White Bean and Asparagus Salad

Posted on July 30, 2010 by kitchenbelle

I don’t think I am alone when I say that as much as I adore cooking, the heat of the summer can really test that love.  I don’t find myself extremely hungry when it is hot and humid and since it is my hunger and cravings that usually prompt a wild rendezvous in the kitchen I am less and less likely to be inspired to get in there and get busy. That said, however, there are nights when I am really hungry and the physical heat of the kitchen becomes my deterrent.  That is when the grill out back becomes my hero. And what goes better with a grilled protein than a cool fresh summer side? Enter this White Bean and Asparagus Salad.

Not only is this superfood-packed salad a perfect accompaniment to grilled steak tips, lamb kebabs, or burgers, but also it stands up on its own just perfectly.  I really enjoyed eating the leftovers for lunch.  This is one of those salads where the flavors actually improve after a few days. And because asparagus is nice and fibrous it doesn’t get mushy. 

*A Note about Raw Garlic: I am a garlic fiend. I love eating chunks of fresh raw garlic in foods, therefore, in salads like this one, if I am preparing it for myself and my family, I only roughly chop the garlic. However, chunks of raw garlic aren’t pleasant for most people. If you are preparing a dish containing raw garlic for a crowd, I recommend always finely mincing it or passing it through a garlic press.

White Bean and Asparagus Salad:

  • 2 bunches fresh asparagus, trimmed and rough ends snapped off
  • 7 sundried tomatoes (not in oil)
  • 3 cloves of garlic*, roughly chopped or minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • a pinch or two of crushed red pepper
  • 1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 teaspoons capers, drained
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a steamer basket over boiling water, place asparagus and dried tomatoes. Cover and steam until asparagus is crisp and tender–approximately 4 minutes. Remove tomatoes and set aside. Using tongs, remove asparagus from basket and place into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain the water. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces and set aside.  Roughly chop the tomatoes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together garlic, oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Add asparagus, tomatoes, beans, and capers. Toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Adapted from recipe found here on MyRecipes.com.

Filed under: asparagus, beans, cannellini beans, Main Dish, salad, tomato, VEGETARIAN | 7 Comments »

Delicata Squash Stuffed with Kale and White Beans

Posted on February 7, 2010 by kitchenbelle

This may sound odd, however, I am going to say it anyway.  There are certain foods that when I look at them my first thought is, “There really is a god.”  Now, I wouldn’t exactly categorize myself as super religious, however, when I see little pieces of nature that strike me so intricate I can’t help but be taken back.  Blackberries are one of those foods.  Each little perfectly plump drupelet can’t be a fluke.  And delicata squash is another.  Each one is like a little work of art.  It looks like someone took a paintbrush and daintily and deliberately stroked each one to perfection.  They are just so darn pretty!

This recipe is so bright with the colors of nature and rich in vitamins and nutrients you will feel good eating it.  It would nicely accompany most any protein I can think of (I served ours with stuffed pork).  Enjoy!

Delicata Squash Stuffed with Kale and White Beans:

  • 2 delicata squashes
  • a few glugs of olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 large bunch of fresh kale, washed, dried and roughly chopped
  • 1-2 cans of white beans (cannellini or navy beans will both work well)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Use a large knife to carefully cut each squash in half. Scoop out seeds and discard.  (Or toast them for munching!)  Place squash halves cut side up in a  9×13 glass baking dish.  Carefully add water to the baking dish so that it reaches about a quarter of the way up the side of the squash.  Cover the dish tightly with foil. (You are creating an environment to steam the squash.)  Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until the inside of the squash is tender and can be easily scraped with a fork.

Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large-medium pan.  Add the finely chopped onion and cook until very tender.  I think it is important not to rush the onion.  The longer and slower they cook, the sweeter they will be.  Once they are soft and you are happy with their fragrance add the garlic (be careful not to burn it) and cook until tender.  Then add your kale.  Cover the pan and let the kale steam for about 10 minutes, but keep your eye on it.  Uncover occasionally to stir.  Once kale has wilted, add the white beans, salt and pepper.  Stir and warm until the entire mixture is heated through. 

Remove squash from the oven and place each one on your serving dish.  Use a fork to gently scrape the squash from the sides of the skin.  Fill each squash with kale filling and serve.

A Kitchenbelle Original inspired by Eggs on Sunday.

Filed under: beans, cannellini beans, Fall, kale, Side, squash, VEGETARIAN | 3 Comments »

Rosemary Chicken with White Beans

Posted on November 10, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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This meal is the definition of an easy and quick weeknight meal.  The tomatoes make this almost like a chunky soup/stew.  In fact, I wish we had some fresh bread on hand because this is a perfect dish for dunking!  I served this with a simple arugula salad.  We really enjoyed this dinner and I look forward to enjoying it again for lunch! 

