Author Archives: jenuinelyhomemade

Beer Battered Fish Tacos

fish tacosEver had a Rubio’s fish taco? If not, you’re missing out! Hands down, they have the best fish tacos I’ve ever had. Most of their restaurants are in California, with a few nearby states also being lucky enough to have them. If you’re not fortunate enough to have eaten at one of these places, don’t despair! As I’ve said before, I love to re-create restaurant food at home, and this recipe pretty much hits the nail on the head.

Not only can you use this beer battered fish for tacos, but it would also be great for a fish n chips dinner. Whip up some homemade tartar sauce and cook up my previously posted recipe for homemade French fries, and you’re good to go.

That's a good looking piece of fish!

That’s a good looking piece of fish!

Back to the tacos. I prefer cod for these tacos, plus it’s on the less expensive side. And it’s mild, so if your kids are not fish fans, start them off on this. I also prefer a lighter beer for this batter. If you use a dark beer, that flavor will definitely come through more.

Beer Battered Fish Tacos (makes approximately 10 tacos)

White Sauce:

1/4 c. mayo

3 tbsp. sour cream

1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Whisk the above listed ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate. Those $.98 Walmart squirt bottles also work great to put this white sauce in. Plus, it looks purty when you squirt the sauce over the top of the tacos.

We're classy folks!

We’re classy folks!

Beer Batter:                                                                                                                       

1 c. flour

1/2 tbsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. each of garlic powder, onion powder & white pepper

Just a dash of salt

3/4 c. beer (Use 1 can, and drink the rest!)

Fish Tacos:

1 cod filet, cut into approximate 3″ strips (just under 3/4 pound will do)

1/2 head shredded cabbage

Good quality salsa

1 lime, cut into wedges

10 corn tortillas

frying fish

Almost done!

Preheat a deep fryer. If you do not have a deep fryer, you can fill a pan or pot with oil, heat it on medium and go from there. Whisk beer batter ingredients in a bowl. Dip strips of fish into the beer batter, making sure to shake off excess batter. You don’t want a huge layer of batter, you want to taste that fish! Gently put the fish into the hot oil. You may need to do this in two batches, as you don’t want to overcrowd the fryer/pan. Flip the fish over after a couple of minutes. Fish fries quickly, especially if you are doing small strips as called for in this recipe. Fish will be done when it’s floating and golden, approximately 4 minutes. Set aside on a wire rack or paper towels to drain.

Heat corn tortillas on a plate in the microwave, covered with a damp paper towel for 1 minute. Now it’s time to assemble the tacos!

On a tortilla, lay one or two pieces of fish, squirt a little bit of the white sauce on top, then add the shredded cabbage, a little bit of salsa, and more white sauce on top. A squirt of fresh lime over the top and it’s ready to eat.

You complete me fish tacos! I hope they complete you too!!!!

fish tacos 2

Chicken Chili with a side of “fries”

chiliChili! It’s all American! Traditionally made with beef, however, over the past year, my family has almost completely switched out ground beef for ground chicken. And we love it! To tell the truth, I like this chili much better with chicken than with beef. I don’t know if Texas will allow me to enter their territory with that statement, but it’s true.

Whenever I make chili, I also make French fries because my kids are chili cheese fries fans. Say that five times fast. My fries are baked so they’re even healthier for you than the traditional fried version, plus they’re super easy. So for the kid in you, see the recipe for my homemade French fries down below.

Chicken Chili (serves 4)

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 lb. ground chicken
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 small garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 c. mild chili powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. tabasco or other hot sauce (this is completely optional depending on your spice level)
  • 1 tbsp. instant coffee powder or strong brewed coffee
  • 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes, or 2 large tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 c. chicken broth
This is a real dutch oven, not the urban dictionary definition!

This is a real dutch oven, not the urban dictionary definition!

