Beans, Greens and Pasta

Greens Beans and Pasta

Beans Greens and Pasta adds sunshine to a cold, dreary day. Comfort Food at its best. Now personally, I haven’t met a green or a bean that I didn’t like. But when you put them together with pasta and a few ingredients to kick it up a notch, you have this delicious, satisfying meal. Since it comes together in less than an hour, it can even be enjoyed on a weeknight.

I came across a video for this recipe on Food52. It’s by Sohla El-Waylly. Most recipes have way more salt than I find necessary to the dish, but I will leave the amounts up to you. Just remember that you can always add salt but once you have put too much in a dish, it is almost impossible to take it away. Many years ago, someone taught me that if you over-salt broth, you can add a whole, peeled raw potato to the liquid to absorb the extra salt. The potato is then discarded. Absent that, you are pretty much stuck.

And once you learn how everything comes together, you can feel free to swap out the collard greens for kale or any other firm green that you have on hand and like. Cannellini beans (also known as white kidney beans) are super creamy and meaty, but you could easily use a Great Northern, Navy or Tarbais bean. Orecchiette pasta (“little ears”) is pretty and produces just the right “bite” that you look for in this dish, but any smallish pasta that you have available will work.

So learn the techniques – none of which are difficult – and then make this dish your own. But do make it because it is just so, so delicious. Greens, Beans and Pasta takes a salty, flavorful meat, but it doesn’t have to be traditional bacon, although that is what I used this go around. Feel free to substitute pancetta, smoked turkey leg or turkey bacon. However, keep in mind the fat content, because all of that beautiful fat means flavor. And at the end of the day, it really isn’t all that much. If you choose to make this without any meat, then be sure to add the most flavorful EVOO that you can afford.

I can’t really imagine making this dish without cheese, so you could do a vegetarian version, but a vegan version would be lacking in my opinion. You want to use a flavorful, somewhat salty cheese like a good Reggiano Parmesan or a Pecorino. The recipe does call for hot pepper flakes, but you control the heat and this could be left out if you really want without compromising the dish.

Now I know that pre-pandemic bread had gone out of favor in a lot of circles – something I NEVER could understand, but okay. During the pandemic, apparently a lot of people took up bread-baking and for a time there was actually a total shortage of yeast. This dish simply cries out for a good crusty baguette to wipe up the creamy, utterly yummy sauce that is produced. So I’m begging you – eat bread!

For other great pasta ideas:

One-Pot Pasta Puttanesca

One-Pot Pasta Puttanesca

Baked Pasta in Eggplant: Pasta Incaciata

Shrimp and Arugula Avocado Pesto Pasta

Penne Pasta with Broccoli Rabe

Roasted Pepper and Garlic Confit Pasta

Quick and elegant pasta

Recipe

Greens Beans and Pasta

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

Greens Beans and Pasta
  • 5 ounces (1 1/2 cups) orecchiette (or another short dry pasta, like macaroni or penne)
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water, divided
  • slices (6 ounces) thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves
  • About 1 pound collard greens (about 2 small bunches)
  • (15.5-oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, depending on your spice tolerance
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ounce Parmesan or pecorino, finely grated (about 1 cup), plus more to serve
  • 1 tablespoon butter (unsalted and salted both work)

Directions

Greens Beans and Pasta
  1. Put the pasta in a small bowl and cover with 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock or water, stirring occasionally to make sure the pasta isn’t clumping together. [The pasta gives off starch, which will make a creamy sauce. It also allows the pasta to cook quickly and not absorb too much of the cooking liquid.]
  2. Add the bacon to a 4-quart Dutch oven along with 2 tablespoons of water. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat melts out of the bacon and the bacon grows brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. (If you’re using turkey bacon, add 1 tablespoon of any oil along with the water.)
  3. Meanwhile, smash, peel, and finely chop the garlic. Strip the collard leaves from the stems. Stack the leaves and cut lengthwise into four long sections. Stack the pieces and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick strips (you should have about 6 cups lightly packed of manageable-sized greens).
  4. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the bacon from the Dutch oven and transfer to a plate, leaving all of the fat behind. Add the garlic and cook until tender and aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, if using, and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
  5. Add the collards, the remaining 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock or water, and a big pinch of salt and black pepper. (Unless you are using unsalted stock, only add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to start.) Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain an active simmer. Cook, partially covered, until the liquid has reduced to about 1 cup and the greens are tender and silky, 40 to 45 minutes. Taste the greens and add more salt and black pepper if needed. Add the beans and stir through. (You want it to be very well seasoned at this point, so the liquid and greens can season the pasta. But remember, you still have the salty cheese and bacon to add back in.)
  6. Add the pasta along with the soaking liquid and simmer, stirring constantly, until the pasta is al dente, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add about 2/3 of the cheese, 1 Tablespoon of butter, and about 1/2 of the reserved bacon, and stir well to combine.
  7. Divide the pasta among 4 bowls and garnish with more cheese and bacon.

