Showing posts with label cannellini beans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cannellini beans. Show all posts
Monday, July 7, 2008
HOME AT LAST! AND RECIPE FOR ORANGE BEANPOT
I'm finally catching up on things after arriving home. We had a great time in Santa Rosa, despite it being alot of work (9 1/2 hours prep one day). DH said he was growing a blister on his chopping hand!). John and Mary McDougall and their PA, Tiffany, were so kind and helpful, the staff at the Flamingo Hotel was fabulous (particularly the kitchen staff-- thank you especially to Maria and Marta!), and the participants were lovely. It is such a pleasure to cook for an eager and responsive audience.
I did two workshops:
"Brilliant Breakfasts"
Chai-Spiced Oat Crepes with Grilled Nectarines and Almond Ricotta update: (update: recipe in my book "World Vegan Feast")
Italian Scrapple (Polenta, Bean and Kale Slices) with Brown Gravy (made with oat and chickpea flour) (update: the recipes are in my book "World Vegan Feast" and also here)
Crispy White Bean and Oat Waffles with Banana and Strawberry Topping (update: there's a version of this recipe here, but with cornmeal as well as oats)
and "The Elegant Bean"
Orange-Rosemary White Bean Pot (recipe below)
Sundried Tomato Polenta Rounds with Braised Kale, Carmelized Onions, and White Beans with Dried Porcini Mushrooms (update: recipe here)
Red Lentil, Bulgur, and Dried Fruit Salad Balls in Lettuce Cups, with Creamy Basil and Garlic Dressing (update: recipe here)
Hummus, re-visited! (update: recipe here)
We were fed SO well-- three fabulous buffets each day (all no-fat, McDougall-style), with big fresh salads, including bowls of vegetables, beans, etc., to add on top, and a variety of dressings. There were usually at least two entrees, plus side dishes and lots of fruit, and a great dessert every evening.
Unfortunately, we didn't have time to take in any of the other presenters, but every chef seemed to be a hit with this crowd. I enjoyed meeting chefs Kevin Dunn and Eric Tucker once again. DH and I both were so happy we had the opportunity to meet, and spend time with, Susan Voisin, of fatfreevegan. I felt like I "knew" her already from some correspondence and her blog, but, trust me, in person is the best. What a wonderful woman! She was very nervous, this being her first cooking presentation, to which I could relate, as I used to have panic attacks in the "old days". We were able to see the first little bit of her workshop before we left and she was doing great. DH said, "She's a natural!" The crowd was loving her already!
My brother's small home vineyard
After the event, we travelled to Northern Sonoma County to visit my brother Tim and his wife Louise, lazing around in the wine country and doing very little. The only way I can do this, usually, is to leave home and not be near a computer or my phone. We were very lucky to have breezy, comfortable weather the whole time. On the way home to our island, we spent a day in Vancouver and visited my cousin, his daughter and new grandaughter, and my youngest daughter and darling 4-year-old grandson.
Now I have to put my nose to the grindstone, but I feel nicely rested.
The following is one of the recipes I presented:
Printable Recipe
BRYANNA'S FAT-FREE ORANGE-ROSEMARY WHITE BEANPOT (a slow-cooker recipe)
Servings: 10
I was trying to think of interesting flavor combinations one day, and I had some oranges that needed using up, so I started thinking that orange and rosemary (which I have growing outside my door) are used with meat-- why not with beans? One of my favorite beans are white kidney or cannellini beans, which I thought would go well with this flavor combination. The result is absolutely delicious-- good enough for company!
750g (1.65 lbs.) dried white kidney, cannellini beans, Great Northern, or small white beans, soaked overnight in plenty of water and drained (navy beans, which are quite small, would be my last choice)
1 large green pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
1 large red pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
2 large onions, thinly-sliced
1 cup diced celery with leaves
6 cloves garlic, sliced
6 cups HOT chicken-style veggie broth
4 medium oranges, juice (makes about 1 cup juice) and grated zest (use a zester, if possible)
2 large carrots, scrubbed and cut into thin "fingers" about 3" long
4 sprigs fresh rosemary (4-5" long)
2 tsp salt
freshly-grated pepper to taste
Use a large, heavy skillet (use a non-stick, or hard-anodized aluminum [aluminum does not leak into food when hard-anodized], or well-seasoned cast iron, stainless steel or carbon steel skillet, or a well-seasoned spun-steel wok, preferably flat-bottomed). Spray your pan with oil from a pump sprayer if necessary. Steam-fry (see Cooking Tips below) the sliced peppers, onions, celery, and garlic. Stir-cook until the onion is tender, adding a splash of water as needed to keep the mixture from sticking. Do not brown the mixture. (See Microwave Alternative in the Cooking Tips below, too.)