In a dutch oven (or large saucepan/pot) heat oil and add ground chicken. Stir and break up the chicken, adding the onion and bell peppers. When chicken is cooked (it will no longer be pink), add the rest of the ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for approximately 45 minutes or until thickened.

*If you don’t have a dutch oven, I highly recommend investing in one. They are ideal for soups and shredded meats and are great because they can be used on the stovetop and then transferred to the oven for further cooking.

*If you are a spicy chili fan, you can use a spicier chili powder and also add more hot sauce.

Homemade Baked French Fries

wedges

My “tutorial” on how to cut your potatoes for fries

  • 5-6 russet potatoes, washed and sliced into wedges (cut in half long ways, then cut those halves into halves long ways, then do it again, understood?!?!)
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • garlic powder
  • salt
  • pepper
Golden & crispy

Golden & crispy

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place your potato wedges on a baking sheet and pour olive oil over the fries. Sprinkle garlic powder, salt and pepper over the fries (it’s up to you how much seasoning you want on your fries) and then using your hands, stir all of it together to get those fries coated. Bake for about 15 minutes, then turn the fries over. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes. Fries should be crisp and golden.

chili cheese fries 2

A tasty pile of chili & potato goodness

Cabbage Salad with Peanut & Sesame Dressing

dressing and cabbage salad 2

This is so good that I could eat it everyday. Actually last week, I did eat it everyday with my lunch. I’m not ashamed to admit it. It’s delicious, and it’s that good! This would make a great accompaniment to any Asian type of dish (i.e. me love you long time house special chicken!) or teriyaki chicken, katsu, chow mein…. you get my drift.

The star of this dish is the dressing. It is incredibly flavorful. It’s pretty much the perfect dressing. Remember how I mentioned in a previous post that dressing tastes better when it’s homemade? Example, RIGHT HERE!!!! This is so delectable and the possibilities for this dressing are endless. It would be great on grilled chicken, or as the dressing for a Chinese chicken salad, or you can just grab the bottle and squirt it straight in your mouth. Whatever floats your boat. And it’s so simple to make.

Peanut & Sesame Dressing (adapted from Jamie Cooks It Up)

Roll out the red carpet, the star has arrived!

Roll out the red carpet, the star has arrived!

  • 3/4 c. mayo
  • 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 c. soy sauce
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic (or 2 garlic cloves)
  • 1/2 c. dry roasted peanuts
  • 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
  • pinch of red pepper flakes

Add all ingredients except the peanuts to a blender and blend on high. Then add the peanuts and blend until smooth. Makes approximately 2 cups.

*If you do not have peanuts, peanut butter would be a great alternative. Out of sesame oil and sesame seeds? Use tahini! I’m all about making adjustments and substitutions. Use what you’ve got. Who likes running to the grocery store for one or two items anyways?!?!

Like that bottle up there? Only $.98 at Walmart and they are absolutely perfect for dressings and sauces.

Now onto the cabbage salad. It’s super simple and very affordable. This is a perfect dish to serve to a crowd. I usually only do cabbage and carrots but this time added julienned red bell peppers. cabbage salad

Cabbage Salad

  • 1 head of green cabbage, shredded
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned

Great additions to this salad would also be sliced green onions and cilantro, which also adds great color. Wonton strips would also add additional crunch. Customize it to your tastes!

Now who likes a soggy salad? Not me! So I scoop out individual portions and then squirt the dressing over the top and mix on my plate/bowl. It’s a salad, not a coleslaw, so no dressing it beforehand.

Eat up, and I hope you love it as much as I do!

When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that’s amore!

I have three young children, so it’s no surprise that we like pizza in this house. But ordering out and having it delivered can become quite spendy in the long run, so I turned to making my pizza at home. Not with a premade crust, but with homemade dough, and oh does that make the difference! We still order out occasionally, but I really do prefer to make it at home, and once you try it yourself, you’ll understand why.

