Red Quinoa and White Bean Salad with Parsley and Lemon

Quinoa has to be one of my favorite grains.  It is light and fluffy, versatile, colorful and delicious.  You can add stock when you are cooking and give it instant flavor.  You can add it to pancakes to make it healthier and heartier.  I also have a cache of white beans, mostly canned, but dried ones as well.  This salad adapted from Plenty More by Ottolenghi combines two of my always in stock items for a pleasant, easy salad.

Red Quinoa and White Bean Salad with Parsley and Lemon

2/3 cup red quinoa

1 small bunch flat leafed parsley, cut finely

4 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1 can (about 15 oz.) cannellini (or other white beans), drained and rinsed

1/2 large lemon, zest the hald you are using, juice the half as well to add to salad

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and black pepper to taste

Bring a sauce pan of water to boil.  Add the quinoa and simmer for about 12-14 minutes until light and fluffy (or according to package instructions).  Drain and rinse in cold water and set aside to dry completely.  Once dry transfer quinoa to a large salad bowl.  Add the shredded parsley, green onions, beans, lemon, allspice, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste.  Stir together.  Let rest for about 5 minutes to let flavors come together.  Taste again and adjust seasonings.

Fagioli Soup

This is another recipe that I used my new slow cooker to make.  It is also based on a recipe from Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone.  I love eating soups in winter, and I hope to have more time to experiment with the slow cooker and the soup recipes.  Since this also has pasta it was a good compromise and encouragement for my husband to give it a try as he is not that big on soups.  It is a bit thicker than a regular soup and very satisfying.

Fagioli Soup
1 celery rib, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small can (10 oz) chopped canned tomatoes (you can use fresh too if peeled and seeded)
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
2 cans white beans (I used cannellini and great northern.)
salt
crushed red pepper
8 ounces spaghetti, broken into pieces or soup pasta

In braise mode or in a pan on the stove, cook the celery and garlic over medium heat until the garlic is golden.  Pour mixture into the slow cooker.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and water and stir together.  Add the white beans, salt to taste and a couple of pinches of red peppers flakes and stir.  Cook on low for 4 hours.   Add the pasta and cook until done, about 20-30 minutes depending on the pasta.  Serve and enjoy!

Sausage, White Bean, and Spinach Gratin

In the past couple of years, particularly in winter, I have grown very fond of white beans.  I usually stock up on three different kinds/sizes...white kidney beans (also called canneli beans), navy beans and great northern beans.  Any time I try a new recipe or start tweaking one I make frequently, I tend to add an extra can.  I can image one day my chicken chili will have more beans than it does now and probably no chicken.  Beans are a good source of protein, but they are also filling and stay nice and hot on a cold winter's night.  I see more experiments with beans in my future, especially in dips which will transition to summer well.

This recipe is similar to another one I make, but this one is a gratin.  I also like this recipe because of the addition of spinach as it adds more color and satisfies my desire for greens in winter.  The recipe is based on the Keepers cookbook by Brennan and Campion.  It is a simple recipe to put together and not very time consuming, so great for a quick meal.

Sausage, White Bean and Spinach Gratin
Serves 6

3/4 cup of breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
1 small onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
several handfuls of spinach

Preheat oven to 425F.  Combine the breadcrumbs and butter in a small bowl.  Season with salt.  In a large skillet which can also transfer to the oven, heat the olive oil.  Add the sausage.  Break up the sausage while browning.  Once brown, transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Add the onions and garlic, stir occasionally until onions are soft.  Add the tomato paste and thyme.  Stir until fragrant (about half a minute).  Add the wine and simmer to deglaze for about 2 minutes or until nearly evaporated.  Add the broth and simmer. Add the beans, sausage and any juices from the bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer until heated throughout and some of the liquid has been absorbed. (It still will be juicy, but not so much that there is more liquid than solids.) Remove from heat and add the 5-6 handfuls of spinach.  Check seasonings again.  Sprinkle the top with bread crumb mixture.  Bake until the bread crumbs are golden brown (about 15 minutes).  Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.  This dish reheats well.

Cold winter meals - White Chicken Chile

When the weather turns cold, it makes me want to cook and bake good hearty soups and roasts.  Yesterday, it turned colder, becoming more like Christmas type weather and I decided after all my errands, I should cook up a hearty chili.  So this is a twist on a recipe my aunt gave me for White Chili.

White Chili is comprised of:
2 pounds of chicken
3 cans white beans (like canelli, great northern, kidney)
12 oz. drained green chilies (3 x 4oz. cans)
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-2 Tablespoon cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion chopped
2 tsp garlic
about 1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
6-8 oz sour cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream (or evaporated milk)

Saute chicken, onions and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.  Add beans, chicken broth, chilies and seasoning.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and add cream (or evaporated milk) and sour cream.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4-6.

It looks thinner than it is.  It is a hearty, slightly spicy chili.  Because I had leftovers from Thanksgiving, I used leftover turkey instead of the chicken in this version and it was also very good.  The sour cream adds a thickness and creamy texture that fills and satisfies you.  I also used fresh roasted green chilies.  I was not sure how spicy they would turn out to be as each chili is a little different, but the spiciness will be cut with the addition of the milk products.

It is delicious with bread or tortillas as well.  Enjoy!