Add this to a large (6 qt) slow-cooker, along with the drained, soaked beans, the broth, juice and zest of the oranges (yes, the zest of all 4 oranges-- this is important!), carrot "fingers", rosemary sprigs, and salt.
Cook on Low for 8-10 hours, or on High for 5-6 hours. Add freshly-ground black pepper to taste.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 303.3 calories; 2% calories from fat; 0.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 409.6mg sodium; 1628.6mg potassium; 58.1g carbohydrates; 14.3g fiber; 7.9g sugar; 43.7g net carbs; 18.9g protein; 5.3 points.
Recipe Source
Author: © Bryanna Clark Grogan 2008
Cooking Tips
HOW TO STEAM-FRY
You will often see the term "steam-fry" in my recipes. Here is a description of what it is and how to do it.
METHOD OF STEAM-FRYING:
"Steam-fry" simply means sauteing without fat. To do this, use a heavy skillet--use a non-stick, or hard-anodized aluminum [aluminum does not leak into food when hard-anodized], or well-seasoned cast iron, stainless steel or carbon steel skillet, or a well-seasoned spun-steel wok, preferably flat-bottomed. Spray your pan lightly with oil from a pump sprayer, or with cooking spray, if needed.
Heat the pan over high heat, add the chopped onions or other vegetables, and one or two tablespoons of liquid (water, low-sodium vegetarian broth, or wine), depending on the amount of vegetables. Do not crowd the pan, or your vegetables will "stew". Cook over high heat until the liquid starts to evaporate, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon. Keep stirring until the vegetables are done to your liking, adding JUST ENOUGH liquid to keep the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
You can brown onions perfectly by this method. As soon as the natural sugar in the onions starts to brown on the bottom and edges of the pan, add a little liquid and scrape up the brown bits, mixing them into the liquids and around into the cooking onions. Keep doing this until the onions are soft and brown, being careful not to scorch them.
TO "STEAM-FRY" IN THE MICROWAVE, use a glass dish, such as a round 10" Pyrex casserole dish or pie plate. Spray with oil from a pump sprayer or cooking spray. Add ther chopped onions, garlic, carrots, celery, or whatever vegetables you want to sautè. Cover the dish with a glas lid or microwavable plate, and microwave 5 minutes, or however long it takes to soften them. This method is convenient because you don't have to watch the vegetables- you can be preparing the rest of the recipe while they cook. Just add the softened vegetables to the recipe.
Enjoy!
750g (1.65 lbs.) dried white kidney, cannellini beans, Great Northern, or small white beans, soaked overnight in plenty of water and drained (navy beans, which are quite small, would be my last choice)
1 large green pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
1 large red pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
2 large onions, thinly-sliced
1 cup diced celery with leaves
6 cloves garlic, sliced
6 cups HOT chicken-style veggie broth
4 medium oranges, juice (makes about 1 cup juice) and grated zest (use a zester, if possible)
2 large carrots, scrubbed and cut into thin "fingers" about 3" long
4 sprigs fresh rosemary (4-5" long)
2 tsp salt
freshly-grated pepper to taste
Use a large, heavy skillet (use a non-stick, or hard-anodized aluminum [aluminum does not leak into food when hard-anodized], or well-seasoned cast iron, stainless steel or carbon steel skillet, or a well-seasoned spun-steel wok, preferably flat-bottomed). Spray your pan with oil from a pump sprayer if necessary. Steam-fry (see Cooking Tips below) the sliced peppers, onions, celery, and garlic. Stir-cook until the onion is tender, adding a splash of water as needed to keep the mixture from sticking. Do not brown the mixture. (See Microwave Alternative in the Cooking Tips below, too.)
Add this to a large (6 qt) slow-cooker, along with the drained, soaked beans, the broth, juice and zest of the oranges (yes, the zest of all 4 oranges-- this is important!), carrot "fingers", rosemary sprigs, and salt.
Cook on Low for 8-10 hours, or on High for 5-6 hours. Add freshly-ground black pepper to taste.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 303.3 calories; 2% calories from fat; 0.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 409.6mg sodium; 1628.6mg potassium; 58.1g carbohydrates; 14.3g fiber; 7.9g sugar; 43.7g net carbs; 18.9g protein; 5.3 points.
