beans

Creamy Tuscan White Bean Pasta.

January 19, 2012 · 107 comments

So you know how I’m really dramatic?

Like, really supercalifragilistic extra dramatic?

Well… this is no exception. This pasta is incredibly delicious… like climb-to-the-top-of-a-mountain-for-it delicious. Like push-away-the-chocolate-chip-covered-peanut-butter-spoon delicious. Like, maybe-I-don’t-even-want-pizza delicious. Like even-though-I-want-to-emotionally-eat-an-entire-cheesecake-because-I-waited-a-full-8-hours-for-the-Lowes-delivery-truck-to-bring-home-my-new-washer-then-watched-them-pull-up-to-the-wrong-house,-knock,-then-DRIVE-AWAY-but-it’s-okay,-I’ll-have-this-pasta-and-stay-calm delicious. Like even-though-I-still-don’t-have-a-washing-machine-and-want-to-ingest-three-bottles-of-wine-but-will-take-this-pasta-instead delicious.

In other words… it’s delicious.

Ooooh and it’s a perfect way to cram some veggies into your face! Open wide.

And!

In an act of pure desperation, we added some leftover cheddar beer crockpot chicken to this one night as we reheated it for dinner… because I do NOT tell a lie when I say that the guy I live with refuses to eat anything meatless.

I’m not even joking a little bit. Even though this is loaded with beans. Even though it has pancetta. Even though. Ugh.

Help me.

Oh. That was good by the way.

This meal was inspired by my favorite Trader Joe’s hummus that lasts approximately 21 hours in this house. Funny… because this pasta only lasted about 21 hours too.

What can I say… these little piggies went to market.

Creamy Tuscan White Bean Pasta

serves 4

2 cups whole wheat pasta

1/4 cup chopped pancetta

1/2 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups fresh spinach

1 roasted red pepper, chopped

1/4 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes

5-6 artichoke hearts, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans

10-12 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 can (15 oz) skim evaporated milk

1/2 cup low-fat milk

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Boil water and prepare pasta as directed on the package.

While water is boiling/pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook until crispy and fat is rendered, then remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel. Reduce heat in the skillet to medium-low and add onions, stirring to coat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until softened, then add in garlic and spinach, stirring until the spinach wilts. Add in peppers, tomatoes, artichokes and beans, stirring to mix. By this time the pasta should be done, and you can drain it and add it to the skillet with everything else. Reduce heat to low and stir every few minutes while you make the sauce.

Heat a small saucepan over low heat and add butter. Once sizzling, whisk in flour and cook until golden and fragrant. Add in milks, allow the mixture to come to a boil while stirring continuously, then reduce to a simmer and stir for another 5-7 minutes until it thickens a bit. Reduce to low and add parmesan cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.

Pour cream sauce into skillet over top of vegetables, pasta and beans, then add in bacon and basil. Stir to mix, then transfer to a large serving dish and eat!

This makes me hungry.

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{ 107 comments }

30 Minute White Bean + Chicken Soup.

December 8, 2011 · 88 comments

Dinner tonight!

Around this time last year, I made my first batch of chickpea chicken soup and fell in love. I don’t know what it about throwing a boatload of ingredients into a pot of simmering broth, but it ignites an itsy bitsy fire in my soul.

Well. That sort of sounds annoying, huh?

Whatev. All I’m trying to say is that I really like soup.

Wanna hear something funny?

Okay. It’s really not funny.

Mr. How Sweet has been gone for almost two whole weeks. TWO.

You know how much I love that. I crave my single lady time and get to do whatever the heck I want. I get to hog the bed to myself, don’t have to listen to any snoring, get to watch all those Friends’ episodes that I seriously (seriously!) have not shut up about, not pick up after myself, and perhaps most importantly: eat whatever, whenever I want. Things that he won’t even dreeeeeam of touching. Things without chicken and steak. Things like wine and cheese and crackers every night.

That’s not the ~~non~~funny part. The ~~non~~funny part is that I developed my sickness the day he left. The sickness that robbed me of my sense of smell, appetite and general motivation to do anything at all. The sickness that made me not want to eat anything fun. The sickness that only allowed me to consume about 6 full meals in 11 days. The sickness that caused me to LISTEN TO MY OWN SNORING every single night. The sickness that made me ingest more Nyquil that humanly possible, disallowing me any wine. The sickness that rendered me useless and made it physically impossible for me to steam clean our carpets and deep clean our family room like I had fully intended on doing.

Oh wait. We all know I could care less about those last two.

But really. This lack of appetite has been so intense that I let that entire pan of baklava sit on my counter without touching it for THREE days. I let the mocha coconut fudge sit right under my nose for THREE more days without so much of a bite. Well, except for yesterday when I took a bite of fudge, then a bite of pretzel, then a bite of fudge, then a bite of pretzel, then a bite of… yeah. It has just been totally loopy.

I have pretty much lived on green things that I thought would cure me and slurps of soup, this being one variety. It’s packed with tons of flava flav, thanks to the bacon that starts everything off. Don’t you dare leave it out! I’ll know it if you do.

So now… Mr. How Sweet is on his way home and I guess that means I have to come up with something really meaty for tonight. Hope he doesn’t mind eating dinner at midnight in bed while watching Friends.

White Bean Chicken Soup

serves 4

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

2 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

1 small sweet onion, chopped

1 cleaned and trimmed leek, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (6 oz) bag fresh spinach

1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2 cups water

1/4 cup freshly grated fontina cheese + more for garnish

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add chopped bacon. Cook until crispy and fat is rendered, then remove and let drain on a paper towel. Turn heat down to medium-low and add onions and leeks. Stir thoroughly to coat in bacon fat, then cook for 3 minutes. Add in mushrooms, stirring to coat and cook for 3 minutes more. Stir in pepper and paprika, then add in garlic and spinach. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until spinach wilts.

