. Here's a fancy way to serve green beans if you like your cooked veggies crisp. This recipe has a bit of an Asian flavor thanks to the sesame oil, but you may actually use any type of frying oil you wish (or bacon grease if you aren't too worried about cholesterol).

Grand Green Beans

1/2 pound cleaned, fresh green beans
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 clove garlic
1/2 small onion, thin sliced
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup sliced almonds
salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in small frying pan. Add onions and garlic then sauté until onion begins to turn translucent. Add green beans, red pepper and almond. Sauté until veggies reach your preferred crispness -- for me I only sauté long enough to warm them through, so my total cooking time for the green beans is under 5 minutes.