Recipe Source
Author: © Bryanna Clark Grogan 2008
Cooking Tips
HOW TO STEAM-FRY
You will often see the term "steam-fry" in my recipes. Here is a description of what it is and how to do it.
METHOD OF STEAM-FRYING:
"Steam-fry" simply means sauteing without fat. To do this, use a heavy skillet--use a non-stick, or hard-anodized aluminum [aluminum does not leak into food when hard-anodized], or well-seasoned cast iron, stainless steel or carbon steel skillet, or a well-seasoned spun-steel wok, preferably flat-bottomed. Spray your pan lightly with oil from a pump sprayer, or with cooking spray, if needed.
Heat the pan over high heat, add the chopped onions or other vegetables, and one or two tablespoons of liquid (water, low-sodium vegetarian broth, or wine), depending on the amount of vegetables. Do not crowd the pan, or your vegetables will "stew". Cook over high heat until the liquid starts to evaporate, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon. Keep stirring until the vegetables are done to your liking, adding JUST ENOUGH liquid to keep the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
You can brown onions perfectly by this method. As soon as the natural sugar in the onions starts to brown on the bottom and edges of the pan, add a little liquid and scrape up the brown bits, mixing them into the liquids and around into the cooking onions. Keep doing this until the onions are soft and brown, being careful not to scorch them.
TO "STEAM-FRY" IN THE MICROWAVE, use a glass dish, such as a round 10" Pyrex casserole dish or pie plate. Spray with oil from a pump sprayer or cooking spray. Add ther chopped onions, garlic, carrots, celery, or whatever vegetables you want to sautè. Cover the dish with a glas lid or microwavable plate, and microwave 5 minutes, or however long it takes to soften them. This method is convenient because you don't have to watch the vegetables- you can be preparing the rest of the recipe while they cook. Just add the softened vegetables to the recipe.
Enjoy!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
HOME FROM SEATTLE VEGFEST 2008!
Starting one of my workshops at Seattle Vegfest last weekend.
I was honored to be invited to present two workshops last weekend at Seattle Vegfest. What a wonderful event! It's so nice to be with so many vegans and vegetarians, to see so many interested people, and to be able to taste so many new foods! The intrepid and incredibly hardworking organizers and volunteers worked so hard to pull off this great 2-day vegetarian event. Vegetarians of Washington signed up over 600 new members on Saturday alone! What a coup!
VegofWa's intrepid leaders, Stewart and Amanda!
I demonstrated two easy Italian dishes on Saturday morning-- Pasta alla Puttanesca, and Easy Tuscan Beans with Spicy Vegetarian Sausage (see the recipes at the end of the post). On Sunday I demonstrated two easy pie recipes-- French Strawberry Pie and Chocolate Banana Creme Pie. Both demos were well received. There were cooking demos and lectures going all day, both days, all free with the $5 entrance fee-- quite a bargain when you consider all of the food samples you could scarf down throughout the day!
Vegfest was so busy that, at times, one could hardly walk down the aisles! But everyone was polite and helpful, and the mood was generally upbeat and exciting!
I didn't have alot of time to browse, but I did make it to most of the booths. A couple of products particularly intrigued me:
Toby's Tofu Paté, which is like a delicious deviled egg mixture, but vegan! There are 5 different varieties. Unfortunately, they are not sold in Canada.
And the second product:
Bella Diva's Vegan Savory and Sweet Butters are whipped almond oil and cocoa butter blended with specialty flavors. It doesn't really taste like butter, but it's very tasty and rich. For vegans who want a raw spread, or who prefer not to use margarine, even a good one like Earth Balance, or who just want something different, this is a delicious new product. It is certainly better for you than coconut oil! There is a plain version, and also Praline, Orange Almond, and Blackberry, sweetened with agave nectar. Check out their page for the ingredients, etc..
Bella Diva's CEO, Lisa Chambers
Here are some more pictures from Vegfest (and see more here, on Stuti's blog). I'll be blogging a little more about products, etc., in the near future.
VegFest Bookstore, run by The Book Publishing Co., my own publishers (that's Bob with the ponytail!)
Doing one of my demos:
Chat Mingkwan, author of Buddha's Table: Thai Feasting Vegetarian Style, and Vietnamese Fusion, two great cookbooks. He's a teacher and cooking tour guide as well!
Manitoba Harvest Hemp products booth (the Hemp Bliss! people!)-- their organic hemp milk is creamy and delicious!
MORE VEGFEST SHOTS:
A Vegfest clown for the kids!
The Field Roast booth!
Small Planet Organic Tofu-- delicious marinated tofu!
