CHAMPIONSHIP BEANS

This is a terrific potluck dish. It can be made ahead, is healthy, and is inexpensive. Just make sure to allow for plenty of time for the beans to soak and cook.

Championship  Beans

Serves 12

1 pound dried pinto beans

¼ cup olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 jalapeño chiles, seeded, pithed, and minced

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 ½ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

Sour cream and tortilla chips

1. Rinse beans with cold water. Transfer to heavy large pot. Add enough water to cover by several inches. Let soak overnight. Drain beans. Rinse again in cold water.

2. Combine beans with water to cover by several inches in heavy large pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat and gently simmer until tender, adding hot water as necessary, about 1 to 3 hours. Drain beans thoroughly.

3. Rinse and dry heavy large pot used for beans and use to heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft, about 8 minutes.

4. Stir in chiles, entire can of tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, oregano rubbed between palms of your hands, and some salt. Increase heat to high and stir until liquid mostly evaporates.

5. Stir in drained beans. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Place half of bean mixture in 3-quart casserole dish. Top with Jack cheese. Add remaining bean mixture. Top with Cheddar cheese.

7. Bake in 375°F. about 30 minutes or until heated throughout.

8. Serve sour cream and tortilla chips alongside beans.

Kaali Daal (Creamy Black Lentils)

My latest favorite recipe, modified from an Indian cookbook my teenage son gave me for Christmas a few years ago.

Kaali  Daal  (Creamy  Black  Lentils)

Serves 6 to 8

1 ½ cups (12 ounces) whole black lentils, soaked 6 to 24 hours

½ cup (4 ounces) split red lentils, rinsed

Water

1 cup heavy cream

7 to 8 ounces plain Greek yogurt, preferably Fage Total

2 teaspoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons ghee, vegetable oil, or butter, or a combination, divided

2 onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

6 to 8 serrano or jalapeño peppers, seeded, pithed, and diced

5-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated with microplane

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon or more salt, divided

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

Cilantro leaves for garnish

Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream for garnish

1. Drain the black lentils and place in heavy 5-quart pan with the rinsed red lentils. Add water to pan until it is about 1 inch above lentils.

2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer until lentils are tender, approximately 1½ hours. Check occasionally to make sure the pot is simmering. If water seems low, add a cup of water.

3. Meanwhile, in medium-sized bowl, mix together cream, yogurt, and cornstarch. Set aside.

4. In small frying pan, heat remaining 1 tablespoon ghee over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and stir until fragrant but not burnt. Set aside.

5. When lentils are done, drain some of the cooking water, leaving about a cup. The lentils then may be mashed, partially mashed, or neither. Set lentils aside to cool.

6. Heat three tablespoons of ghee in wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion, garlic, tomatoes, chilies, and ginger until onion is soft.

7. To onions, add turmeric, chili powder, ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook over medium heat 2 minutes.

8. When lentils have cooled to close to room temperature, stir in toasted cumin seeds.

9. Stir in cream mixture until well-combined

10. Stir in sautéed onion mixture.

11. Stir in 2 teaspoons or more salt to taste.

12. Warm daal over medium heat without allowing it to boil.

13. Serve in bowls and, if desired, place a dollop of yogurt or sour cream on top and a few cilantro leaves.

Coconut Granola

I found this recipe for granola on The Frugal Girl, and was intrigued because it uses coconut oil instead of vegetable oil.  Even healthier, right?

The good news is that this granola is fabulously delicious AND easy to make.  I made a double batch and took it to our family quilting retreat this week, and it was a HIT!  We ate it for breakfast two mornings in a row.  It's a keeper!
 
Picture to come!

Coconut Granola
Adapted from The Frugal Girl

6 cups regular oatmeal
1 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds and topped them off with peanuts to make a full cup)
1 cup dried fruit (I didn't use fruit, so I say Optional.  If it's bigger than a raisin, I'd chop it too)
1 cup raw dried coconut (find this in the organic/baking section of your grocery, if you're lucky!)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, fruit (if using), and coconut.

Heat the honey, oil and brown sugar on low heat in a small pot.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Stir in vanilla.

Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and stir well. Spread onto two rimmed baking sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes, then stir. Bake for another 5 minutes and stir. Bake in additional 2-5 minute intervals until granola is light golden brown.

Indian Style Chicken and Lentils

My assignment for the Secret Recipe Club this month was:

Danielle of Mostly Food & Crafts

Danielle has lots of delicious recipes, but I was craving something quick and filling.  Her Indian Style Chicken and Lentils fit the bill!  It ended up taking longer because of my darn lentils, but it was still delicious

Here's the recipe.

Indian Style Chicken and Lentils
recipe adapted from Mostly Food & Crafts

8 chicken thighs
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves
minced 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 cups lentils
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups chicken broth

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken, 4 to 5 minutes per side.  Remove and set aside.

Chop together onions, garlic and jalapeno and set aside.


Heat remaining oil in pan; saute salt, garam masala and cumin, about 1 minute.  Stir in onion mixture and cook, stirring, until browned, about 6 minutes. Add the lentils and carrots, stirring to coat. Stir in chicken broth and 1 cup of water.  Add chicken back to pot and bring to a boil.

At this point Danielle says to reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 25 minutes.  I guess my lentils (that I just bought at the store the other day) were older or something, because they took forever to cook.  after about an hour I finally just served up dinner with somewhat crunchy lentils because we couldn't wait any longer!  Such is life.  Just cook until lentils are done I suppose!

Easy Black Bean Soup

My daughter and I liked this soup so much that we made it twice last week and have vowed to eat it once a week in perpetuity. Consider adding a couple of spashes of half-and-half to the soup shortly before serving.

Easy Black Bean Soup

Serves 6 to 8

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

1 large red onion, finely chopped

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 large jalapeño, minced

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teapoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground coriander

¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed

7 to 8 cups vegetable stock

1 cup chopped cilantro, divided

Juice of two limes

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in heavy 5-quart pan over medium-high heat.

2. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeño, and sauté over medium heat until the onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Do not let the mixture brown.

3. Add ground and whole cumin, coriander, and cayenne and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

4. Add rinsed beans, stirring to combine.

5. Add about 7 cups of vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a boil.

6. Stir in ½ cup of the cilantro and reduce heat to a simmer.

7. Let simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

8. Puree with immersible blender to preferred consistency. Stir in additional broth if you want a thinner consistency.

9. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with chopped cilantro.

NOTE: Have a party by making a huge batch of this soup and asking folks to bring a topping. Consider having cooked rice to put on the bottom of the soup bowls. Topping ideas: fried tortilla strips, Greek plain yogurt, sour cream, grated cheese, sliced green onion, chopped red onion, chopped hard-boiled eggs, crumbled sausage, crumbled bacon, chopped tomatoes, avocado slices.

Curried Chicken with Coconut Rice

THIS is one of our family's new favorite dishes!  It is pretty easy to make, and so so good.  The boys love the coconut rice in particular.  And leftovers are good too!  Once you get everything chopped and prepped, it is fairly easy to do.  It did take me longer than the 50 minutes total time, so keep that in mind.  I think my chicken was in the oven a good 15 minutes (or more) longer at the end.

The recipe comes from Everyday Food magazine, where I get a lot of my recipes.  It is credited to Samantha Seneviratne, who says she has simplified her Sri Lankan mother's recipe.  If you haven't subscribed to this magazine yet, follow the link and do it!  You won't be sorry. 

Anyway, the chicken is savory, the rice is flavorful and creamy and coconut-y, it's just plain delicious.  We are making this again next week!

Curried Chicken with Coconut Rice
Adapted from Everyday Food magazine
Serves 8
Active time:  25 minutes
Total time:  50 minutes (PLUS 15 - 20 extra, if necessary to cook the chicken through)


1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces  (I just bought a 4-pound package of chicken thighs, so feel free to substitute the chicken pieces you like)
4 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used 1/4 teaspoon)
coarse salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger (from a 3-inch piece)
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups basmati rice (I only had long-grain white rice)
1 can (13.5 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
fresh cilantro leaves, for serving


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, with rack in lower third.  Toss chicken with curry powder, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high.  In batches, cook chicken until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes total.  Transfer to a large plate.


