Multi-National Night

On Friday night, I had a little more time to cook, knowing the alarm clark wasn't going to be ringing well before dawn. It seemed like a good time to tackle a couple of interesting-looking recipes. The first was a Moroccan Green Bean Tagine. Here, green beans are sauteed until they begin to brown, then wrapped in a variety of spices that are eye opening, yet don't assault the tongue. A sauce follows, made of vinegar, wine, water, and tomatoes. The green beans simmer until tender, followed by a rapid boil to turn the sauce to an intense, syrupy glaze. The beauty of this recipe is its versatility. It would be amazing, I think, with cauliflower. It would be great over pasta. And every bite intrigues the palate, coaxing out hints of the flavors underneath.


We had this alongside Greek Pot Crushed Potatoes. What an incredibly easy weeknight side dish these would be. Ready in less than half an hour, with little fuss, these lemony potatoes add an incredibly bright note to the plate. Put a pot of water on to boil, and get to work thinly slicing a couple of pounds of red potatoes. Once the water is at a hard boil, slide the potatoes in and begin the rest of the dish. Slice (or chop, as I did) some garlic, parsley, and scallions. Juice a lemon. Check the potatoes--they're probably done. While they are draining, the pot goes back on the stove, filmed with a bit of olive oil. Garlic and water are added to the pan, simmering until the garlic softens. After five minutes or so, the potatoes get added back to the pot, with the parsley, scallions, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. A few turns to gently break apart the potatoes. That's it. Brightness on a fork.