I do have to say that pizza making in my house is not an exact science. As I’ve mentioned before, I do not like to measure, and pizza is the perfect example of cooking using a method, rather than a recipe. Making your own concoctions to suit your individual tastes, and also the tastes of your family. However, the pizza dough DOES need to be measured and you do need to follow a recipe for that. As for the sauces and toppings, that’s up to you.

I’ve made plenty a pizza, and here are some helpful hints I’ve learned along the way:

  1. Use a pizza stone! I received one as a gift and I absolutely love it. It gives your crust a great crispness to the bottom and a more authentic taste. It is definitely not necessary though, any baking sheet will work. But that stone does elevate the pizza.
  2. Cornmeal! I always sprinkle cornmeal on my stone or baking sheet before I place the dough on it. The cornmeal helps to slide the pizza off the sheet easier and also adds a slight crunch.
  3. Use parchment paper to roll out your dough on. This makes it much easier to transfer to your stone or sheet. All you have to do is flip the dough onto the stone/sheet, and peel the parchment paper off.
  4. Sprinkle just a little bit of flour on your pizza dough rolling surface (parchment!) and also on top of your dough. This will help the dough roll much easier and also won’t stick to your rolling pin.

Onto the magical dough. So this is by far the best pizza dough I’ve ever used. I’ve tried a few different recipes and this is THE ONE! I knew it after my very first bite. You can find the original recipe over at Lauren’s Latest. She’s got some really great pictures and tips for making pizza dough so please check it out. I’ve adjusted her recipe to work better for my family size, so if you have a slightly larger than average family, this is the one for you.

Pizza Dough (serving size- 2, 14 inch pizza crusts):

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
4 cups all purpose flour, give or take half a cup

In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking. Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it, it doesn’t stick to your hands. Once you reach this stage, knead for 3-6 minutes. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean! Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn’t dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours. Now it’s time to make pizza!

I’d just like to note, you do not need a stand mixer to make this dough. So if you don’t have one, never fear, your two hands are near! Yes, manual labor it is for you. Follow the recipe, except you use your hands to knead the dough, simple as that. I used this method for a long time before I bought a stand mixer.

Now, onto the pizzas I made. The first was a “kid friendly” pizza, which included red sauce, pepperoni and mushrooms. Like I said before, pizza making is a method, so I’m not going to give exact amounts but just tell you how I made it. The amount you want on your pizza will likely differ from the amounts I like on my pizza. Here goes….

  • pepperoni & mushroom pizzaOrganic tomato sauce went onto the dough first, sprinkled with garlic powder.
  • Then came shredded mozzarella cheese.
  • Next was pepperoni and sliced baby bellas (one of my favs!).
  • Last, I sprinkled Italian seasoning all over.

I baked this at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. My oven cooks very slowly, so yours may be done faster than mine. You can tell it’s done when the crust starts turning brown and you can also lift up the crust a bit and peek at the underside. It should feel crisp, and not soft.

Time for the “adult” pizza! I did my version of a “margherita” pizza. Except instead of using basil though, I used kale. kale & tomato pizza

  • First, I spread my homemade softened basil garlic compound butter (see recipe for butter below) all over the crust.
  • Then I sprinkled a light amount of shredded mozzarella cheese over it.
  • After that came thinly sliced tomatoes.
  • Finally, some torn kale and cracked black pepper.

I also cooked this at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes. Give pizza making a try. It’s not hard, and the results are worth it!!!

This is great in pasta, on potatoes, pizza, the possibilities are endless!

This is great in pasta, on potatoes, pizza, the possibilities are endless!

Basil Garlic Compound Butter

  • 2 sticks butter, softened
  • 3 tsp. frozen basil (remember those cubes I’ve talked about?)
  • 4 garlic gloves, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 tsp. dried thyme

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until blended together, scraping the sides as necessary. Scrape butter onto a large piece of plastic wrap, roughly into the shape of a cylinder. Wrap the butter up, twisting the ends of the plastic wrap. Can be stored in the fridge or freezer.