Steve Meyerowitz, the Sproutman!
My publisher, Bob Holzapfel, of The Book Publishing Co., took his sister, me and DH, Steve, the Sproutman, Chat, and Tofu Cookery author, Louise Hagler out for a lovely dinner at the upscale Seattle vegetarian restaurant, Carmelita, on Saturday night. The food was generally really good, but these are the dishes we really liked (sorry the photos aren't very good-- the lighting was pretty bad!):
Roasted Cauliflower appetizer-- very crispy!
Pumpkin Risotto
Smoked Mushroom Soup
Stuffed Chickpea Crepe
Coconut Panna Cotta with fresh pineapple
RECIPES FROM MY ITALIAN WORKSHOP, Saturday, March 29th at 10:40 AM:
BRYANNA'S VEGAN SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA:
Recipe here, or Printable Recipe
AND:
Printable Recipe
BRYANNA’S QUICK AND EASY TUSCAN-STYLE WHITE BEANS WITH SPICY VEGETARIAN SAUSAGE
Serves 4
This can be made with leftover homemade spaghetti sauce, or a good jarred sauce, canned or frozen cooked white beans, and commercial spicy vegetarian sausage. Nothing could be easier, but it’s a very delicious and satisfying meal. Serve with, or on, crusty bread.
This is an easy adaptation of a recipe in Nonna's Italian Kitchen.
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
(NOTE: If you don't want to use any oil, brown the "sausage" slices in a large nonstick skillet sprayed with oil from a pump sprayer, and add the garlic, raw and crushed, to the pot with the beans.)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
about 3 and 1/2 oz. spicy veggie sausage
Printable Recipe
BRYANNA’S QUICK AND EASY TUSCAN-STYLE WHITE BEANS WITH SPICY VEGETARIAN SAUSAGE
Serves 4
This can be made with leftover homemade spaghetti sauce, or a good jarred sauce, canned or frozen cooked white beans, and commercial spicy vegetarian sausage. Nothing could be easier, but it’s a very delicious and satisfying meal. Serve with, or on, crusty bread.
This is an easy adaptation of a recipe in Nonna's Italian Kitchen.
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
(NOTE: If you don't want to use any oil, brown the "sausage" slices in a large nonstick skillet sprayed with oil from a pump sprayer, and add the garlic, raw and crushed, to the pot with the beans.)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
about 3 and 1/2 oz. spicy veggie sausage
(I used one Tofurkey Italian Veggie sausage or 1 Field Roast Italian Sausage), thinly sliced
3 c. cooked, drained (or 2 cans, drained) cannellini, or white kidney, or Great Northern beans
1 c. vegetarian broth
1 c. tasty homemade or vegetarian tomatoey spaghetti sauce
pinch dried red chile flakes
1 tsp. crumbled dry sage (or 1 T. chopped fresh)—do not use powdered sage
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crumbled (or 1 T. fresh, chopped)
lots of freshly-ground black pepper
salt to taste
In a medium pot or deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Saute the garlic briefly, then add the “sausage"slices and brown briefly. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the flavors are mixed.
Serve with crusty bread, or, for a new twist on the “beans on toast” theme, serve it on the toast.
Nutrition Facts (with oil)
Nutrition (per serving): 325.1 calories; 29% calories from fat; 9.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 163.3mg sodium; 529.9mg potassium; 33.3g carbohydrates; 9.5g fiber; 0.0g sugar; 23.8g net carbs; 20.7g protein; 6.5 points.
Nutrition Facts with no oil added:
Nutrition (per serving): 265.4 calories; 11% calories from fat; 3.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 163.1mg sodium; 529.8mg potassium; 33.3g carbohydrates; 9.5g fiber; 0.0g sugar; 23.8g net carbs; 20.7g protein; 4.8 points.
Enjoy!
3 c. cooked, drained (or 2 cans, drained) cannellini, or white kidney, or Great Northern beans
1 c. vegetarian broth
1 c. tasty homemade or vegetarian tomatoey spaghetti sauce
pinch dried red chile flakes
1 tsp. crumbled dry sage (or 1 T. chopped fresh)—do not use powdered sage
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crumbled (or 1 T. fresh, chopped)
lots of freshly-ground black pepper
salt to taste
In a medium pot or deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Saute the garlic briefly, then add the “sausage"slices and brown briefly. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the flavors are mixed.
Serve with crusty bread, or, for a new twist on the “beans on toast” theme, serve it on the toast.
