Showing posts with label bean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bean. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Creamy White Bean and Apple Chili
Day 254.
I know. Another savory dish with fruit. I cant help myself. Im determined to make fruit an okay part of dinner after the gingered peaches with chicken. Which I cant even type without shuddering.
I did not like it in a box. Or with a fox.
But anyhow, we are hitting apple season, and apple season brings lots of apples.
Yes.
That it does.
This is a creamy, lightish chili that doesnt taste at all like there is fruit in there. The apples completely disappear.
I dont know if Im really selling this...
This is a good approaching-fall chili. It is not too heavy, but it isnt so light that you walk away from the table hungry.
yes.
The Ingredients.
--2 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed (I used white kidneys)
--1 onion, chopped
--2 apples, cut in tiny chunks, no need to peel
--3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
--3 T butter. Yes, butter.
--2 tsp chili powder
--1/2 tsp ground thyme
--1 tsp cumin
--1/4 tsp salt
--1/4 tsp pepper
--3 cups chicken broth (unless you are vegetarian. then you should use vegetable broth. because the chicken would be wrong.)
--1/2 cup plain non fat yogurt
--1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
The Directions.
Any crockpot over 4 quarts would work well with this dish.
Put the butter into the bottom of your crockpot. Dump in the drained and rinsed beans. Chop up the onion and the apple. Add the spices, and pour in the broth. Stir in the yogurt.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-5. This is done when the onion has reached desired tenderness and the flavors have melded. Stir in the cheddar cheese before serving.
I think corn bread would be awesome with this dinner. I wish I would have thought of it before just this second.
The Verdict.
This is a good meal. The chili is quite mild---you might want to sprinkle some Tobasco on top, or add more chili powder if you want a kick. This was mild enough for the kids to eat.
I was pleased with both the tang and the creamy consistency the non fat yogurt provided. It didnt separate, and added a nice level of creaminess.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
CrockPot Green Bean Casserole
Day 161.
Its day 2 of Retro Week!
That is not a picture of dog barf. Its green bean casserole. Ive never actually had green bean casserole. Its on the table, lots, during the holidays, and Im sure Ive put some on my plate, but I dont actually eat it.
I dont like canned green beans. My grandma makes a 3-bean salad that uses canned green beans, and I like that. But thats it.
I kind of could go on and on about why I find canned green beans icky. But Im not going to, because they are staple in a lot of homes, and I should be nice.
Canned green beans are not my cup of tea.
I really like fresh green beans, though, and in honor of Retro Week decided to make a new-and-improved green bean casserole. In the crockpot.
The Ingredients.
--1 lb fresh green beans
--2 cups homemade cream of mushroom soup.
--1 cup General Mills Rice Chex cereal (make sure the label is marked Gluten Free if you are gluten free. There are still some old boxes on shelves)
--1/2 t onion powder
--1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
if you would like the recipe using the canned cream of mushroom soup, it is here. This recipe calls for 4 cups of cooked green beans. Since youre going to be using your crock, the fresh will cook nicely, and you can put in raw beans.
The Directions.
Wash and trim the green beans. If you feel the need to cut the green beans so they are all the same length, go for it, but they will cook fine left uneven.
Add the frozen soup, or canned soup and the milk that the canned soup version asks for. Mix the green beans with the liquid.
Put the rice chex in a ziploc and smash to desired crumbiness. Add the onion powder and the parmesan to the bag, and shake to mix.
Pour evenly over the top of the beans.
Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-3.
The Verdict.
I liked this much better than the canned green bean casserole. The green beans still had a crunch, even after being slow-cooked. The topping wasnt as crisp as it would have been if I had used the frenchs fried onions, but the flavor was there, and the cheese added a nice salty flavor. The homemade cream of mushroom rocks, and was quite flavorful.
The brown chunks of mushroom were really unnerving, though. It felt like we were eating dog food. Or puked-up dog food.
But it tasted good. I dont know what to think of this. It worked, it tasted good, and if you like green bean casserole, youd probably like it. I think I like lightly steamed green beans better with a squeeze of lemon. or stir-fried with some chili oil. or baked with salmon. or in a stew.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Slow Cooker Hearty Lima Bean Soup
Stop! Dont run away! Lima beans are good for you, and I promise this soup tastes nothing like the watery pile of pale lima beans you were served as a kid.
This is super good soup ---- I had high expectations of packing up tupperwares to share with my parents and grandma and instead ate all the leftovers myself for lunch three days in a row.
A batch fed my family of 5 and then there was enough for 3 lunches -- it makes a lot, and is filling without being overly heavy. I used Aidells chicken and apple sausage for the meat, and this meat provided the only oil or fat, making this a very lean and packed-with-fiber meal.
The Ingredients.
serves 8
1 pound of soaked lima beans, drained (for quick soak: boil rapidly for 10 minutes, then turn off heat and leave covered for 1 hour.)
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 head (about 10 cloves) garlic, peeled (ok to leave cloves whole)
1 (28-ounce) can diced or plum tomatoes with basil
1 (28-ounce) can water (fill empty tomato can with water, then dump into crockpot)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 (12-ounce) package chicken and apple sausage, diced (or about 2 cups diced ham)
salt to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon kosher salt)
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. I used the Ninja. Place the drained lima beans into your cooker, and add the onion and garlic. Dump in the tomatoes, then rinse the can into the pot. Add paprika, and stir in the sausage. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the beans are fully soft.
Use a handheld immersion blender to naturally thicken the broth by blending some of the beans and tomatoes. This also helps distribute the flavor and squish up the garlic cloves. If you dont have a handheld blender, you can scoop out a cup or so of the beans and smash them with a large fork or blend in a traditional blender, then stir them back into the pot.
Salt to taste.
Serve as-is, or with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.
The Verdict.
Man, I loved this soup. I had the lima bean package in the back of the cabinet for a while, and figured Id cook them with a ham hock, but never got around to doing so. I happily ate the leftovers for lunch out of a large mug, and look forward to making it again so I can share with my extended family. Its a cheap dinner, tastes great, is filling, low in fat, and as any preschooler would know, lima beans keep you from getting A Bad Case of The Stripes. :-)
Win-win-win-win-win!
last few articles from Totally Together:
Its Okay to Be Different
Making and Keeping Your New Years Resolutions
Read Me When Youre Having a Bad Day
Happy March!!
are you getting ready for St. Patricks Day?!
Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup
Day 328. My kids each ate their weight in this soup. It smelled delicious while cooking, and tasted even better.
This is a brain-child of Natalie, who emailed me early last week. The neat part about this soup is that she (and then I did, too!) used dry black beans instead of canned or pre-cooked dried beans.
The beans will take a super long time to soften, so this is a great candidate for those who are out of the house for long periods of time. Its soup---theres a lot of volume, and it wont burn on you. The even-neater (more neat?) trait of this soup is that there is no chopping or dicing, yay!
Thank you so much, Natalie!
The Ingredients.
--1 pound chicken (I used frozen breast tenderloins) --1 cup dried black beans (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
--4 cups chicken broth
--1 cup sliced mushrooms
--1 cup frozen corn
--1 jar prepared salsa (16 oz)
--1 1/2 tsp cumin
--1/2 cup sour cream (to stir in at the end)
--shredded cheddar cheese, avocado slices, cilantro (all optional)
updated 12/15: Pace salsa is pictured in the ingredients. Pace, and many Campbells products are now no longer being classified as "gluten free"---please read all labels and use your best judgment when making choices to feed your family. You can read a discussion about the labeling, here.
The Directions.
I used a 6.5 quart crockpot. You will need a 4 quart or larger.
If you know you are going to make this the night before (yay for meal planning!) soak the black
beans in enough water to cover and another 2 inches overnight. In the morning, drain the water and rinse the beans.If you dont have super hard water or live in a super high altitude, you can quick soak the beans by pouring boiling water over them and let them sit for an hour or two. I did an hour, but 2 would really be better if you have the time.
Drain and rinse the beans. Add to the crockpot. Put in the chicken, and add the broth and salsa. Pour in the corn and mushrooms, and add the cumin. Stir, but dont disturb the beans---let them stay at the bottom of the pot, closest to the heating element.
Cover and cook on high for 9 hours. Yup. High. For 9 hours. It took a crazy long time for the beans to soften, but they did.
If you are using beans you soaked overnight, canned beans, or pre-cooked beans, you can cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5--similar to normal soup-cooking time.
If youd like to thicken the broth (I did this), you can use your immersible blender (I love that thing) to blend a bit of the beans and chicken. If you dont have one, scoop out 2 cups of the soup and carefully blend in your traditonal blender. Stir the mixture back into the crockpot.
Stir in the 1/2 cup of sour cream before serving, and garnish with shredded cheese and avocado slices.
The Verdict.
We all loved this. My crockpot was more than half way full, but the four of us ate so much we only had a small tupperware full for leftovers.
This is a new favorite in our house. I thought that the salsa might be too spicy, but the kids didnt complain once. They are used to spicier things than some of their peers, but I didnt find the soup spicy at all, just packed with flavor. If youre concerned, stick with mild salsa. You can always add some white or red pepper to the grown-up portions.
Thanks again, Natalie, for a new family-favorite!
Friday, March 13, 2015
Green Bean Summer Salad Recipe with Italian Sausage Olives and Basil Vinaigrette
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| I loved the unique combination of flavors in this Green Bean Summer Salad with Sausage, Olives, and Basil Vinaigrette! |
Sometimes I think outside the box a little when I'm staring into the fridge wondering what to make with what I have on hand, and that's what happened with this Green Bean Summer Salad with Italian Sausage, Olives, and Basil Vinaigrette. I don't really know what made me combine these flavors, except I had fresh green beans and turkey Italian sausage that needed to be used, and I think olives and basil vinaigrette would taste good with just about anything. All I can say is, it worked. I'm calling this a "summer" salad because I wouldn't make this unless I had fresh green beans, but if you like all these flavors, be open minded and give this a try!
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Thursday, March 12, 2015
Recipe for Cannellini Bean and Sausage Stew with Tomatoes and Basil
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| Cannellini beans, sausage, tomatoes, and fresh basil (or pesto) to finish the stew. |
(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this delicious stew with cannellini beans, sausage, tomatoes, and fresh basil or pesto added at the end is a delicious winter meal that I first posted in January 2009.)
I can get fixated on soup in the winter, but let me make it clear that this phase-one recipe with cannellini beans, chicken sausage, tomatoes, and basil is definitely a stew and not a soup. This simple rustic dish was amazingly addictive. It's also a recipe that's very flexible, so if you don't have exactly the ingredients I used, experiment with what you have. Cannellinis are white kidney beans, and I've been infatuated with them ever since I got the recipe for Cannellini Beans in Mint Marinade, but you can make this with any type of dried white beans, or even canned beans if you prefer.
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White Bean Salad Recipe with Tuna and Parsley
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| This White Bean Salad with Tuna and Parsley has been a summer favorite for years! |
(This favorite White Bean Salad with Tuna and Parsley is today's pick for the month of Daily Phase One Recipes. If you've never thought of combining these ingredients, you might be surprised what a delicious lunch salad this is, but be sure to use the tuna packed in olive oil for best flavor. You can see all the recipes from the month by clicking Daily Phase One Recipes. Check after the recipe for Phase One Flashbacks from this day in 2012 and 2013.)
In the early days of my blog I discovered a delicious and affordable brand of Tuna Packed in Olive Oil, which changed my way of thinking about canned tuna forever. That tuna plus my love of parsley and lemon inspired my version of this classic tuna and white bean salad and it's turned into a favorite lunch that I've made over and over. I updated the photo for this recipe in the summer of 2011, when I had plenty of fresh parsley from the garden, but parsley is an herb that's available and inexpensive all year from the grocery store, and I love that this salad uses ingredients I always have on hand.
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Monday, March 9, 2015
Recipe Southwestern Chicken and White Bean Soup
I am sharing this recipe from Cooking Light. It will be sure to warm you up on a chilly evening and it only contains five ingredients!
Ingredients:
2 cups shredded cooked Chicken breast
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
Cooking spray
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or any other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup green salsa
Light sour cream, optional
Directions:
1. Combine chicken and taco seasoning; toss well to coat. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes until chicken is lightly browned. Add broth.
2. Place beans in a small bowl and mash until only a few whole beans remain. Add beans and salsa to the pan with the chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream, if desired.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Beetroot Bean And Goats Cheese Salad
This tasty, vegetarian friendly salad takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and will have you feeling full till dinner time.
Ingredients
- 1 x 400g can baby beetroots, drained and halved
- 1 x cup rocket leaves, washed and drained
- 200g green beans, topped and tailed and cooked until tender
- 150g goats cheese, crumbled (you could also use fetta)
- 1/2 cup pinenuts
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- Olive oil spray
Directions
- Spray a medium sized frypan with oil spray and heat over medium/high heat
- Lightly toast pinenuts in the frypan till golden brown in colour.
- Set aside on absorbent paper to cool.
- Place rocket, beetroot halves and green beans in a large salad bowl.
- Crumble goats cheese over the top
- In a small, screw top jar, combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and mustard, shake till well combined.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad then sprinkle on the toasted pinenuts.
Makes 4 servings – Cal per serve – 193
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