Me Love You Long Time, House Special Chicken!!

I was craving Chinese food last night. I actually crave it often! Want to know why? Well that’s because I live very close to a Chinese restaurant, like 5 minutes walking distance, and a lot of time when I’m outside, I can smell what they’re cooking. And it smells so good! So yesterday as I got out of my car, I was overwhelmed by the aromas wafting my way and decided that Chinese food must be had by all, well, at least all the people in my house.

Again, I’m going to mention budget friendly. This is my thing people. I like to recreate dishes that I’ve eaten at restaurants, and spend a fraction of what it costs to eat out. Now don’t get me wrong, going out for a meal is great. You have someone else waiting on you, someone else cooking the food for you and someone else cleaning it all up too. But there’s also that price tag at the end that pays for all those services. At home, I’m all those people, waitress, chef and dishwasher. But on the bright side, I am saving a lot of money, still eating a delicious meal, and bonus, I can wear my pajamas if I want to. If you enjoy cooking like I do, this isn’t a bad deal at all. And if you want less work? Have your husband or kids do the dishes. I prefer to do my own dishes as I have serious issues with my dishwasher. Like, I don’t like anyone touching it, or loading it. I am the only person who knows how to load it efficiently. I can come to your house and show you how to efficiently load yours too?? I’ve actually done this before. I’m sorry, you know who you are.

So, this recipe is for House Special Chicken, and if you’ve ordered Chinese take out before, you know about this dish. If you’ve never had it before, think along the salty and sweet lines. And you will get those restaurant flavors at home with this recipe, I promise!

house special chicken 2

Where are the green onions, you ask? Well, I never claimed to be perfect!

House Special Chicken

  • 3/4 c. soy sauce
  • 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp. ground mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. white pepper
  • 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced (omit this if you’re not a ginger lover)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. sriracha
  • 1 -1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • Canola oil
  • Cornstarch
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • Toasted sesame seeds

Whisk the first 8 ingredients together and set aside. Heat approximately 1/2 inch of oil (this is a shallow fry) in a skillet, on medium high. (I used a 12 inch cast iron skillet) Dredge chicken cubes in cornstarch, and shake off excess. (I used 1/2 a box of cornstarch and it was a perfect amount) Add chicken to heated oil and shallow fry for approximately 3-4 minutes, stirring the chicken around to make sure it evenly cooks. You will have to cook the chicken in at least 2 batches, depending on the size of your skillet. Using a metal slotted spoon, set cooked chicken aside. When done cooking all of your chicken, heat a separate pan (a wok works perfectly for this), and add sauce. Heat to boiling, and carefully add cooked chicken. Add sliced green onions and stir to coat. You can add toasted sesame seeds, if you would like, either in the pan or when you plate. Also, if you like things spicy, red chili flakes would be great in this!

house special chickenVoila! It looks like you ordered that in a restaurant. Oh, me love you long time house special chicken. Hope you love it long time too!

Ranch dip/dressing

Who doesn’t like ranch? I’m sure there are some of you weirdos folks out there, but most people love it! In case you weren’t aware of this little tidbit, homemade dressing tastes a lot better than bottled. It’s pretty easy and the benefit is, it’s fresh! And most likely, you will have most of the ingredients to make dressing in your pantry or fridge. You can also say, hey I made that, instead of, hey I bought that at the grocery store and took off the cap for you. Seriously, which one is more impressive?

A bell pepper makes a great vessel for serving your ranch dip

A bell pepper makes a great ranch dip vessel. Prettier than a bowl, huh?

Now, this recipe is primarily for a dip. However, you can add more milk to it to thin it out a little more for dressing. However, I like my ranch dressing a little on the thick side so this recipe works well for me. It tastes delicious as a dip for veggies, chicken strips or nuggets, or on your favorite green salad. Try it, you’ll like! (If you know what show that’s from, bonus points for you.)