Reduce heat to medium and add 1 teaspoon each salt and oil (I omitted this oil as there was plenty left from the chicken), and add garlic, ginger and onion.  Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until onion is translucent, 6 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute.  Add rice, coconut milk and 2 cups water; stir to combine and bring to a boil.


Arrange chicken in pot, on top of rice, skin side up, cover and transfer to oven.  Bake until chicken is cooked through and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.   
 ***HERE is where I cooked my chicken longer.  I removed a piece of chicken, cut it open, it wasn't done.  I bet I cooked it 20 more minutes, which brings the total time up to 1 hour and 10 minutes.  At least.  But it's worth it!

Taste & Create: Chinese Fried Rice

Taste & Create is a monthly food blog event, created by my friend Nicole of For the Love of Food. Participants are randomly paired, and must choose and create a recipe from their partner's blog. It is FUN. If you'd like to sign up, check out How it Works or email me at cowgirlmin07[at]gmail[dot]com by the 8th of every month!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My other Taste & Create partner this month is PJ of Seduce Your Tastebuds. PJ and I have been partners before, but it's been a while. I always love being paired with her so I can try totally new things! I made her delicious Vegetable Kurma, and did some experimenting with her Meethi Paratha and Homemade Paneer recipes!

I'm so glad you're back, PJ!!

This time, it didn't take me long to decide to make PJ's Chinese Fried Rice. I happily discovered that we actually have all the ingredients, every single one! Well, except for the ginger garlic paste, but I've made that before.

The only problem, for me, is that many of the ingredients need prep. I don't mind chopping, but you have to cook the rice, boil and shell the edamame, I had to cook my sprouted lentils, make the ginger garlic paste...whew. I used the same pan/lid first for the rice, then the lentils, then the edamame (mine are frozen). But still, all that felt like it took forever.

Lucky I even had sprouted lentils in the pantry! I had found and picked up a bag of dry truRoots Organic Sprouted Bean Trio...including lentils, mung and adzuki beans. We've been cooking the beans and tossing them on salads, which I love, so I was excited to use them another way.

So after everything, this rice is worth it! It is healthy and delicious, I think my dad called it "excellent." Try this soon!!


Chinese Fried Rice

2 cups cooked rice
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1 onion, finely chopped (I had huge onions, so I used about 4 thin slices)
1 firm tomato, finely chopped (I used 1/2 a big tomato)
1 small green pepper, finely chopped (I used 1/2 a big green pepper)
a handful sprouted lentils (I used sprouted lentils, mung and adzuki beans)
1/4 cup boiled edamame (my family loves edamame, so I used almost 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon soy sauce (I used tamari)

Salt to taste
Spring onions, chopped to garnish

1. Prepare all ingredients.
2. Heat the oil in a wok on high heat add the ginger garlic paste.
3. Stir once and immediately add the onion and saute.
4. Add the tomato and pepper and stir for a couple of seconds,
5. Add the sprouts, edamame and the soy sauce.
6. Keep stirring continuously for a minute and add the cooked rice and lower the flame.
7. Check for salt and add a little. The soy sauce will have some salt so check before adding.
8. Stir and cook for a minute for the flavors to blend. Remove from flame and serve hot garnished with spring onions.

Salmon with Thai Rice Salad

We had this salmon with rice salad back in December, when the season wasn't right but it sounded good anyway. This is a fantastic spring/summer dish, with the cold and flavorful rice salad underneath a nice piece of salmon.

If you're not used to the flavor of fish sauce, the first bite of rice might taste a bit odd, but just keep eating it in between bites of salmon and you will fall in love...that's what happened to me. I can't wait to have this again when the weather warms up!


Salmon with Thai Rice Salad

Rich broiled salmon rests atop a lean vegetable-and-rice salad to make a beautifully balanced meal. The Asian dressing includes big impact flavors--fish sauce, lime juice and cayenne--but very little oil. Wine Recommendation: Rieslings are among the most versatile of white wines and one of the few that work well with salads. With this Thai-inspired dish, try a simple kabinett from Germany's Mosel region.

