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Christmas Lima Bean & Butternut Squash Stew Recipe

Christmas Lima Bean & Butternut Squash Stew Recipe

One of my new year's resolutions is to use more of the food stored in my pantry. My shelves are overflowing with packages of grains, heirloom beans, dried pasta, Asian sauces, jams, mustards, sardines, cans of tomatoes and more. My goal is to cook with something that is languishing in the pantry or my equally stuffed-to-capacity freezer, every single day. Yesterday I chose some Christmas lima beans to transform into a vegetarian main dish. Eat less meat and more vegetarian food! That is yet another new year's resolution.

Christmas lima beans are sometimes called chestnut lima beans. When uncooked they are beautifully speckled like a calico horse, and when cooked they are more uniformly brown like chestnuts--but they really don't taste like chestnuts, despite what you may have heard. They have a texture a bit like russet potatoes and a mild earthy flavor but none of the characteristic sweetness or dry crumbly texture of chestnuts.

Beans are often used in salads or soups, but Christmas lima beans are the perfect bean for making a stew because not only are they large and "meaty" but the liquid they soak and cook in becomes a rich brown gravy when reduced. I combined the beans with silky sautéed onions and chunks of sweet squash to make a satisfying meatless main dish. It's a mild but hearty dish and the toppings jazz it up considerably.

Note: I get Christmas lima beans from bulk bins at Rainbow Grocery, you can also get them online.

Christmas Lima Bean & Butternut Squash Stew
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

2 cups Christmas lima beans
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced into thin half moons
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2-1 teaspoon red chili paste or harissa
1/4 teaspoon minced peeled ginger

Toppings:
Extra virgin olive oil
Wedges of lemon
Crumbled soft goat cheese, optional
Chopped cilantro, optional

Instructions

Place the beans in a large dutch oven and cover with water. Water should rise at least one inch over the top of the beans. Let soak overnight.

Do not drain the water! Simmer the beans gently until tender, probably an hour or so. Add the butternut squash and more water if necessary, cover and gently simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is cooked.

Meanwhile in a separate skillet heat the olive oil and add the onion. Add the salt to the onions and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the cumin, chili paste and ginger. When fragrant, add the onion mixture to the beans and squash. Simmer without the lid until the remaining liquid thickens to make a velvety gravy. Taste for seasoning.

Top each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon and any other toppings you like. 

Enjoy!
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Red Cabbage, Fennel & Cranberries Recipe


Red cabbage frequently ends up in my CSA box this time of year Of course it features prominently in slaws and soups, and makes a good bed for nestling roasts or sausages, but what else? Lately I'm trying sautés. Red cabbage has a really earthy flavor that can go sweet or sour and cooks up easily in a sauté pan, if shredded. 

Red cabbage is healthy, a member of the brassica family, it's cholesterol lowering and perhaps surprisingly the health benefits are greater in cooked cabbage than in raw. If you've ever wondered what makes red cabbage red, it's anthocyanins, a type of polyphenol which is a pigment and is also responsible for the red in cranberries. The amount of Vitamin C is 6 times greater in red cabbage than green cabbage. It's extremely high in Vitamin K too. 

This recipe came about because I had about a half of a head of cabbage, a bit of fennel and some cranberries I wanted to use. The bright and bitter flavors of the dish with just an edge of sweetness complement something rich like pork, sausages, goose or duck. I like the cabbage to still have a bit of crunch, but if you want it softer, just cook it longer with the lid on. 

Note: The amount of sugar you need in this recipe depends on the sweetness of the vegetables and how sweet the wine is. You might start with a tablespoon and add more only if you need it. If you'd rather not add sugar at all, I'd recommend using dried cranberries which are already sweetened. 

Red Cabbage, Fennel & Cranberries 
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon vegetable or rice bran oil 
1 cup sliced onion (half moons)
1 cup sliced fennel bulb 
4 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
1 cup cranberries
Pinch salt
2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup red wine 

Instructions 

Heat a large skillet and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and fennel and sauté for 5 minutes or until translucent but not brown. Add the cabbage and sauté for another 3 minutes or until glossy and beginning to reduce in volume. Add the cranberries, salt, brown sugar, broth and wine. Cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and cook until the liquid evaporates. Taste for seasoning and serve. 

