Broccoli Rabe, Navy Beans, and Mushrooms

I love Mark Bittman, The Minimalist, and columnist for the New York Times. At the beginning of the year he wrote a column about kitchen must haves which inspired and convinced me to toss aside canned beans in favor of dried. Canned beans are pretty cheap, convenient, and allow me to make meals very quickly. At times, I find the texture questionable especially of kidney and cannellini beans, and the liquid is just kind of weird.

So I purchased a bag of dried navy beans, cheaper than canned. I soaked them over night which actually requires forethought, and then cooked them in the pressure cooker for 20 to 25 minutes with salt, and they were AWESOME. The texture was so different, cooked but firm, not mushy. And they did not fall apart when I tossed them in salads or in this dish.

This Minimalist is right again, they taste SO much better.

Ingredients
- 1 cup navy beans (soaked over night)
- 1 head of broccoli rabe
- 1/2 pound or more mushrooms
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 3 cloves (or to your taste) of garlic
- 1 cup bean liquid (the liquid the beans were cooked in)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 to 4 T olive oil

First, I have to say I made this recipe as I went so the ingredient list was really to taste, a kind of a fly by the seat of my pants thing.

Soak beans over night, and then cook in the pressure cooker for about 20 to 25 minutes. I added 5 times the water than beans (so for 1 cup of beans, cook in 5 cups of water). Add salt to the water. If you forget the overnight soak, cook for 1.5 hours. Be sure to save some liquid from the beans.

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil, add broccoli rabe and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how tender you like your greens. Drain well, and then roughly chop.

In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots, cooking until golden. Add mushrooms and garlic, cook until mushrooms are browned. Add chopped broccoli rabe and cooked navy beans. If a little dry, add some of the saved liquid. Taste for salt. Add pepper, and then serve.

Basil Puree

I wanted to use all the wonderful basil growing in my garden without making pesto pasta so I made a simple basil puree (courtesy of Deborah Madison) and used that as the sauce for a simple summer pizza. At the farmer's market and the new fabulous Berkeley Bowl, I bought mushrooms, shallots, and fresh mozzarella. Out of the freezer, I pulled a white whole wheat crust that I had made a few months ago, which turned out pretty well but was a little dense (since wheat does not rise as well).

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
-2 cups basil
-1/2 cup olive oil
-3 cloves of garlic
-1/2 tsp salt

In a food processer, add all the ingredients and chop until smooth and creamy, and spreadable.

I think it was very strong tasty, which I like, but I think I would have may be used slightly less of the puree on the pizza.

Dal Makhani (Creamy Black Lentils)

Last week, I was looking for a quick and easy recipe for the black lentils I had in a glass jar, staring at me for the last year or so.  My goal was to only use ingredients I have at home, and not have to run out to the store to get anything.  Well, I definitely found this recipe, and even excluded ingredients because I didn't have them, and it was SO totally successful.

I left out the tomato and tomato paste since I didn't have them on hand, and I skipped the tempering at the end. Also, when I initially read this recipe, I missed the part about soaking the beans overnight.  I did not do this and it still worked.  If you don't soak the beans, add more water and cook longer.  The key to the water is to add 5 times the amount of water than bean. So if you use 1 cup of beans, put in 5 cups of water.  And cook for 20 minutes, first bringing it to a boil in the pressure cooker, and than reducing heat slightly to high.  If you find that it is still too nutty for you, cook again but for less time, being sure not to scorch the bottom.  I almost did this.

This dish is SO incredibly flavorful, and tastes just wonderful with steamed corn tortillas.  And it's SO easy.

Tomato-Basil Pesto

I really dislike it when I have to buy a bunch of basil for a recipe that calls for a whopping 2 T. Today, I was determined to use something with the remainder, and I think I hit a home run with this tasty topping which is so versatile. Deborah Madison suggests using this red pesto to season soups or to spread on grilled cheese sandwiches (yummo!). I decided it would be a good topping for whole wheat crackers and it was awesome. The garlic is sharp and contrasts with the sweetness of the basil and tomato paste. The cheese gives the side creaminess and salt, without having to add it from an outside source. So easy, so simple, so tasty, so scrumptious. It's a no effort crowd pleaser.

Makes about 3/4 cup
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
-2 garlic cloves,
-salt
-1 1/2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (use slightly less)
-1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
-2 to 3 T tomato paste

Preparation
Pound the garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mortar until smooth. Chop the basil in a food processor and gradually add the oil to make a coarse puree. Remove and stir into the garlic with the cheese and tomato paste.