Pumpkin Praline Pie

Pumpkin Praline Pie

Thanksgiving is long over, but it doesn’t mean that celebrations are too. I was hesitant to try making a Pumpkin Praline Pie. I don’t normally brag, but I make a killer Bourbon Pecan Pie and a really deeply spicy, amazing pumpkin pie. And I wasn’t sure that I wanted to mess with either where more might actually become less.

However, with so few of us this past thanksgiving, I would only be making one pie instead of my usual three and I simply couldn’t choose. (The third pie is usually an apple.) I am happy to report that this pie is delicious and does combine many elements of a pumpkin and a pecan pie. So for a delicious pie that stands on its own merit, you should try this Pumpkin Praline Pie. The crunchiness of the praline is the perfect counterpoint to the rich, creamy pumpkin pie.

After looking online and YouTube for a couple of weeks, I finally bit the bullet and decided to try a recipe I found on Allrecipes. A few changes were made based on some of the comments and my own preference for a well-spiced pumpkin pie. The result is a delicious, creamy, rich pumpkin pie with a praline-like topping. So if you want a gorgeous dessert that is unique on its own merit, but leaning towards a souped up pumpkin pie, try this. If you are looking to satisfy the Pecan Pie crowd, this won’t quite be the answer – in my opinion.

My version of this Pumpkin Praline Pie has plenty of pecans, but this topping, really delicious though it is, does not give you the ooey gooeyness of a true pecan pie. And I missed the Bourbon that cuts through some of the sweetness to keep it from becoming cloying. Don’t misunderstand. This is a really delicious pie and one that I enjoyed more each time I ate it. Just don’t buy into the hype on the web that it serves as the perfect combo of a pumpkin and pecan pie – it doesn’t. It is it’s own thing.

Now if you don’t enjoy as much spiciness in your pumpkin pie as I do, use a pre-mixed, store-bought pumpkin pie spice and cut back on the quantity. And if you want to make this pie but keep it vegan, use my Vegan Pumpkin Pie for the body and follow the directions for adding the topping. And instead of using butter with the pecans, use a vegan buttery spread or a solid coconut oil. Just remember to use either a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate or a 10-inch regular pie plate!

Recipe

Pumpkin Praline Pie

Yield: One 10-inch OR deep-dish 9-inch pie

Ingredients

1 unbaked pie crust for a deep dish pie (store bought or homemade)

For Pumpkin Portion

2 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 Tablespoon unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

A couple of grinds of freshly cracked black pepper

15 ounce can (2 cups) pure solid-pack pumpkin puree

For Pecan Topping

4 Tablespoons of softened unsalted butter

Zest of one large navel orange

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1.5 cups of pecans broken into large pieces

Garnish (Optional)

Homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Directions

Heat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate or a 10-inch pie plate with the pastry and refrigerate while you make the filling. There is no need to blind-bake the pastry in this recipe.

Combine the eggs, sugars, flour, spices and salt in a large bowl. Blend in the pumpkin puree using a wire whisk. Gradually add the condensed milk and mix well.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared pie shell and place on a baking sheet in the lower third of your oven. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees F. Then without opening the oven, reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. The total baking time will depend on your oven but usually takes about 50 minutes more. After the pie has baked for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. carefully remove it from the oven. The center should still be fairly wet but the outside should be somewhat set.

At this point take the topping and sprinkle it all over the top. I also used a pie shield on my crust as it was beginning to get more brown than I liked. If you don’t have a pie shield you can use aluminum foil but honestly, that’s kind of a pain. If you intend to continue baking pies, treat yourself to a pie shield. They are inexpensive and really make a difference.

Return the pie to the oven for about 20 minutes more. Then turn off the oven and crack open the door. Leave the pie in the oven to cool down. It will continue to bake some and will prevent cracking.

Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Oven “Fried” Eggplant

Oven “Fried” Eggplant

Like many people, I can be seduced by fried foods. And I love nothing more than a slice of eggplant, well seasoned, lightly breaded and fried to perfection. But the truth is that I hate actually frying anything. Aside from the oil spatter (which I have to clean up – yuck!) the house always smells for days and then I am stuck with oil to discard safely. And the extra calories. Don’t even get me started on greasy fried foods cooked in oil that wasn’t quite hot enough or was burned because the oil was too hot. But this Oven “Fried” Eggplant is everything that I love and nothing that I hate about fried food.

