Perfectly Simple Beans

Beans have become such a big part of our diet. We love them in soups, chilies & as a side dish. In the last year or so, we've really discovered how superior the flavor & texture of dried beans are over canned. We try to keep a selection of various varieties (mainly from Rancho Gordo) on hand in our pantry most of the time.

The biggest thing with using dried beans is remembering to give yourself enough time to cook them before using them. I've started to pre-cook the beans a day or two in advance & keeping them in the fridge until needed. Unless of course, I'm making something like ham & bean soup where the beans will cook right in the soup. Since I was cooking some beans up for this week I thought I'd share a few bean cooking tips.

1. It isn't absolutely necessary to soak your beans before cooking them. I often skip this step & just know the beans will take a little longer to cook. Just give them a rinse & a quick pick through for stones.

2. Your crock pot is a wonderful way to cook beans.

I got this 1.5 quart pot at Target for $7.00 & it is perfect for cooking up 4 - 6 servings of beans. I typically start at the high setting & then turn it down to low when its really bubbling.

3. Don't salt you cooking water. This will give your beans a tough skin. Add salt after cooking if needed.

4. If you are using good beans the cooking water is often good enough to replace stock for soups or chilies. When I made ham & white bean soup last week I added water instead of stock knowing that the beans, ham & other seasonings would add enough flavor.

Usually I just cook my beans in plain water but this week I decided to experiment with adding some seasonings to the cooking water.

I started with 1 cup of dried beans. The bean I was using here is called Silvia & was a limited edition from Rancho Gordo, isn't the color pretty, they ended up tasting a lot like pinto beans. Then I added in half a chopped white onion, a minced clove of garlic, a chopped stalk of celery, a bay leaf and a pinch of epazote (an herb that is traditional thought to help reduce some of the intestinal discomfort you may get from beans). Then I just added 3 cups of water & let it simmer away for about 5 hours. Oh, these were so good! We used them as a filling for a taco lunch and Matt ate any leftovers by themselves.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

Risotto with Greens and Bacon

Here's a little something I dreamed up to use up some leftover kale & broccoli rabe we had in the fridge. On top of using those up, I also wanted something very comforting because Matt has been a little under the weather with a cold. I count a big bowl of creamy risotto right up there with the best of the comfort foods.

Don't be scared off by risotto. I often hear people say they don't want to make it because of all the time & stirring it takes. Really you don't have to stir every minute its cooking. Just stir it from time to time while you are doing other things around the kitchen & it'll turn out just fine. Truly, its worth that little bit of effort & 20 or so minutes it takes to cook.
By cooking the greens right along with rice in this ricotto you give them plenty of time to get tender and lose any bitterness. The rest of the flavors of this dish are quite simple, garlic, onion, smoky bacon & Parmesan, but they blend together so well & compliment the greens. Matt absolutely loved it, he even said it would be just as good without the bacon...well, I did tell you he was sick.

Risotto with Greens & Bacon

2 strips bacon, chopped
4 c chicken stock
1 T olive oil
1/4 c chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c arborio rice
1 bunch greens such as kale, swiss chard or broccoli rabe, if using kale remove any large stems, chop into 1 - 2 inch pieces
1 oz Parmesan, grated

Cook the bacon until crispy. Drain on a paper towel & set aside.

Put the chicken stock in a pot & bring to a simmer. Keep at a simmer while cooking the risotto.

In a large heavy pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion & garlic & sauté until the onion is just translucent. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in the rice then cook while stirring for one minute until coated with oil. Add 1/4 cup of the chicken stock & stir until completely absorbed. Add the greens & one more 1/4 cup of stock, once again stir until the stock is completely absorbed. Continue adding the stock 1/4 cup at a time, only adding each addition when the previous is absorbed. When you have used almost all the stock the rice should be tender but still have a slight bite to it. Turn off the heat & add the last 1/4 cup of stock & the grated Parmesan. Stir until the cheese is melted. Either stir in the bacon or serve sprinkled on top . Top with more Parmesan if you wish.

