When life gives you beans...

... roast them! Really? Yes, really! I'm a huge fan of roasting veggies, but had never thought about beans in the same way until I came across this recipe. It was delicious, and I was sold!


Another gift of the farm, I came home with a VERY large bag of yellow beans. They were pretty hefty in size, so I gave them a quick boil (just a couple of minutes) to make sure they cooked before they burned. You can add anything you'd like; this time I threw in some garlic cloves and shallots (be sure not to slice them like i did the first time, they'll be done much faster than the beans! i used chunks about the size of my garlic cloves). With green beans, definately throw in some red pepper slices if you have them (again, slice them about the same size as your green beans). Season with a little salt and pepper, transfer them to a baking sheet, and roast away! I'm usually not wanting to dirty another bowl, so I just mix it all on the pan. And you can set the oven anywhere from 400-450. I was a bit afraid of setting off the fire alarm in my new place (not the way I want to meet my neighbors!), so I opted to turn it down halfway through cooking. Time it takes will depend on the thickness of your beans... I think mine took ~30min. Delish!! I love the ones that got nice and browned :) They are definately better the night you make them, they lose that little crispy-ness in the fridge. Enjoy!

Greens and Beans

As I sit here RICE-ing my knee, I thought I'd tell you guys about another way I used up that swiss chard from the farm... Garlicky beans and greens, brought to you by Amy over at Eggs on Sunday. I kept the red chard to contrast with the white beans, and it made for a pretty sight :)


I ate these as is, but they'd also be good tossed with some pasta, nice and creamy! Are you ready for winter yet? just kidding, swiss chard just seems more of a winter green... Night all :)

Build me up, Butternut...

It's days like today that i wonder how on earth I've never broken a bone. *knock knock knock* Adding to the battle wounds incurred while moving, last night I dropped a porcelain casserole dish on my big toe. I wasn't wearing any shoes... this morning I realized there's a nice bruise. A bit later I decided to go for a run around the park to see some of my new surroundings. About a mile in, I fell and did a number on my knee. I'll spare the bloody details, but that cut my run short. ~sigh~ Now I'm nursing a swollen and stiff wound as I try and catch up on all the blogs I missed!!

But first, I wanted to get to BSI: Butternut Squash. I wanted to do something besides the risotto and ravioli that first came to mind... but i think my creativity was preoccupied with my knee. I managed one idea while cooking, so maybe that'll make an appearance later in the week-- it was one big squash i cooked up!

So first we have a twist on a butternut squash puree that i found interesting due to its use of medjool dates to sweeten the deal. Found on npr's website here, it was contributed by Susan of Food Blogga.


For my next trick, I tried some butternut snack bites that I had seen over at Mostly Eating. I don't know exactly what was off, but my batter was really dry as written so I ended up adding at least another 1/2c of squash and 1/2c applesauce until moistened. I think it was either my use of whole wheat pastry flour instead of whole wheat flour, and/or a less-moist squash (maybe I should've actually pureed it?). Very tasty though, and I can see them being a good, nutritious snack! Too much batter eating though, I'll have to put them straight into the freezer...


Ok, well hopefully everyone else had a better sunday! I capped mine off by nicking myself with my knife while washing dishes... sheesh! Guess someone over here needs a GOOD night's sleep!

A Coffee Cake of Thanks!

THANK YOU for all the good luck wishes!! Just for all that, I made you an apple coffee cake ;-) See, here's a slice...


A note on the recipe: i loved the cake part, chock full of apples just how i like it. The topping, well... it turned out alright (made it ahead of time so it sat for about a day before consumption), but it looked very dry (due to the lack of fat) coming out of the oven. So I might try another topping next time.

