There Ain't No Way To Hide Your Lyonnaise

Until last Sunday, I thought the word “Lyonnaise” was pronounced “lyin’ eyes,” and every time I hear that Eagle’s song, I remember the Glass House restaurant in Ihlen, Minnesota, population 101. As part of every meal, your table got an appetizer plate to share that included pickled beets, carrot sticks, Club House crackers and pate. I had no idea what pate was made of, but I loved it. (Although I probably would have eaten it even if I did know it was made with chicken livers given the fact I loved pickled pigs feet and sardines.)

They also offered Lyonnaise potatoes as one of their potato choices. Screw the fries. I loved the Lyonnaise. Butter, onions, garlic, sliced potatoes…(See Emeril Lagasse’s Classic Lyonnaise Potatoes recipe if you’d like to try making them sometime.)

Anyway, “Lyin’ Eyes” came on the radio on Sunday and my husband – international man of food – laughed at me when I said I used to love the “lyin’ eyes” potatoes at the Glass House. He said, “Honey, it rhymes with mayonnaise.”

Oh.

The Glass House also served up some mighty fine baked beans, but now that I don’t fancy bacon anymore, I’ve been searching for a baked bean recipe that is sweet and smoky at the same time without the animal flesh. I’ve had some good ones, but this one tops them all. And it’s super easy, too. I got it out of a magazine a few years ago (Better Homes & Gardens, maybe? Cooking Light?), but only made them the first time on Sunday.

Summer’s Best BBQ Beans
Makes 10 side-dish servings, approximately ½ cup each

Nonstick cooking spray
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1 red sweet pepper, seeded and chopped (3/4 cup)
2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped (2 cups)
3 15-16-oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I used what I had on hand: one can of red kidney beans, one can of white kidney beans and one can of pinto beans)
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple in its own juice, undrained
1 T molasses or maple syrup
1 T Worcestershire sauce

Coat large saucepan with cooking spray. Add onion and sweet pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce, undrained pineapple, molasses/maple syrup and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer for at least another 10 minutes or until desired consistency (I let them go about 30 minutes).

Each serving: 140 calories; 0 g fat; 0 mg chol; 31 g carbo; 8 g fiber; 10 g protein.

FYI: The leftovers are excellent in a wrap.

Another childhood favorite of mine was Kool-Aid. We never had soda in our house, but in the summer we always had Kool-Aid and iced tea. Since I’m more or less an iced tea- and water-only drinker, I was super excited to try Celestial Seasonings Wild Berry Zinger tea iced. I added a little stevia and wow! It’s the closest thing I’ve come to Kool-Aid since, well, the last time I drank actual Kool-Aid. I love it.

I’m done yammering about food now. One last thing before I go. I think I’ve added a new feature to my comments page, but I won’t know if I did the HTML right until someone posts a comment on this entry. It’s an advanced feature through TypePad Connect that allows you to respond to comments more easily, almost like a conversation. I have NO idea if it will work or not. I know just enough about technology to be dangerous.

So if you wouldn’t mind trying it out, leave a comment. Let me know what hoops it makes you jump through, if any, and if you like or not like the new format. Thanks!