2 servings

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

Weekly Menu 4/5 - 4/9/10

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We went out of town for Easter so all the cooking was in my sister's hands & oh, did she feed us well. City ham for dinner with sweet potato crisp & roasted vegetables for dinner & then the next day breakfast casserole, sweet rolls, waffles & fruit. Here's a few scenes from the fun.




On to Menu Planning Monday...

Risotto with Kale & Bacon

Steak Fajitas

Roast or barbecued chicken (depending on the weather)

Saffron Fish Stew with White Beans

Pistachio Crust Pork Chops - from Stacey Snacks

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.

© 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

Chicken with Chickpeas and Olives

This Moroccan-inspired dish with chickpeas surpassed my expectations for it's flavor which was a good thing after my so-so chickpea dish earlier this week.

The way the cumin, cinnamon & honey blend together to create a smoky, sweet flavor was just fabulous. I was a little afraid it would be overly sweet but not at all & the brininess of the olives is a nice play against that sweetness. There is also a lot of nice textures here especially with the chopped pistachios sprinkled on top. I almost didn't make couscous to serve this on but it really needed something to soak up the sauce so I'm glad I did. I had originally planned to add some golden raisins to this dish too but then thought maybe they'd be too much but both Matt & I decided while eating it that they actually would have been pretty good.

Chicken with Chickpeas and Olives

1/2 T olive oil
3 boneless chicken thighs (about 10 oz), cut into bite-size pieces (We used chicken thighs instead of breasts in dishes like this because we feel like they have a lot more flavor plus they're cheaper!).
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 t cumin
pinch cinnamon
salt & pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
7 1/2 oz chickpeas, drained & rinsed if canned or precooked until tender if using dried.
1 c water
1 T tomato paste
1 T honey
12 large green pitted olives (we used olives stuffed with sun dried tomatoes), cut in half or leave whole
2 servings of cooked couscous (1/2 c dry)
1 T chopped pistachios

In a heavy soup pot bring the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and onion. Stir in the cumin, cinnamon & a generous amount of salt & pepper. Cook for 4 - 5 minutes until the chicken is browned & the onion is tender. Stir in the garlic & cook for another 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas, water, tomato paste, honey & olives. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer & let cook for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through & the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir occasionally while cooking.

Serve over cooked couscous & sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.

2 servings.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

Food 365 March

1. #90 - Cadbury Mini Eggs, 2. #89 - Chickpeas with Broccoli Rabe & Bacon, 3. #88 - Oink - Cooked, 4. #87 - Steak Dinner, 5. #86 - Someone ordered a boatload of sushi, 6. #85 - Soft Pretzel Sticks, 7. #84 - Teriyaki Rice Bowl, 8. #83 - Cherry & Almond Glazed Ham, 9. #82 - Hard Pretzel Bites, 10. #81 - Three Cheese Ravioli, 11. #80 - Bacon Pancakes, 12. #79 - Meatball Sandwich, 13. #78 - Dinner at Vina, 14. #77 - Mini Italian Meatloaf, 15. #76 Pasta with Mushrooms, Anchovies & Spinach, 16. #75 - Margarita & Chip, 17. #74 - Colcannon, 18. #73 - Duck Breast with Foie Gras Potatoes, 19. #72 Tuna Melt, 20. #71 - Ad Hoc Banana Bread Pudding, 21. #70 - Peas & Carrots Pasta, 22. #69 - Ad Hoc Grilled Cheese, 23. #68 - Chorizo, Potato & Greens Soup, 24. #67 - Loaf, 25. #66 - Ad Hoc Brined Pork Tenderloin, 26. #65 - Kool-aid Pickled Egg, 27. #64 - Chai-Brined Chicken, 28. #63 - Pecan- Crusted Grouper, 29. #62 - Homemade Pizza, 30. #61 - Linguine with Pears, Prosciutto & Blue Cheese, 31. #60 - Baked Potato Soup with Cheddar & Broccoli

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski