White Beans and Tomato Salad

First and foremost I want to apologize for the picture above; it simply doesn’t do justice to the recipe I am about to post. Especially since I couldn’t find much more to say about this recipe other than that this is an amazing white bean salad!

It is flavorful and delicious not only in taste but texture wise too. The creaminess of the beans is amazing by itself, but when paired with the chunkiness of the tomatoes and the awesome flavor of the dressing it makes a remarkable dish!

I absolutely loved this dish, and so did the husband and Matheus as well. I made the full recipe, which says serves 6, but since this was the sole source of protein of our meal we managed to polish off the entire bowl of bean salad.

I served the White Bean Salad with homemade pasta (made by the husband – I need to post his pasta creations; he’s been into the noodles lately!) and a green salad made with butter lettuce, baby spinach and arugula (a favorite combo of mine). All I have to say is that the white bean salad was the star of the meal, it was the one thing we all went for seconds (maybe even thirds…!), even the pasta was left behind, which is not a common thing to happen around here with the boys, these are two guys who really like their noodles.

It is a truly delicious recipe, everyone should try!

Ana

Notes: a closer look into my picture will reveal a few white chunks in the salad, which are cooked egg whites I had in the fridge and I incorporated in the salad. It was actually a pretty good addition, not only it tasted delicious with the dressing but I used up some leftovers and upped the protein content of the salad, all at the same time! Yum!

White Beans and Tomato Salad

(Adapted from the simply recipes blog)

1 ½ cups cooked white beans (or 1 can – 15oz)

1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes (roma, cherries, grape…)

1/3 cup chopped parsley

For the dressing:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

1 sprig rosemary

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon kosher salt (add more if needed)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Make the dressing first: put garlic, olive oil and rosemary sprig in a saucepan and heat until the rosemary beings to sizzle. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Discard the rosemary and add the oil and garlic to a blender together with the Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, lemon juice and zest. Puree all ingredients until smooth.

In a bowl mix together the beans, tomatoes and parsley. Add the dressing and toss gently until everything is coated. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 6 to 8

Lentil Salad

I have been on a lentil kick this past few weeks, which is a good thing as, with all the protein, fiber and iron they have, lentils are not only delicious but also nutritious and super good for you.
Yesterday I cooked some lentils in veggie broth and a smashed garlic clove and ate a full cup of it just drizzled with olive oil and a bit of grated Parmesan on top with my lunch, boy was that delicious. So simple but awesome in flavor!

The other day though I decided to do something a bit more elaborate with my plain jane lentils and I dressed them up a little making one of the best lentil salads I have ever made or eaten. I didn't make a note of quantities as I just did it by taste, but it is so simple to make that an exact recipe is certainly not necessary.
I mixed up cooked lentils with chopped sun-dried tomatoes, fresh thyme, and fresh oregano. Then I seasoned it all with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. To complete the goodness and add a nice salty touch to it I sprinkled a few small cubes of ricotta salatta cheese on top and that was it. As simple as that, as delicious as it could be!
I absolutely loved the lentils with the sun-dried tomatoes and the balsamic, just awesome! Plus the fresh herbs made it all the better.
Just an idea for a great side dish to company meals (and leafy green salads) during the warmer months. I really like beans and lentils and during the summer I love to add them to my salads, yum!!
Enjoy!
Ana

Just an idea...!

I had some black beans leftover from making quesadillas and wanted to do something with them - beans are so yummy and healthy, we have to enjoy them thoroughly, right?!
So, I decided to try making a dip using the same method I use for hummus, but using the black beans in place of chickpeas (garbanzos).
We called it Black Beans Hummus here at our house, but I am not sure if it would be appropriate to call it hummus as it does not have any chickpeas in them (which in my head you need in hummus!).
But, nomenclature aside, this dip turned out reeeeeally delicious! We enjoyed it quite a lot and I was actually very surprised with the delicious flavor it had! My husband also liked it a lot, but then he already likes plain black beans a lot more than I do.
To make this I simply pureed about a cup of black beans in the blender with one clove of garlic, about tablespoon of tahini (add more depending on your liking!), salt, pepper, a little bit of cumin and a little bit of water just to get it to the right consistency.
Easy, simple and delicious! It was a great snack we enjoyed with baked pita chips, yummy!
Ana

Multibean Salad

I wanted to make a different salad this week for our lunch, you know, we have had so many tomatoes and zucchini salad over the summer that I decided to change things a bit.
This salad was exactly what I wanted, nice and refreshing, colorful and very tasty, all in one bowl! It was a very happy mix of veggies in my opinion, and the vinaigrette complemented it all nicely. I followed the recipe, but omitted the bell pepper (didn’t have) and used a different kind of vinegar (what I had on hand). To be true, I don’t think that made a difference at all, because at the end the salad was very flavorfull just the way I made!
Ana

Multibean Salad
(Adapted from Cooking Light, April/05)

2 cups green beans (about 8 ounces)
2 cups wax beans (about 8 ounces)
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup finely chopped orange bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook or steam beans and edamame until they are crisp-tender. Drain and put beans into ice water; drain. Combine beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion in a large bowl.
Combine vinegar, sugar, and mustard, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil to vinegar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in parsley, salt, and black pepper. Drizzle vinaigrette over bean mixture; toss gently to coat. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Lentil Burgers

I have made this recipe many times already, and every time I made I liked it a lot! Although right now my favorite are the baked falafels, these are just as tasty and a great way to use the so delicious lentils!!
Yes, I like fruits, veggies, and all the grains!! Chickpeas and lentils are my favorites, along with white beans, oh so creamy white beans, but these are coming in another recipe on a following post. Today is the lentils’ day!
Smoked Cheddar and Lentil Burgers are very flavorful; I like the addition of sautéed onions and carrots (which I usually grate instead of chopping) and the smoked cheese helps in binding together the lentils while lending its particular smoky flavors to the patties. Yum.
These “burgers” are very tender and delicate; so you have to be a little gentle when flipping them over in the pan, also let it get a nice crust (without burning, of course!) on the bottom before you flip, it helps to hold the burger together. Also, I like to dredge the patties in breadcrumbs before pan-frying, it helps hold them together a little better, plus it adds a nice thin and crunchy crust to the outside. Oh, and I usually try to make the mixture a day in advance, and then the next day I form the patties (dredge in breadcrumbs) and cook them, I find the chilled mixture easier to work with.
The smoked cheddar gives a pronounced flavor and add a lot to the taste of these burgers, so if you can find it by any means use it, but if not available then regular cheddar makes a great substitute (I have done this before!).
I usually have these burgers in a plate accompanied by a salad and brown rice, but today Matheus insisted on having his on a bun, so we tried that. I have to say it didn’t work quite well as eating in a plate, with each bite the burger ended up being squished in between the bun and started to came out of the sides… not sure if it was just the burgers (they are a little soft), as Matheus was not very delicate while eating it either!
As a side we had a “Yellow Squash Carpaccio” that I put together right before lunch in a pinch: thinly slice the yellow squash and some onion, arrange them on a plate, sprinkle salt, pepper, chopped parsley and basil, drizzle with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and enjoy!! It turned out very yummy!!
Ana

Smoked Cheddar and Lentil Burgers (CL June 2003)
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup dried lentils
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded smoked cheddar cheese
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten

Place first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until tender; drain. Discard bay leaves. Place lentils in a large bowl; partially mash with a potato masher. Cool slightly.
Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly.
Add onion mixture, cheese, and next 8 ingredients (cheese through egg whites) to lentils; stir well to combine. Cover and chill 45 minutes. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.
Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add half of patties, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure with remaining patties.
Yields: 8 burgers.

Yellow Squash Carpaccio!

Falafel Burgers

You know when there are some times when it seems everything goes wrong with all you do, no matter what you do? Well, this past week it was like this with me. Nothing was coming out right, with everything I tried something seemed to hold me back and I could not get 100% of it, even in the kitchen I had a few disappointments. And that is why I haven’t come here for a while… not much inspiration to sit and write, or cook.
Of course I have been cooking, as I need to feed everyone in the house, but not many complex recipes came out of the kitchen in the past few days, I decided to keep it simple and get happy with what I could!
So, I just hope things get better from now on. Sorry about the rant, and now lets keep cooking, shall we?
As I said, I did cook a few things last week, and still have a good amount of recipes and pictures to share here, but mostly I kept things easy, pasta salads, wraps, jell-o for dessert, see, easy, but tasty nonetheless!
One recipe I tried and really enjoyed was for Falafel Burgers that came on this month’s issue of Cooking Light. Super easy to make, and I liked everything about it, especially the use of one of my favorite ingredients: chickpeas!
They tasted great, the parsley and garlic came through without being overpowering, as did the cumin (I omitted the coriander). The texture was also very pleasant; falafels have a coarser texture due to the use of soaked chickpeas, but since this recipe calls for canned chickpeas the burgers turned out smooth and creamy inside, contrasting with the nice crunch that the bread crumbs provided to the outside.
I really liked these and will definitely be making them again! I love chickpeas and this was a delicious way of using it. And I know this may not sound good but… I actually liked these better than the falafels I once got at a local Mediterranean store. Good for me; I can have them anytime I want!
The magazine showed these being served in pita breads together with lettuce, tomatoes, and a tahini sauce, but I just skipped all that and we had ours with vegetables and rice. But in case you would like to see the full recipe, take a look here.
Hope you like them too!
Ana

Falafel Burgers (Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)
1 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs, divided
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

Combine 1 cup onion and next 7 ingredients (through 4 garlic cloves) in a food processor, and process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Place bean mixture in a large bowl; stir in 1/4 cup breadcrumbs. Divide bean mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place remaining 1/4 cup breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Dredge patties in breadcrumbs.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 patties to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and patties.

Super yummy salad!

This was one of the best “complete-meal-salad” dishes I have ever had! Deliciously nutty quinoa is paired with tomatoes, chickpeas, carrots, edamame, and a delicious basil-lemon dressing to complete the goodness! Even tofu was added to the mix, and I was so happy, because this was my most successful attempt to prepare tofu for savory dishes! Yessss! Now we are definitely going to have tofu more often, because Matheus and me really liked it! (The husband tried, said it was good, and when I said it was tofu he did not eat it anymore… men, hopeless, I know… sigh)
The basil-lemon dressing is one of the best salad dressings I have had in a while, I usually make a variety of vinaigrettes to go with our salads, using different kinds of vinegar and all, but this one is super simple and the flavor is just unbeatable, the best in my opinion and for sure is going to be made many and many more times at our home!
It is an amazing salad, complete with vegetables, carbs, and protein; a perfect one-dish meal for the hot summer days, I truly enjoyed it today and could not wait to come post it here!
The original recipe called for black beans, which are not my favorite, and since I loooove chickpeas I used it instead. I also subbed edamame for lima beans, not only because I didn’t have them, but also because I love edamame, and I guessed thee flavor would go well here - and it did!
I am posting bellow my adapted recipe, it was so successful as is that I don’t want to change a thing! And in case you would like to see the original recipe, take a peek at the Cooking Light website and it will be there for the black beans lovers too! Hehe!
By the way, if you are not a tofu fan I am pretty sure this would be just as tasty with some cooked chicken in its place - gotta try it that way too!
Ana

Quinoa and Chickpea Salad with Basil Lemon Dressing
3/4 cups uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
½ package (7-ounce) firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 small garlic cloves, minced
½ cup cooked edamame
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped carrot (I blanched mine)
1/2 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring quinoa and broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until broth is absorbed and quinoa is cooked. Remove from heat.
Place tofu on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes. Heat 1-tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté tofu until lightly browned (about 8 minutes or so). Remove from heat and let cool.
In a small bowl mix 1/2-tablespoon olive oil, basil, lemon juice, mustard, and garlic. Stir in quinoa. Add the edamame, tofu, tomatoes, carrots, and chickpeas to quinoa mixture; stir to combine. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Yield: 5 servings (serving size about 1cup)

Appetizers

I tried two appetizer type recipes last week and both were winners around our house!
The first was a dip I have been wanting to try for a while. It comes from Giada de Laurentis cookbook, Everyday Italians, and received rave reviews from those who tried it.
Now I know why! This dip has the perfect balance of creaminess and flavor. The white beans have a delicate flavor and smooth texture, both characteristics that paired with the lemon juice and parsley turned into a delicious and tasty concoction. I loved this one and will definitely repeat!
My favorite dip is hummus, and this recipe now comes in a close second on my list!
I served the dip with baked pita chips that I made, a delicious contrast of crispy and crunchy chips with the creamy dip.
The dip is also good served with crunchy veggies on the side, I like carrots, cherry tomatoes and red bell peppers too!
The second recipe I tried was a Mini Quiche. I attended a baby shower in which we were all supposed to bring in a dish, and since I was assigned to a savory one, I opted for this one.
I actually came up with a recipe myself, after reading through several other ones. The crust was great, and actually my favorite part here! It was extremely easy to work with and came out very tasty and crispy. I enjoyed this crust a lot and will definitely use it again when making this kind of tartlets. I even think they would be good in sweet little tarts, I guess omitting the salt and adding some sugar to the dough would work well here (but make sure to use unsalted butter!).
For the filling I basically used what I had in the fridge, and it worked out quite well.
I made it into mini quiches, so that it would be easy to eat, but I guess it should work just as well if baked into a quiche pan. Just be sure to adjust the baking time.
Everybody liked the mini quiche at the baby shower, and I was very happy to hear they were a lot better than store bought ones!
Two new recipes to try, and if you like creamy foods as I do, be sure to try the dip, it is really good!
Ana

White Bean Dip
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.
For the pita chips I simply cut the pita bread into pieces, season them with salt, pepper and olive oil, and bake at 350 for about 5 minutes. Talk about easy and good!

Mini Quiches

Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces (1 stick)
3 ounces chilled cream cheese, cut into small pieces

Mix everything together in a bowl. Using a pastry blender, or two knives (as I did!), cut the butter and cream cheese into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. With your hands form the dough into a ball, shape into a log and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for about 1 hour. (You can use a food processor here; I guess it would be a lot easier if I had one!)
Cut the log into 24 pieces and press then into 24-cup mini muffin pan. While you make the filling put these on the freezer to firm up.

Filling:
3/4 cup grated white cheddar cheese
¼ cup ham, chopped finely
2 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream (or half-half)
Chopped herbs (I used fresh oregano)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine grated cheese and ham in a small bowl. In another bowl mix eggs, heavy cream, salt, pepper and herbs. Sprinkle the ham/cheese mixture into the muffin tins, then spoon in the egg mixture into the shells.Bake it at 350 F for about 30 minutes.

Bean soup

We were in a soup mood last week, so today I am posting one more comforting concoction. I like beans a lot, especially chickpeas and white beans, so when I saw this recipe I immediately copied it and placed in on top of the never-ending-to-try-pile. And I am glad I did! It is a very simple but flavorful soup. I like white beans because they are creamy and almost melt in your mouth, and chickpeas I believe is one of my all time favorites. It has such a nice flavor and is versatile, as it can be prepared in many different ways, you can varying its texture by cooking it more or less, use it soaked raw when preparing falafels, cooked into soups, pureed into hummus (yum!), you can even roast it and turn them into crunchy salty snacks.
In this dish a combination of both beans is used and then pureed into a nice velvety soup! I wasn’t sure about the addition of spinach but it ended up complementing the soup nicely. I really enjoyed it and so did Matheus. But don’t be fooled by the 8-servings the recipe states, as I believe they are supposed to be really small portions. I made half recipe, we ate it all and ended up wanting some more… oh well, next time I will definitely make the whole batch!
Right now I am in a quest to find a tasty recipe for a “Milk-free Egg-Free Nut-free Cake”. Yes, I know, it seems like a lot of no-no, but as far as my testing are going I think I may actually be getting close to what I need. So, you can expect to see some cake recipes around here soon!
Ana

Creamy Bean Soup With Fresh Herbs And Spinach
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chopped onions (about 2 medium)
3 garlic cloves -- minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
5 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 to 16-ounce cans white beans -- drained
2 to 16-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans) -- drained
1 package baby spinach leaves -- (6 ounce)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
Grated Parmesan cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Add rosemary and stir 1 minute. Add all broth and beans. Bring soup to boil; reduce to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend, about 10 minutes.
Working in batches, transfer soup to blender and puree until smooth; return to pot. Mix in spinach and sage; stir until spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle each with Parmesan cheese and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.
Makes 8 first-course servings
Bon Appétit, January 2006

Yes, we really like soup!

Yesterday I saw such a nice looking bunch of escarole at the grocery store that I was more than tempted to buy it. Needless to say it ended up being part of our lunch today!
As times goes by and I post more you will see how much I like my vegetables and fruits! I like all kinds of veggies and greens, and am still to meet a fruit I don’t like. Seriously, I love all fruits!
Escarole can be bitter, but if you cook it enough all the bitterness seem to “evaporate” leaving behind a nice flavor and bite to the greens.
Today I made Escarole and White Bean soup. So healthy and so good! I like beans, especially the white ones, they are buttery and tender, and such a good compliment to soups and stews. I am going to post the recipe I based my soup on, it is from Bon Appetite, and other than not adding tomatoes to my soup I basically followed the recipe (although I chopped my garlic and left in the soup… Yes, garlic lover here!).
I made half of the recipe for me and Matheus, and believe it or not, there were no leftovers…!
We had our soup with some rolls I made and froze last week. The rolls are a Cooking Light recipe and called Cloverleaf Honey-Wheat Rolls, they are so easy to make and freeze beautifully. I have made it many times and they always come out great!
Simple, light and delicious… no wonder I love soup so much!
(oh, and the escarole in the picture is half of the bunch I bought... so escarole will probably show up again in the menu later this week!)

Ana

White Bean and Escarole Soup with Garlic
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 large carrot, cut into small dice
5 large garlic cloves, peeled, flattened
3 cups (packed) 1-inch pieces escarole (about 1/2 large head)
4 cups (or more) canned vegetable broth
3 1/4 cups cooked Great Northern beans or two 15-ounce cans cannellini (white
kidney beans), rinsed, drained
1 14 1/2- to 16-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic and sauté until onion is golden and tender, about 7 minutes. Discard garlic. Add escarole; stir 3 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, beans and tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until escarole is tender and flavors blend, about 20 minutes. Thin with more broth, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Serves 4
Bon Appétit - March 1996