Nutrition Facts (with oil)
Nutrition (per serving): 325.1 calories; 29% calories from fat; 9.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 163.3mg sodium; 529.9mg potassium; 33.3g carbohydrates; 9.5g fiber; 0.0g sugar; 23.8g net carbs; 20.7g protein; 6.5 points.
Nutrition Facts with no oil added:
Nutrition (per serving): 265.4 calories; 11% calories from fat; 3.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 163.1mg sodium; 529.8mg potassium; 33.3g carbohydrates; 9.5g fiber; 0.0g sugar; 23.8g net carbs; 20.7g protein; 4.8 points.
Enjoy!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
MY "WINTER WEIGHT", EXERCISE, AND WHITE BEANS & RAPINI, ITALIAN-STYLE
Well, I have to confess, I'm back on Weight Watchers' Core Food Plan. I've gained it all back! Boy, does it sneak up on you! I blame it on not getting my usual exercise, due to the crazy weather (we had another power outage on Tuesday due to another wind storm, and some snow, though we got far less than Vancouver and the south island), and a wacky ferry schedule with a small ferry (while our big ferry gets refitted) that cuts into my exercise time before I go to work; eating too much over the holidays; and eating too much of my experiments.
What am I going to do about it? 1.) Practice portion control. 2.) Stick to the WW Core Food Plan, which is a very healthful plan, easy to eat vegan, emphasis on veggies, fruits, wholegrains, and vegetarian proteins. 3.) EXERCISE-- dance, get out for walks whenever possible, or use an exercise bike, and get back on my weights regime, using stretch bands, as well.
Otherwise, my mom just gave us a treadmill, so I have no excuse for not exercising. I have to get a book rack for it, though, or it's kind of boring. I have to have it downstairs in my "office" area because it takes up too much room upstairs. I can watch DVD's on my computer down here, or videos on the old TV I use for instructional dance and exercise videos (which is not hooked up to satellite, so I can't watch TV programs on it). The other thing I've started to do to make it go faster is watching YouTube music and dance videos. I can make a playlist of however long I want to work out. I've found some fascinating concert video clips and wonderful bellydance clips, as well.
I also have a mini-trampoline, which I need to start jogging on while watching TV in the evening. And, I hope to start dance classes again soon.
Me dancing at my boss's retirement party a few years ago
As I mentioned the Core Food Plan is big on fiber-rich foods and beans can be eaten frequently, provided they aren't full of fat. (You can have 2 tsp. of oil a day-- anything over that is 1 point per tsp. You get 35 points a week to play with.)
*********************************************
Here's a meal I made for dinner the other day to use up some rapini in the refrigerator. I love the combination of the mild, creamy white beans and the strong-flavored rapini! I am very partial to "bitter" greens such as rapini, and they are a powerhouse of nutrients, too.
Rapini (broccoli rabe or raab)
I used my own home-cooked beans. I soaked them overnight and pressure-cooked them for 35 minutes after draining them and covering them with vegetarian broth, with a chut-up large onion, 3 large cloves garlic, chopped, 2 bay leaves, and a large sprig each of fresh rosemary and sage.
Printable Recipe
BRYANNA'S FAGIOLI CON RAPINI (WHITE BEANS WITH RAPINI)
Serves 6 (Adapted from a recipe in my book "Nonna's Italian Kitchen".
A simple dish with outstanding flavor-- one of my absolute favorites. Dark (roasted Asian) sesame oil takes the place of pancetta (Italian bacon) in this recipe. (I have eliminated the olive oil from the original recipe, to cut down on fat.)
If you have no rapini, curly endive, escarole, turnip greens, or kale can be used instead.
1 lb. rapini (broccoli rabe or raab)
1 T. roasted sesame oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 c. cooked Great Northern beans (If you use other beans, be sure to see the Important Update at this post.)
OR 2/ 14 oz. cans, drained (you could also use borlotti, romano, cranberry or pinto beans)
salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
Wash the rapini well and drain it. Remove the tougher bottom parts of the stems, and slice the rapini in 1/2" strips.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Over medium-high heat, cook the onions until they are limp; then add the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds; then the rapini a little at a time, stirring until it wilts and turns brightly-colored.
Add the beans to the pan and stir them around to heat thoroughly. Taste for salt and pepper.
Serve with crusty wholegrain bread, or spooned over soft polenta. A great winter meal!
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 209.3 calories; 12% calories from fat; 3.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 33.0mg sodium; 807.6mg potassium; 35.5g carbohydrates; 8.9g fiber; 2.0g sugar; 26.6g net carbs; 12.4g protein; 3.6 points.
Enjoy!
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