Serves 4

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
3 tablespoons lime juice (from about 2 limes)
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
3 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch cayenne
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 carrots, grated
4 scallions including green tops, chopped
6 tablespoons chopped cilantro or fresh parsley
2 pounds skinless center-cut salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Stir the rice into a medium pot of boiling salted water and cook until just done, about 10 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly.

In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the sugar and cayenne. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, cucumber, carrots, scallions and cilantro.

Heat the broiler. Oil a broiler pan or baking sheet. Coat the salmon with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Put the salmon on the pan. Broil until just barely done (fish should still be translucent in the center), about 5 minutes for a 1-inch-thick fillet. Put the rice salad on plates and top with the salmon.

Taste & Create: Curried Tilapia with Coconut Rice & Wilted Spinach

It's Taste & Create time again! T&C was created by Nicole of For the Love of Food. It's a super fun event in which food bloggers are paired off and tasked with preparing a recipe from their partner's blog.

This month, I ended up with two partners, including Megan of A Bolder Table. So hard to choose just one recipe! I did a search for coconut, and found this recipe for Curried Mahi Mahi with Coconut Rice.

First, I had to figure out what Kecap Manis is...I couldn't find it at the store (I don't think anyone is surprised by this), so I decided to hunt for a recipe. I found a recipe at Gourmet Sleuth spelled Ketjap Manis, but of course I changed it. You can find the Kecap Manis recipe here.

Next, mahi mahi isn't available at our store either. I know, it's unbelievable. Luckily, since they installed the new freezer in the meat section, we can get frozen tilapia that's very good and very affordable. So I decided to go with that, and I'm going to grill the fish. I'm not a big fan of broiling...

Megan didn't say how much fish to use, so I just thawed five filets, enough for the four of us and an extra just in case.

Other than the grilling, I pretty much followed Megan's recipe. My notes are in italics below. At the last minute I decided to use my trusty grill pan, well-oiled.

I ended up grilling the fish on my grill pan for about 6 minutes per side, and it was perfectly cooked!


Curried Tilapia is EXCELLENT. We will definitely be making this again. Coconut Rice got mixed reviews, and all but one loved the spinach. What a great meal! Thanks, Megan!

Curried Tilapia with Coconut Rice & Wilted Spinach

When the fish is thawed, marinate it for an hour or so.
For this dish the marinade is:

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil*I used 2 tablespoons oil because the marinade seemed too thick
  
• 2 tablespoons coconut fat (from the top of an undisturbed can of coconut milk)*my coconut milk didn't have any fat on top, it was more of a solid, so I just scooped out 2 tablespoons
  
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• fresh ground black pepper
• Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes)*I left this out because I have two small boys
  
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• a pinch of paprika
• a pinch of ground coriander
• 2 TB Kecap Manis (known as Sweet Soy Sauce in Indonesia)

Whisk the marinade together until well combined, turn fish to coat evenly. Let the fish marinate in the fridge for an hour or so while prepping the rest of the meal. When the rice is almost done, start broiling or grilling the fish, flipping it once, for about 5 minutes on each side or until flaky.

To make Coconut Rice:

Follow instructions for the rice of your choice, but add some coconut milk and fat to the water while it cooks. Super simple and delicious. *I used half water and half coconut milk.

We also did as Megan did, and wilted some fresh spinach in a pan with some peanut oil and a little soy sauce for some greens on the side.

Cheesy, Creamy Polenta

Cheesy, Creamy Polenta

This is a recipe I made in one of my cooking classes I took at Northshore Cookery a couple of years ago, and has become a favorite. Unfortunately, the school has since closed. I prefer to use the white corn meal over the yellow corn meal -- I think the flavor and texture of the white corn meal is more delicate, but to each his/her own. I'll post a picture the next time I make up a batch.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock (I usually use chicken stock, but any will work)
3/4 cup white or yellow corn meal (I use white corn meal)
3 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (I usually use closer to half a cup -- I like it cheesy!)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a heavy 3-quart non-stick saucepan, bring 2 cups of the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, mix the corn meal with the remaining cup of broth. Stir well and slowly add the corn meal miture to the bubbling broth, stirring constantly to prevent clumping. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, stir in butter and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!
Adrienne

