hungry poodle

Remember the Rolling Stones song, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash, it’s a gas, gas, gas”? Beans have been given a bad rap because of their unfortunate impact on the digestive tract.  (Julia Child referred to this phenomenon as the “rooti-ti-toots”.) Consider, however, their giant status as a healthy, economical food, loaded with protein and consumed by way more people in the world than I know personally.

That being dutifully stated, here is a super-easy way to turn canned white beans into a colorful and delicious entree.  The original recipe, from Gourmet Magazine, called for cubes of ham and baby romaine lettuce. I’ve included the ham in the recipe below but I left it out (still suffering from a December ham hangover) and I really didn’t miss it. I also used baby spinach leaves instead of romaine, as I can’t yet fathom the idea of cooking salad greens. (Yes, technically spinach is a salad green but it’s a cooked vegetable as well, so it passes muster.)

This is a versatile recipe; the first night I served it plain (with whole wheat rolls and salad). The next night I grilled shrimp and placed them on top of the stew. You could do likewise with grilled chicken. Add whatever herbs or spices appeal to you. I sprinkled on lots of crushed red pepper and finished it off with a splash of Frank’s Original Hot Sauce. Yee hah!

Cooking the spinach just until it wilts allows it to retain its vibrant color.

2 large garlic cloves, minced (I used 3 cloves because I left out the ham)
1 T. olive oil
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can stewed tomatoes (I used Mexican stewed tomatoes)
1 (14 oz.) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 (16 to 19-oz.) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (use the largest white bean you can find)
1/2 lb. piece of baked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (ask the deli to cut a 1/2″ thick slice for you)
1/4 to 1/2 t. black pepper
1 (5 oz.) bag of baby spinach leaves

Heat olive oil in a medium Dutch oven and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Coarsely cut up tomatoes in the can using kitchen shears and add to the garlic. Stir in broth, beans, ham and pepper and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 3 more minutes. Season to taste and enjoy.

Serves 4

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Chicken Noodle Soup with Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

Progress is being made weather-wise. We’ve gone from months of sub-zero temperatures with copious quantities of snow and grey skies to above-freezing days (Oh joy! Oh bliss!) with nonstop rain and grey skies, made survivable by infrequent but promising appearances of the sun.

One can always find something to be grateful for, and today I’m grateful that I don’t live in Alaska (for several really good reasons, among which are their long, dark arctic winters).

In gratitude for my living here in the American Midwest (I keep saying that, I must be proud!) where it’s grey but at least we have the nation’s NUMBER ONE men’s college basketball team, here is a soup that takes mere minutes to prepare but feeds the soul.

When you’re on your way home from work, stop and buy a rotisserie chicken. Otherwise, you should have all the other ingredients on hand (and if you don’t, you need to re-think your pantry).

Since noodles tend to expand and soak up broth over time,  you may have to add more broth as needed.

1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 to 3 stalks celery, chopped
2 to 3 carrots, chopped
2 cups water
1 32-oz. carton reduced-sodium chicken broth, and more as needed
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t. dried thyme or 1/4 t. dried tarragon (if you like a French taste)
6 oz. egg noodles or fusilli pasta
2 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (optional but a nice look)

Heat oil in a large saucepan and saute onion, celery and carrots until almost soft. Add water and chicken broth and bring to a simmer; add pasta and dried thyme and cook until it’s almost al dente. Stir in chicken and cook until everything is heated through. Adjust seasonings, add parsley and serve.

This soup is very adaptable. You can add other vegetables, such as frozen peas. You can also leave out the noodles and add corn and potatoes. Or you can add a can of drained white beans. You see what I mean.

Serves: 6 (about 1 cup)

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California Pizza Kitchen is one of my favorite casual restaurants. If you sit at the counter, as we do, you can watch the staff prepare many of the entrees right in front of you, which I like because it means that what you see is what you get. No surprises, just fresh, real food. Most of it is quite healthy too.

Although pizza is the house specialty, their soups and salads are far from afterthoughts. My favorite soup is the Dakota Smashed Pea and Barley Soup. It’s fat-free, vegetarian and completely filling and delicious. Think about it–how often do you see a fat-free soup on the regular menu of a popular restaurant?  The usual fare is baked potato (cream-laden) or bisque of some sort (ditto).

Here, from California Pizza Kitchen’s, “Pasta, Salads, Soups and Sides” cookbook, is the soup. It’s simple, but to me, that’s what makes it inspired.

1 lb. dried split peas, sorted and rinsed
1/2 cup pearl barley
8 cups water (or half water, half low-sodium chicken broth, as I do)
2 bay leaves
1 t. salt
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. chopped fresh thyme (or 1 t. dried)
2 t. minced garlic
1/2 t. rubbed dried sage
1/4 t. cumin
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
2/3 cup minced onion
1/3 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

In a large pot combine the split peas, barley, water (and/or broth), bay leaves, salt, soy sauce, thyme, garlic, sage and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a bare simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the carrots, onions and celery. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 minutes more. Adjust seasonings, adding more salt if necessary (usually the case for me). Discard the bay leaves. Garnish each serving with sliced green onions.

(Pea soup thickens as it sits, so you’ll probably have to add more water or broth when you heat it up. For a smoother texture, puree the soup with an immersion blender.)

Serves: 8

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