Ranch dip/dressing

  • 1 c. plain greek yogurt
  • 3/4 c. mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp. worcestershire
  • 1/4 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp. frozen basil cube, melted (ever see these in the frozen section of the grocery store? love ’em!) or 1/2 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. dried dill
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1 green onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. milk (more can be added if you like your dressing thinner)

Whisk all ingredients together and refrigerate. Best if served after it has set awhile. Let those flavors meld together! And if you think it’s too thin, it will set up further in the fridge. Enjoy!

ranch dressing

The Insta-OOPS Incident

Have you ever looked at someone’s profile on Facebook that you were NOT friends with? Done it on Instagram too? Are you nodding your head right now? Thought so! This my friends, is what most people loosely term “Facebook stalking”, or in this situation, “Instagram stalking”. Most of us are guilty of doing this a time or two with no one being the wiser. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

Recently a single friend of mine, who we will call “Rebecca Phalanges”, stopped by for a little visit. She told me she had started dating someone. Me being the curious person I am, asked to see a picture of him, “Let me see his Facebook.” I said. Rebecca told me she would show me a picture of him from his Instagram. So she handed over her phone and I started looking. Now somewhere during all of this, she informed me that she wasn’t actually “following” him and had not asked to be his Facebook friend. “Why?” was my first question. She said that in a new relationship, it’s much too soon to follow someone or friend them. Hmmm… well I’ve been with my husband for 12 years, so what “Rebecca” was saying was complete foreign territory to me. I told her I thought that was pretty stupid. That would be the first thing I’d do! And then you can always “unfollow” or “unfriend” them if things don’t work out, right? “No, it’s too soon!” She said.

Here is my daughter re-enacting my shock to what I had done.

Here is my daughter re-enacting my shock to what I had done.

So I continued to scroll through on her phone looking at pictures of this new man in her life, when all of a sudden a HEART appeared on one of the pictures. A heart! OH MY GOSH! Oh no! For all of you that are not familiar with Instagram, you double tap a picture to “like” it, and a heart appears. This then notifies said owner of picture that you, with your username, (in this case, “Rebecca’s” user name is pretty obvious as to who she is) like their picture. I didn’t say anything for a moment because I didn’t know why that had happened. I had just been scrolling! But as I sat there and the panic inside me slowly started to build, I knew I had to say something. I turned to Rebecca and said “Um, a heart just appeared on one of his pictures, I think I accidentally liked it” or something along those lines. OOPS!

She was not happy to say the least. To make it worse, I had liked a picture of him and his dad which would make her look super crazy.Rebecca quickly grabbed the phone and looked at it, “YOU LIKED IT! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?” In my defense, her phone is much fancier than mine. I have a super cheap introductory smartphone and hers must be incredibly sensitive to swiping motions! Mine takes some major tapping to make that heart appear. I felt so bad though! I told her to unlike it and do it fast.

Now, we’ve never found out if this guy ever knew that she had “liked” his picture. It all happened so fast. I still can’t believe I did it. I felt bad but it was really funny.

So I guess the moral of the story is, don’t spy! Or don’t let me use your phone. Either way, I guess Rebecca learned something that day! 🙂

Olé! Olé! Olé! Olé!

The essentials to starting your fiesta off right

The essentials to starting your fiesta off right

Craving Mexican food? Me too. Don’t feel like spending upwards of $50 at a restaurant? ME NEITHER! Well I’m no math wizard, but those ingredients to your left sure look like they cost a lot less than $50. And that right there, turns into shredded chicken that you can use in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, or whatever your Mexican food craving little heart desires.