Add in chicken and toss with ingredients to coat. Add in beans, stock and water, then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in fontina and bacon. Season with salt if desired (I really didn’t feel that mine needed any with the bacon + stock + fontina.) Serve with additional grated fontina and crackers.

Note: as long as you have some cooked chicken on hand, this soup will take you under 30 minutes. If you have to cook the chicken, you’re looking at about 45 minutes.

P.S. Those little crackers up there are these crispy multigrain flax pita things from Trader Joe’s. They are currently rocking my world. sooooo.much.freaking.crunch.

{ 88 comments }

Minestrone Pot Pie with Whole Wheat Parmesan Biscuits.

December 1, 2011 · 101 comments

Well this is weird.

But you’re in the right place!

I’ve been absolutely cah-raving soup. Badly.

To the point where I couldn’t take it anymore.

And um, soup plus pot pie? I’m pretty sure that is more than a match made in heaven. Yes. More than.

It’s only, like… combining the two most perfect dishes ever. Forevah evah.

And it’s one of the only vehicles that can successfully transport vegetables into my body. Yep.

For the last 3 days I’ve felt like utter crud. NOTHING tastes better than soup when you feel like crud and want nothing more than to take a giant plunger to your nose and mouth. Except maybe Chipotle. And an ice cream sundae. And a milkshake. And pad thai. And Chipotle.

I actually want all of that rightthisminute on a huge platter. Badly. Guess someone’s on the mend.

Soooo… I made this soup after harassing my husband for six straight hours to come to yoga with me. In all honesty – I just needed a good laugh. And obviously something to do with my time. But one of those hurts-your-stomach-and-cheeks giggles. The best. Because see? About four years ago I coerced him into doing yoga with me and lasted about thirty-three seconds before falling over in hysterics. Funniest stuff ever. I want to show you a video. Badly.

Maybe you had to be there… ?

But anyway.

You know what this is?

A big bowl of comfort. That’s what. That you need tonight. Do it for me. And yourself.

Minestrone Pot Pie

[slightly adapted from Martha]

makes one 9×13 dish, serves 4-6

2 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1 cleaned and trimmed leek, thinly sliced

1/2 cup coarsely chopped baby bella mushrooms

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash

3 cups raw spinach leaves

3 cups torn kale leaves

1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 oz) peeled whole tomatoes

3 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup parmesan cheese + 1 parmesan cheese rind

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add chopped bacon. Cook until crispy and fat is rendered, then remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel. Add onions and leeks to the pan with a sprinkle of salt, cooking for 5 minutes. Add in mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add spinach, kale, squash, tomatoes, beans, stock and parmesan rind. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook f0r 20 minutes, covered. While soup is cooking, make biscuits below and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

After 20 minutes, stir parmesan and bacon into soup and transfer to the baking dish. Top with biscuits, then brush each biscuit with cream. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Whole Wheat Parmesan Biscuits

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter, cut into cubes

1 1/2 cups heavy cream + 2 tablespoons (and more for brushing)

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add butter cubes, and using your fingers, a fork or a pastry blender, mix until coarse little crumbles remain. Make a well in the middle of the flour, then add cream and cheese. Stir until a sticky dough forms, then make 8 small rounds of dough.

Now can someone give me a cookie?

{ 101 comments }

White Bean and Parmesan Baked Orzo.

White Bean and Parmesan Baked Orzo serves 4+ 1 cup of whole wheat orzo pasta 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1/2 red onion, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1 cup of sliced mushrooms 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 cups of raw spinach 1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese fresh herbs for garnish, such as cilantro, parsley and basil Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring water to a boil and prepare pasta according to directions, lessening the cooking time by 1-2 minutes since the pasta will bake. While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and peppers and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add in mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes more, tossing occasionally. Add in garlic and spinach, and stir until spinach wilts, then turn heat down to low. Add in white beans, drain pasta and add pasta to the mix, then toss to combine. Turn off heat, add half of the grated parmesan, and toss once more. Spray a baking dish (mine was 6 inches in diameter and almost 3 in height) with non-stick spray. Spoon orzo mixture into the [...]

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Roasted Garlic and Dill White Bean Dip.

Roasted Garlic and Dill White Bean Dip make about 1 cup of dip 1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or about 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans) 2 bulbs of roasted garlic 3 tablespoons of fresh dill 1/4 cup of olive oil + more if desired 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Combine beans, dill, roasted garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth. With the processor running, stream in olive oil and make sure to scrape the sides and bottom a few times. Serve in a bowl garnished with fresh dill and additional drizzles of olive oil.

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Hearty Veggie Soup.

Update! I just hopped on the Twitter bandwagon. I can’t believe I did it. I feel like I’m 84 yrs old and devoid of any technological knowledge because I don’t know how to use it. However, if you’d like to find out what I’m doing (and baking) every, single minute of every, single day, you can follow me here. In order to get in more veggies, I threw this veggie soup together. I actually made it last week, but I loved it and was able to eat veggies everyday. Score! It hasn’t worked out so well this week since the rest of the soup is frozen. I may need to dig it out of the freezer tonight. When I made this I was craving soup, wasn’t really feeling like meat, and wanted a thick and hearty meal. I grabbed a bunch of veggies from my fridge and chopped ‘em up. Yes, I do have SOME veggies in my fridge, contrary to popular belief. I used 1 potato just to give the soup [...]

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