Wild Mushroom Risotto

I love risotto, and it is so easy to make. Don't let anyone scare you off by telling you its complicated, or difficult. All it takes is a little patience and a lot of stirring. :-) You can use any combination of mushrooms you like -- I usually use a mix of white button mushrooms and cremini, oyster and shitake mushrooms (half white button mushrooms, half a mix of the others). You can also rehydrate porcini mushrooms and add those if you like. If you do, be sure to reserve the soaking liquid (you'll need to strain it to remove the grit -- you'll probably have about 1/2 cup). Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and chopped (I usually just slice them -- looks prettier, I think)
4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups Arborio rice
3 Tablespoons of diced shallots
1 Tablespoon minced garlic (I like to grate it using a microplane -- that way you don't bite into a chunck of garlic)
5 - 6 cups of hot chicken stock
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I like to use flat leaf parsley)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Saute the mushrooms in 2 T of melted butter over high heat (I also add about 1 T of olive oil too -- keeps the butter from burning). First heat the butter (and oil, if you use it) over high heat until melted and foamy. Add half the shallots and garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and cook until mushrooms release their liquid and turn golden brown. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the fresh thyme and fresh rosemary and continue cooking until the wine evaporates. Remove from heat.

Heat 2 T butter and the olive oil (use high heat) in a large dutch oven or heavy pot until foamy. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently until all the rice grains are coated and fragrant (about 1 - 2 minutes). You don't want to brown the rice -- just warm it to soften the outside husk so it can absorb the liquid. Add the remaining half of the shallots and garlic and cook for about 1 minute (stir frquently). If you're using porcini mushrooms and have reserved the soaking liquid, add it now (or you can use 1/2 cup of mushroom stock if you like). Stir frequently until all the liquid is absorbed. Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 cups of hot chicken stock, 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the broth is almost completely absorbed (don't let it get dry or you could burn the rice). Continue adding stock in 1/2 cup increments and cooking until almost completely absorbed before adding more broth. Cook until the rice is al dente (18 minutes or so). Fold in the sauteed mushrooms, fresh parsley and grated parmesan and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately. Makes about 8 side servings or 4 main course servings.

Enjoy! Adrienne

Ham & Bean Soup

This is a tried and true recipe that I make several times a year, usually a few days after we've had a big ham for dinner! It's just good and warming and comforting and delicious. Be sure to start it ahead of time, because you never know how truly fresh your beans are (and how long they will take to cook!) I nearly always double the recipe, and I always add carrots to the mix.

It comes from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. There are many, many editions of this cookbook, mine was published in 1996, and it is an indispensable resource for basic recipes and tips.

**picture tomorrow, the beans aren't done yet!**

Ham & Bean Soup
Prep: 20 minutes
Soak: 1 hour
Cook: 1 1/4 hours
Makes about 8 cups (5 main-dish servings)

1 cup dry navy beans (or any small, white bean)
1 to 1 1/2 pounds meaty smoked pork hocks or one 1- to 1 1/2-pound meaty ham bone
1 1/2 cups diced celery (3 stalks)
about two carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf

1. Rinse beans. In a large saucepan combine beans and 4 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. (Or, place beans in water in pan. Cover and let soak in a cool place for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.) Drain and rinse beans.

2. In the same pan combine beans, pork hocks or ham bone, celery, carrots, onion, thyme, pepper, bay leaf and 4 cups fresh water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 1 hour or till beans are tender. Remove meat. When cool enough to handle, cut meat off bones; coarsely chop meat. Discard bones and bay leaf. Slightly mash beans in saucepan. Return meat to saucepan. Heat through.

Flageolets with Fresh Rosemary

Flageolets are small, white kidney beans that I can't find here. I substituted Great Northern beans. This dish is an accompaniment to Lamb You Can Eat with a Spoon, and indeed is cooked in the cooking juices from that lamb, after the lamb is done.

I have to tell you, this dish didn't work out for me. It could be that I used more than the 12 ounces of beans, because I didn't want just a few beans left in the bag. Turns out that "just a few" beans is about 6 ounces, which I honestly didn't realize when I dumped them in. I'm sure if I had simply added more beef broth, it would have turned out fine, but I didn't. When I put the lid on the slow cooker, the liquid was indeed covering the beans, so I didn't think anything of it. Five hours later, the beans were just about dry and definitely not cooked. I added a couple cans of beef broth to the cooker, and cooked the beans more.

