Try these winter warming recipes from Chef Poppy’s last cooking class. “In our last class we combined these flavorful victuals and the result was wonderful. Combining rosemary and fennel helped the magic.”
Cannellini Beans with Fresh Rosemary
1 cup dried cannellini beans (use canned for convenience; 2 cans rinsed)
A few small branches of fresh rosemary
cheese cloth and cotton string
Salt* and pepper
1. If using dried beans, soak overnight in a bowl with water 3 inches higher than the beans.
2. I wrapped the rosemary in the cheesecloth and tied it with string, and then placed it in the pot with the beans.
3. Rinse and put beans in a pot with plenty of fresh water. Cook to a boil, then simmer. Watch the beans! Often they need more water than you think and it’s easy to burn them.
4. Simmer for about an hour, maybe more. You’ll know they’re done when you taste a few and they are soft with a nutty earthy flavor. If you’re using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker it takes 30-40 minutes.
* don’t add too much salt at the beginning or during the cooking. The beans will be absorbing it. I tend to add a bit of salt during cooking and add more to finish, when the beans are done.
Roasted Root Vegetables
Onions
Potatoes
Golden Beets
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Olive oil
Fennel seeds
Salt and pepper
Slice onions and chop all veggies into uniform pieces. This way they should be cooked at about the same time. Place in a roasting pan.
Pour olive oil over veggies and stir with your hands.
Add fennel seeds, salt, and pepper
Cook at 425 degrees for about an hour or until veggies are soft.
Sautéed Beet Greens (and chard)
Beet greens, washed
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
I demonstrated the best way to wash beet greens, or leafy greens for that matter. Slice the greens thinly, chiffonade style, and place in a bowl of water. Remove greens from the bowl and place in a colander. Repeat a few times or until the water is clear.
Add a bit of olive oil in a frying pan and bring to heat.
Add greens (they should still have some water on them). Add a little water, if necessary, to cook them through.
Stir frequently.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add a splash of balsamic or lemon juice to finish.
Combine Everything
Combine the 3 separate dishes together. I used some of the bean water to hold everything together. You could add a little vegetable stock. We also added some Parmesan cheese. The only thing that could have made this lunch even more delicious would have been a thick slice of crusty bread.
Enjoy the Holidays everyone!
Chef Poppy