Here’s the breakdown as best as I can manage. I only used four of those chicken thighs and the entire package was under $5. That bell pepper was $.50, and I used half of it. The three pound bag of organic onions cost me $2.99 and I used half of one onion. One stick of celery? Cheap! A can of tomato sauce, cheap! You get the idea. I’d venture to say this whole meal cost me under $7 to make, which fed my family of five, and had enough leftovers to make a burrito for Adam to take to work the next day. But wait, we still have shredded chicken left over. Can you really beat that? I didn’t think so. So what are you waiting for?

Time to eat!

Time to eat!

Shredded Chicken

  • 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I highly recommend thighs, I’m not a big fan of chicken breasts in the slow cooker)
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 celery stick, chopped
  • 1/2 c. tomato sauce, or one of those smaller cans
  • 1 tsp. chicken base
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder, or 1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin

Place all ingredients in your slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Shred with a fork when it’s done. Olé!

Taco Tuesday anyone?

Making your own laundry detergent

detergentSo I’m sure you’ve seen this on Pinterest. I noticed it a couple of years ago and thought it was a pretty cool idea. I tried quite a few of the different recipes.  I made my own body wash, dishwasher detergent (which I don’t recommend) and laundry detergent. By far, the most successful was the homemade laundry detergent.

I’ve been using this recipe now for almost two years and I highly recommend it. It’s so incredibly economical, I really could never see myself going back to buying detergent at the store. This is an approximation, but it costs around $6 for a SIX MONTH SUPPLY.

As for the storage containers to keep all of this detergent in, I recommend that you save those really durable store bought laundry detergent containers. They have that handy spout for dispensing and I have not had one leak or break. I will typically also use 1 gallon milk containers, but I have had a couple of those leak/explode, especially when it’s super hot out. So be careful if using those. Another good type of container is a 2 liter soda bottle, or any other juice bottle.

detergent container

This is obviously not lemonade. Keep out of reach of children!!

To get this recipe, check out the My Li’l Pumpkin Patch blog. It is very detailed, with a price breakdown and pictures to guide you along the way. However, I do have to add that when I make this recipe, it only takes about 10 minutes for the soap to melt, and not the 45 minutes stated in that blog.

Hope you like the recipe, and all the money you will be saving!

Brown Sugar & Balsamic Green Beans

green beansSomething you should know about me that’s SUPER important is that I do not like to measure! I rarely measure anything when I’m cooking. As Rachael Ray would say, eyeball it! I’m a firm believer in eyeballing. It’s much easier for me to cook that way. As for baking, well, I’m no baker or pastry chef. Must be that measuring thing coming into play… Anyways, because of this blog, I am trying to be as exact as possible with my measurements to make it easy on anyone trying out my recipes. And luckily, I got out my measuring spoons and measuring cup to give you exact amounts today!

As with most cooking, I think it’s mostly a method or technique, and not necessarily about a recipe. If you’ve got the method down, it will usually come together in the end. I usually stick with garlic powder, salt and pepper for my veggie cooking, but this recipe has something a little special, and it’s called brown sugar and balsamic.

My neighbor told me that her mother-in-law loves her fresh green beans with balsamic and sugar. She then told me how she makes them. They sounded great but I wanted to speed up the recipe a bit (shortcut!) so this is what I came up with.

green beans 2Brown Sugar & Balsamic Green Beans

  • 1 lb. fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
  • 3/4 c. chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Butter goes in the pan (I like using a cast iron skillet for this). On medium heat, let it melt. Add your trimmed and clean green beans. Stir to coat the beans with the butter. At this point, I turn up the heat to medium high. Add the chicken broth. It should sizzle! Cover with a lid, but not all the way. Leave the lid a bit to the side to let a little bit of steam escape. Leave the heat at medium to medium high and let cook for about 15 minutes. You can check to see if the green beans are tender by sticking a fork in them. Once they’re tender, take the lid off and let cook until the chicken broth is almost evaporated. Push green beans to the side and add in the brown sugar to the remaining broth and see it melt! Then add the balsamic. It should almost become syrupy. Stir it all together. That’s it. Dinner side dish, DONE!