The move? Hmmm, well, there was no elevator like i was told (grrr)... but my dad and i were able to move me in quite quickly. Luckily I am only on the second floor, so I made dad unload the truck and I did most of the running boxes upstairs. Why didn't I know there was no elevator? well... i hadn't seen the apartment (looong story). And even luckier still, everything worked out and i think i am going to love it. tomorrow (so long as my feet are no longer crying out in pain) i'll be exploring the adjacent park (Back Bay Fens)!! It felt soo good to be walking around a city again today as I ran errands :) I picked up a map of running routes in Boston today at Marathon Sports, but please let me know good things to do/see/favorite spots!!!

I'm about to put all my pots and pans on the living room floor to try and figure out how to fit them into my [few] cabinets :) pot rack? lol. ok, hopefully i'll be back tomorrow with a butternut squash recipe for the challenge!

Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad

For a confirmed meat-eater like myself, everything tastes better with crisp bacon, grilled sausage, or a roasted meat. Michelle's new diet has challenged me to come up with dishes that are as flavorful as she's used to but focus on vegetables.

Experimenting with recipes has sent me searching for ingredients I often over-looked. In our pantry I discovered packages of couscous, dried beans, and polenta, all gifts from the Il Fornaio Passport program.

If you haven't eaten at Il Fornaio, I'd like to recommend the restaurant. We have been regular customers of the Santa Monica Il Fornaio ever since it opened. We appreciate the friendly service, fresh ingredients, well-prepared dishes, and affordable prices. And we enjoy the Passport program and its monthly gifts. When the gifts are ingredients to make at home, Chef Maurizio Mazzon provides easy-to-follow recipes for each.

As an end of summer dish, couscous with grilled vegetables seemed like a perfect dish to make for Michelle. Traditional couscous requires a lengthy cooking process. Il Fornaio provided a quick-cooking couscous, which I recommend. This recipe is indebted to Chef Mazzon.

Grilled Vegetables Couscous

Yield: 4-6 servings

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups couscous (quick-cook style)

1 1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons olives, cracked green or kalamata (pitted, finely chopped)

1 basket cherry tomatoes (washed, quartered)

1/4 cup capers (chopped)

1 cup Italian parsley (leaves only, washed, finely chopped)

1 ear of corn (husks and silks removed, washed)

1 carrot (washed, peeled, trimmed, cut into slabs 4"x1/4")

2 garlic cloves (washed, trimmed)

1 ripe avocado (optional)

1 bunch arugula (optional)
Olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

Method

Drizzle olive oil onto a flat plate, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, roll the corn on the plate to coat with the seasoned oil. Do the same with the carrot slabs and garlic cloves. Lightly brown on a hot grill or roast in a 350 degree oven for 10-20 minutes, turning to avoid burning. Let cool , finely chop the carrots and garlic. Cut the kernels off the cob.

As Chef Mazzon instructs, boil the water with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. In a non-reactive bowl (stainless steel or glass) mix together the couscous with the salted hot water and 2 tablespoons olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.

To the couscous, add the carrots, corn, garlic, parsley, capers, olives, and cherry tomatoes. Add another 7 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss well. Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt or black pepper. Can be served chilled or at room temperature.

Variations

Add grilled broccoli (treated in the same way as the carrots).

Serve with arugula.

Serve with a sliced avocado.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Well, lovely blog readers, the time has come. Please excuse the lack of comments and possibly posting for a bit, as I am packing up the last of my stuff at home and moving out to my new apartment in Beantown this week! I'm not sure when I'll have internet access again, so until then i bid you adieu :)

Have a great week!

Mediterranean Rice Casserole

FYI: the fall colors in central NY are pretty spectacular right now! (hmm, it looked better in person... o well) I went to visit a couple of my aunts, and what did I come home with? Bounty from a friends' farm (thanks guys ;-))!! "How about some swiss chard?" left me with this:


Yeah, just a little. :) The red chard is just GORGEOUS! I had tried swiss chard last year, but couldn't for the life of me remember what I had done with them... enter: a rice and greens casserole I had seen over at Diet, Dessert and Dogs. I haven't had too many dolmades, so I have no basis for comparison, but I really enjoyed the combination of flavors in this dish! Another winner, Ricki, thanks for sharing!!

Mediterranean Rice Casserole