Notes:

  • For the chicken, I used Perdue thinly sliced chicken breast.  I love how they are nice and lean and cook so quickly!
  • For the stewed tomatoes, I like to use Contadina Diced Tomatoes.  They are perfect for quick weeknight meals!  For this recipe I used the “roasted garlic” variety.
  • You can always use fresh herbs in place of dried herbs.  In fact, I suggest you use fresh herbs as often as possible.  However, sometimes you find yourself in a pinch and it’s necessary to rely on your stash of dried herbs.  (Like when you have a hungry husband and you can’t get to the farmer’s market or the grocery store!)  Whenever you substitute dry for fresh always use one teaspoon of dry for every one tablespoon of fresh that the recipe calls for. 

Rosemary Chicken with White Beans:

  • 2  tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary (if you have fresh, use fresh!)
  • ~1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • ~1/2  teaspoon  black pepper
  • 2 pounds of boneless chicken breast, sliced thin 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
  • 2  (15 ounce) cans navy beans (or any other white bean like cannellini), drained
  • 1/4  cup  chopped pitted kalamata olives

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine rosemary, salt, and pepper and sprinkle over both sides of chicken. Place chicken in pan and cook until brown, turning once.  (Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to cook chicken in batches.  Make sure there is enough space in the pan so that each peace of chicken touches the bottom of the pan.) Once all chicken pieces are brown set aside on a plate.  Deglaze pan by adding tomatoes (with juices) to pan.  Use a spatula to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Reduce heat to medium and add chicken. Add the beans; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in olives.

Adapted from MyRecipes.com.

Filed under: beans, cannellini beans, chicken, Main Dish, olives, tomato | 1 Comment »

Lisa Garza’s Quick and Easy White Bean Cassoulet

Posted on November 16, 2008 by kitchenbelle

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If you watched last season of The Next Foodnetwork Star, you remember Lisa Garza and her quick cassoulet, which Bobby Flay loved.  I’d had intentions to make the recipe from the moment I saw it.  I still clearly remember the cassoulet I ate in a small restaurant in Rennes, France on a cool fall night almost seven years ago.  The thickness sticks to your ribs and the depth of flavor is a result of the many hours spent cooking. 

 In a way Lisa’s recipe is sort of cheating–there are no hunks of pork fat, there is neither duck nor lamb, and it is certainly not cooked over the course of several days, or even hours, as most recipes suggest.  However, it allows those who can’t spend that kind of time in the kitchen to enjoy, what I consider, the most delicious and satisfying comfort food of all time. 

Quick and Easy Cassoulet:

  • 10 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 medium white onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 4 stalks celery, diced
  • 4 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf, dried
  • 4 cans cannellini beans
  • 2-4 cups chicken stock
  • 6 chicken sausages, sliced
  • fresh French bread, for serving

In a dutch oven, warm the olive oil and brown the sausages until no longer pink.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Add garlic, onion, carrots, and celery and cook until vegetables are soft.  Add chicken stock, beans, and rosemary sprigs.  Bring to a boil and simmer 45-60 minutes.  Drain away some stock if the texture is too “liquidy.”  Add sausage slices and cook an additional ten minutes.  Remove bay leaf and rosemary sprigs.  Serve in bowls topped with shredded parmesan or mozzarella.  Serve with fresh bread and salad.

 

Adapted from Lisa Garza’s cassoulet found here on Foodnetwork.com.

Filed under: cannellini beans, Main Dish | 8 Comments »

Easy Vegetarian Chili

Posted on August 11, 2008 by kitchenbelle

 

Our diets have been lacking fiber lately and I wanted to do something about it. (If only ice cream and chocolate were high in fiber I’d be all set!)  What better way to quench a fiber drought than with a nice hardy bowl of chili!  This recipe is filling and delicious and contains very little fat.  I doubled the below recipe in order to fill a huge pot, so I will likely eat a bowl of it for lunch every day this week.  I love how it can be easily reheated in single servings and it gets even tastier as it sits in the fridge!

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Note: I received a reader request for some gluten-free recipes.  I have some research to do on this subject, but in the meantime, I am almost sure this recipe is gluten-free.  I will update this post when I have additional information.

***Update:  This recipe is gluten free.***

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Vegetarian Chili:

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic. minced
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1  28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1  15 oz. can kidney beans
  • 1  15 oz. can chickpeas
  • 1  15 oz. can black beans
  • 1  15 oz. can cannellini beans
  • 1  15 oz. can corn
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tablespoon cumin
  • a pinch of shredded Monteray Jack cheese for garnish

Rinse and drain beans in a colander.  Spray pot with cooking spray.  Saute onion, garlic, and pepper until soft.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bring mixture to a boil then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for one hour.  Garnish individual servings with cheese.

Recipe adapted from Ellie Deaner’s wonderful cookbook “So Easy So Delicious” available for purchase here.

Filed under: cannellini beans, chickpeas, chili, corn, gluten free, Main Dish, tomato | 1 Comment »