Enjoy!
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Beet Almond Dip Recipe


I'm in the midst of creating 101 recipes for a new cookbook (it was announced March 3rd). As a result, I haven't been cooking anything other than recipes for the book. But Passover is coming up and I've been asked to bring appetizers to the seder dinner. Appetizers for Passover are a bit tricky. If the meal is meat, which is typical, then you can't use any dairy. In addition you can't use legumes, seeds and most grains. So that means things like hummus and baba ghahoush are out so are cheeses and dairy based dips. What's left? Vegetables and nuts. Also eggs and meat (chopped liver is typical).

Recently I received some samples of Melissa's Organic Baby Beets, peeled and steamed and ready to eat. These cooked beets are great for salads but I decided to try use them to make a dip. Instead of tahini, I used blanched almonds. Beets and almonds are really nice together. But they are both sweet, so I added ginger and lemon to cut the sweetness. It also needs plenty of salt.

You can serve this dip with chips or fresh vegetables. It's creamy and smooth and even though I felt like I was cheating on my Vitamix, I did test it in my ancient Cuisinart food processor and got great results. I am thinking about making another dip using roasted carrots and almonds. What do you think?

Beet Almond Dip 

Ingredients

1/4 cup blanched almonds
2 Tablespoons water
1 cup sliced cooked beets
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Salt

Instructions

Process the almonds and water in the food processor for a minute or so, until white and creamy but not completely smooth. Add the beets and process, scraping down the sides from time to time. Finally add the lemon juice and olive oil and ginger. Season to taste with salt.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: My thanks to Melissa's for providing me with the beets 
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Warm Cauliflower Dip Recipe

Tahini is a very rich sesame seed paste used in hummus. But that's not the only thing you can do with tahini. It adds richness and creaminess to a variety of dishes including salads, fish, grilled meats and vegetables. To make an amazing tahini sauce, all you have to do is combine tahini, mashed garlic, water and lemon juice. You can make it to be thick and creamy or thin and saucy. Either way it is delicious.

Recently I needed to make some appetizers that were lactose free. I looked in my fridge and found a head of cauliflower and some tahini (which is a staple ingredient at my house) and those formed the basis of this luscious warm cauliflower dip. No butter, no cheese. No problem! 

Warm cauliflower dip is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and lactose free. So pretty much anyone should be able to enjoy it. It's surprisingly rich and creamy, considering it doesn't have any cream. I made it the first time in my Vitamix, but I tested it in the food processor and it came out just great that way too. You could add hot sauce or a splash of lemon juice if you want to customize it. You could also use it as a spread for sandwiches or wraps. It's good at room temperature or warm. 

Warm Cauliflower Dip

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower
Head of garlic
Olive oil
2 Tablespoons tahini
2-3 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Black sesame seeds, optional

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice about 1/4 inch off the top of the garlic clove, just enough to expose the cloves. Cut away the core of the cauliflower and break it into small pieces. Place the cauliflower and whole head of garlic on a rimmed baking sheet (I line mine with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up). Drizzle the vegetables with a little oil, about a tablespoon or so. Roast for 45 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown in spots.

Transfer the cauliflower to the food processor. When the garlic is cooled enough to handle, squeeze it from the skins and add as much of it as you'd like into the food processor. I use about 5 cloves (save the rest to add to mashed potatoes). Add the tahini, salt and cumin. Puree, adding as much water as you need to form a  very thick and creamy dip. Taste for seasonings. You may need to add more salt or tahini, it really depends on the size and flavor of the cauliflower. Garnish with black sesame seeds. Serve with crudités, endive leaves or chips. You can keep this in the refrigerator for several days and gently reheat in the microwave (or serve at room temperature). 

Enjoy! 
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