We ate our Lamb without beans tonight. And they still aren't done, but I am posting this anyway.

Report: I lost track how long the beans actually cooked. After the first FIVE hours on LOW, I added a can and a half of beef broth, and cooked the beans on HIGH. I forget how long they cooked, but at the end of Saturday, after I had added yet another can of beef broth, the beans were Still Not Done. It's been cold outside, and thus in the garage, so I just stuck the crockpot out there for the night. (If we had electricity during the night, I would have just left them cooking. But we don't). I retrieved the beans on Sunday morning, turned the crockpot back on LOW this time, and let them cook all day long. I added a few cups of water during the day too. By Sunday night, the beans were FINALLY DONE. I have no idea what the problem was, since the exact same slow coooker had just beautifully and perfectly cooked a lamb roast on Friday.

The beans do taste good, so in theory I can recommend this dish. However, I have absolutely no idea how long this will take. Do tell if you decide to take the risk and make them, how it all turns out for you. Just be forewarned, and don't plan on serving this particular dish on a specific night, say when you're having company. I wouldn't want everyone to be disappointed...

Flageolets with Fresh Rosemary
Yield: 6 servings
Cooking time: 5 to 6 hours on LOW or 2 to 3 hours on HIGH

Cooking juices and solids from Lamb You Can Eat with a Spoon
12 ounces dried flageolet or great Northern beans, rinsed, drained and picked over to remove any bits of dirt and debris
2 heaping tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Low-sodium beef broth, if necessary

To the lamb cooking juices in the slow cooker insert, add the beans, rosemary, salt and pepper. Add beef broth, if necessary, so that the liquid covers the beans. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the beans are tender but have not lost their shape. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with Lamb You Can Eat with a Spoon.

Chicken & Brussels Sprouts over White Bean & Rosemary Puree

I had thawed some chicken legs, and we'd just had Peking Honey Chicken a couple weeks ago. I needed a new recipe!

I found this one in Food & Wine Quick from Scratch Chicken Cookbook. It takes just 40 minutes, which worked out fine for a week night. And H-Bomb loves Brussels sprouts. This is a nice, well-rounded dish with a side of beans! What more can you ask for?

I did have to add more water to the beans before serving, and I really didn't end up with much in the way of pan juices. I added about 1/2 cup of water to the roasting pan, after deglazing I simply stirred the pan juices into the beans since there wasn't really enough to put some juice over each serving. Other than that, I followed the recipe.

Our niece was here for dinner, and she even said, "These Brussels sprouts are way better than my mom's!" Everyone liked the chicken, although Sawed Off refused to taste one Brussels sprout! I may be spoiled by our various Chicken in a Fabulous Sauce recipes; I was really missing more of a "sauce," but it was delicious.


Chicken & Brussels Sprouts over White Bean & Rosemary Puree
Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Serves 4 A drizzle of pan juices ties everything together to make a complete meal that's welcome during the winter. Cannellini, one of our favorite canned beans, make a quick, delicious puree.

3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, cut in half from top to stem
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken thighs (I only had drumsticks thawed, so we used 8 of those instead of thighs)
4 chicken drumsticks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
4 cups drained and rinsed white beans, preferably cannellini (2 cans)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. In a medium bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.

Put the chicken pieces in a large roasting pan and toss with 1 tablespoon of oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Arrange the chicken pieces about 1 inch apart, skin-side up, and roast for 25 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and continue cooking until the chicken and sprouts are done, about 12 minutes longer. Transfer them to a plate and leave to rest in a warm spot for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, the garlic and the rosemary over low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes. Raise the heat to moderate and add the beans, 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook, mashing beans to a coarse puree, until hot, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley.

Pour off the fat from the roasting pan. (we had no excess fat) Set the pan over moderate heat and add 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Add any accumulated juices from the chicken and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Spoon the white bean puree onto plates and top with the chicken, Brussels sprouts and then the pan juices.