Recipes of the Week of July 16th

BEETS WITH CREAM SAUCE from: cooks.com 2 c. sliced cooked beets 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. flour 2/3 c. beet juices or chicken stock (or combination of both) 1/3 c. heavy cream Salt and freshly ground pepper Nutmeg Place beets in a small buttered casserole. Melt butter in saucepan; add flour, stirring, and cook for 3 minutes without coloring mixture. Remove from heat and beat in beet juice or stock, then cook until smooth and thick. Add cream, heat, and season with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Pour over beets and heat in a 350 degree oven until the sauce is bubbly and the beets are heated through. MOROCCAN BEET GREEN SALAD from: http://food.gearlive.com 1 bunch beet greens and/or spinach 1-2 cloves garlic Extra virgin olive oil Sweet paprika Cumin Salt and black pepper Juice of one lemon Clean bunch of beet greens. Agitate well, leave to soak a few minutes, lift out, drain the water. Slice horizontally, about 1/4 inch wide, and put into a deep pot. Add a spoon or two of water if they seem dry. Cover and steam on medium low heat for 10-15 minutes or until soft. Let cool. Put the greens in a wire colander over a bowl and press out as much liquid as possible. (You can save it for soup) Finely chop 1-2 cloves of garlic and put in a large frying pan with 3 T (tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil. Sauté at medium high until garlic begins to brown. Add greens, stir and cook a few minutes. Add 1 t (teaspoon) paprika, 1 t ground cumin, 1 t oregano, 1 t kosher or other salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir and cook a few more minutes, adding a bit of reserved liquid or olive oil if it seems dry. Add cumin if desired, but it's easy to overdo the oregano. Remove from heat, squeeze in the juice of one lemon (can be partly bottled juice), and taste for salt and lemon. Serve at room temperature. GREEN POLE BEANS AND GREEN ONIONS 1 lb. young green pole beans (whole, end removed) ½ bunch green onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 Tbsp butter Parboil beans in lightly salted water only until tender (still crisp) and drain. Melt butter and add garlic and onions. Sauté until onions are clear. Add beans to butter mixture and saute 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately. BEANS & SHRIMP 1 lb. string beans or pole beans cut 1 inch long 1/2 c. shelled shrimp, fresh 1/2 c. fresh tomatoes, chopped 1 lg. onion, sliced 3 lg. cloves garlic, chopped fine Salt and pepper to taste 2 tbsp. shortening Sauté garlic until brown. Add onion. When brown add tomatoes and shrimp, salt and pepper. Cook until shrimp is tender, add string beans and continue cooking until beans are crisp tender.