HEALTHY EATING: 3 Lusty Greens and Beans Recipes

By Clifford A. Wright (Zester Daily)

In traditional Mediterranean cooking, dried beans are typical winter foods that are often combined with winter greens and root vegetables such as Swiss chard, spinach, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes and others.

There is a delight in these kinds of dishes not only because they’re delicious, but they are satisfying and healthy too. These three are only examples of what you can do with “beans and greens.”

To devise your own combination, start with a dried legume and then consider its color and match that with an appropriate root vegetable (color also considered) and an appropriate green.

So, for example, red kidney beans, white potatoes, and kale or lentils, beet greens and yams and so on all cooked for beautiful winter main courses or side dishes. If serving as a main course, you should double these recipes.

Beans and Greens: beans, sweet potato and chard

Prep time: 6 to 8 hours with bean soak or 10 minutes without

Cook time: 45 minutes

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) dried red kidney beans, soaked in water for 6 to 8 hours, drained

1 bay leaf

6 ounces sweet potato, peeled and diced

3 ounces winter squash, peeled and diced

1/4 pound Swiss chard leaves, chopped coarsely

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 ounces finely chopped onion

1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Directions

1. Place the beans in a large pot with the bay leaf and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook 25 minutes. Check to see if the beans are tender with a little bite to them. If not, cook longer. Add the sweet potato, squash and Swiss chard, stir, and cook until they are all tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat then cook, stirring, the onion and cumin until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the drained beans and greens to the pan, mix well, season with salt, cook 1 minute then serve.

Beans and Greens: fava, eggplant and frisee

Prep time: 6 to 8 hours with bean soak or 10 minutes without

Cook time: 50 minutes

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) dried yellow fava beans, soaked in water 6 to 8 hours, drained

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

5 ounces eggplant, peeled and diced

1 1/2 ounces finely chopped onion

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1/4 pound frisee, chopped

1 1/2 ounces arugula, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Place the fava beans in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to boil over high heat and cook until tender, about 40 minutes (check for tenderness and cook longer if necessary).

2. Meanwhile, in a skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat then cook, turning occasionally, the eggplant until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Remove the eggplant with a slotted spoon or skimmer and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil. Reduce the heat to medium.

3. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the frisee, arugula, and mint to the pan and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 8 minutes. Add the fava beans and cook, tossing with a little salt, for a minute. Serve hot.

Beans and Greens: chickpeas, spinach and potato

Prep time: 6 to 8 hours with bean soak or 10 minutes without

Cook time: 45 minutes

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) dried chickpeas, soaked in water for 6 to 8 hours, drained

5 ounces boiling potato, such as Yukon gold, white or red potato, peeled and diced

6 ounces spinach leaves, chopped

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small leek, white part only, split lengthwise, washed well and finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. Place the chickpeas in pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 15 minutes (taste one and if it is quite hard cook another 20 minutes) then add the potato and cook until the potato has disintegrated a bit and the chickpeas are tender, about another 25 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until it is wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat then cook, stirring, the leek, garlic and celery until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tarragon and cook until it wilts in a minute. Add the drained chickpeas and spinach, and toss well with some salt and pepper then serve hot.

Copyright 2016 Clifford A. Wright via Zester Daily and Reuters Media Express