Beans 'n Greens (or keeping it soulful)

Recipes: Spicy beans 'n wilted greens, Beets and avocado salad

There's something soulful about stews in the winter. Even if it's not cold where you are, but especially if it is, a steaming bowl of stew warms like nothing else and feeds the homebody in us. Even better, the house smells wonderful. A long time ago, I had a cooking friend whom I traded dinners with - once a month our families ate together, switching from his home to mine and back every other month. For fun we called his home The Seaview Grill (he lived on a street named Seaview) and mine The Beans 'n Greens Cafe. I love to cook good wholesome country food, and that's what beans and greens are.

This dish calls for dried beans, which should be soaked in water overnight and then cooked in fresh water for 3 or 4 hours the next day. This takes longer than most things we make in this blog 'kitchen', but it is well worth it. Of course, canned beans could be used but the taste and texture would not be at all the same. Here are some ways to manage the time needed to make this dish fabulous.

1. The beans can be soaked and cooked up to three days in advance, for instance on a Saturday-Sunday when you're just hanging around anyway. The soaking and cooking are both "hands-free" in that you don't have to do anything but occasionally give it a stir (in the case of the cooking) and make sure the pot doesn't cook dry. When they are tender, cool the beans in their liquid, cover, and store the whole thing in the fridge until you need it. When you are ready to finish it, warm it gently and then add the greens as indicated in the recipe below. Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes.

2. The beans can be soaked overnight and then cooked in a slow cooker or crockpot while you are at work. Add 1/2 cup more water than the recipe calls for and bring the beans to a simmer in a stove-top pot before pouring them into the slow cooker in the morning. Set the cooker to low and they will be done when you get home. You can then ladle them back into your stove-top pot and proceed with adding the greens as indicated in the recipe.

3. The entire dish, including greens, can be made in advance when you have time, cooled, and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Gently reheat it before serving. Like most stews, this one benefits from some resting time. Flavors deepen and meld. Mmmm.

4. If you have forgotten to soak the beans overnight but still have enough hours to cook them on the day you want to serve them, you can use this emergency substitute for soaking. It's supposedly not "as good", but I've used it many times and I'm not sure I see a difference. Put the beans in a pot with water to cover plus 1 inch. Bring it to a boil on the stove and boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let sit for 1 hour. You're ready to go and can follow the recipe below for cooking.

Spicy Beans 'n Wilted Greens

Adapted from a recipe in the magazine Bon Appetit

• 1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) dried chickpeas (garbanzos) or 1 cup dried white beans. I used chickpeas in the stew pictured above.
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 anchovy fillets, preferably packed in oil, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 medium or 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 piece Parmesan rind (don't skip this!), plus shaved Parmesan for serving
• 1 small bunch kale, washed, big stems removed, and coarsely chopped
• 1 small bunch chard, washed, big stems removed, and coarsely chopped (You can use other greens here. I used some sorrel with the kale and chard. You could also use mustard greens or spinach)
• 1 cup arugula (rocket)
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Rinse the dried beans and inspect them for small stones. Put them in a pot with water to cover plus one inch, cover the pot, and let soak overnight (or use the emergency method above). Once they are soaked, drain the remaining water off the beans.

Heat the oil in a medium to large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the anchovies, chiles, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is soft and the anchovies are dissolved, about 4 minutes. Add the onion, celery, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Add the Parmesan rind, the soaked beans, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed, until the beans are tender and beginning to fall apart, 3 to 4 hours. The length of time needed to cook depends on the age and freshness of the dried beans. It's helpful if your time is a little flexible.

Lightly crush some beans to give the stew a creamy consistency, and remove the Parmesan rind. Mix in your greens and half of the arugula. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the greens are wilted, about 8 minutes.

In a separate bowl, toss the remaining arugula with a few drops of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a bit of salt and pepper. Serve the stew in bowls, topped with the arugula and shaved Parmesan.

You might like something cool and savory with the richness of the soup. Since there is an abundance of greens in the stew, a salad of beets and avocado provides a good contrast in color, taste, and texture.

 

Beets and Avocado Salad

Use canned beets, or roast beets while the beans are cooking as indicated below.

To roast beets: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut leaves and long tails off the beets, leaving one inch at both ends. Brush any dirt off the beets and wrap each one in aluminum foil. Put all in a baking dish with 1 inch of water in the bottom.  Roast in the oven for 1 hour. When they are tender, let them cool, unwrap them, and rub each one with a paper towel to remove the skin (this will be messy - wear an apron). Cut and toss with a little olive or walnut oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar while still warm.

 

To compose the salad, lay a few crisp lettuce leaves on a plate. Top with beets and avocado halves filled with balsamic vinegar. Grind a bit of black pepper over it all. Enjoy with your wonderful soulful stew.

 

The Payoff

Low in fat and high in fiber and protein, chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are a superfood!

Greens are right up there with chickpeas - low in calories and fat, high in protein and fiber. You are going to be gorgeous, dahlink!

Beets help keep your blood pressure low and your heart healthy. Yay beets!

 

The beans 'n greens and the beet and avocado salad are both gluten-free.

You can make the beans 'n greens vegetarian by eliminating the anchovies.

 

Buon appetito!