What is really great about this Oven “Fried Eggplant” – aside from the results – is that it teaches you a method which you can almost endlessly riff on to please your palate. The seasonings I used are Italian-leaning, but you could just as easily sub in Indian or even Asian spices. And my husband and I ate this as a light supper with a delicious salad and a simple tomato sauce to dab on top. However, let your imagination be your guide rather than your limit. Layer the slices in a stack with slices of fresh mozzarella and thick slices of tomato and serve with arugula tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette.

These wonderful Oven “Fried” Eggplant slices would make a great layer stuffed into a pita with slices of hard-boiled egg, hummus and Israeli salad or pickle for a delicious take on a Sabich sandwich.

Are you a fan of chutney or raita or tzatziki? Think how amazing this Oven “Fried” Eggplant would be with these instead of a tomato sauce? You could even make this as an appetizer with a variety of sauces and allow your guests (remember them?) to choose their favorite.

Eggplant
Oven “Fried” Eggplant

The key to making this work is two-fold – well maybe three-fold: 1) You have to slice your eggplant just the right thickness. Too thin and the eggplant will burn. Too thick and it won’t cook through before the breading burns. 2) You need to have a broiler and a shallow, heavy aluminum pan. 3) You have to watch it. If you have a convection oven, which I don’t, there is no need to turn the pan – only the eggplant needs to be turned over once. But without a convection oven, I rotated my pan halfway through each side. This really wasn’t difficult or even a big deal and the total cooking time is only about 16 minutes. But it’s not a great time to get busy with something else.

So enough chatter. Let’s cook up some Oven “Fried” Eggplant! This recipe comes from a wonderful cookbook by Gloria Kaufer Greene. Frances and I have made many recipes from here, and they are always accurate. ANd it’s an interesting read.

Well, okay, a word first on choosing your eggplant. The eggplant should weigh about 1 to 1.5 pounds and be firm. If you want to double the recipe, that’s fine, but don’t choose a larger eggplant. Choose two instead. The larger the eggplant, the more the more likely you are to have bitter seeds. And you do NOT want that.

With an eggplant weighing one to 1.5 pounds, you should not need to salt your eggplant first to draw out the bitterness. This would work with almost any type of eggplant that comes in at around this weight. I just wouldn’t use really small ones. And while I did not make mine vegan, you can make this using an egg substitute. To make life easy for yourself, use a good store-bought brand of tomato sauce. You can doctor it with seasonings you like or buy it pre-seasoned. It doesn’t have to be hard to be good!

For other wonderful eggplant recipes:

Baked Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb and Bulghur

Eggplant Pâté (Bharta)

Greek Eggplant Dip: Melitzanosalata

Moussaka

Baked Pasta in Eggplant: Pasta Incaciata

Eggplant stuffed with Ground Lamb

Eggplant Raita Middle Eastern Style

Eggplant and Tomato Bake

Eggplant and Beef Albondigas

Lamb and Eggplant Casserole

Savory Galette with Eggplant, Zucchini and Feta

Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms, Eggplant and Tomatoes

Recipe

Yield: About 6 servings as a appetizer or 3 to 4 as a dinner with salad or pasta

Ingredients

Seasoned Breadcrumb Mixture (You can skip this and used purchased Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs if you are feeling lazy. The herbs and measurements are a suggestion.)

2.5 cups dried bread crumbs (Panko or regular)

1.5 Tablespoons dried parsley flakes

1.5 teaspoons dried onion powder

1.5 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (or Aleppo pepper)

Eggplant

1 medium eggplant, about 1 to 1.5 pounds

2 large eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute

2 Tablespoons Canola oil

Garnish

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

About 4 ounces of tomato sauce

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients together for the seasoned bread crumbs and place in a dish that will be large enough to hold the largest slice of eggplant.

Lightly oil or coat with non-stick spray (I used EVOO) one large, heavy metal baking sheet. (You could use two but why clean up more than necessary). Set a cooling rack over a second baking sheet or over paper towels or parchment. Set aside.

Cut off and discard the ends of the eggplant. Cut the eggplant into circles that are 3/8-inches thick. Size matters here. Use a ruler for the first one.

Preheat your oven to broil and place your baking rack 5 to 6 inches from the heat source.

Beat the eggs (or egg substitute) with the Canola oil in a dish that is deep enough and large enough around to fit the largest slice of eggplant. (I used a pie plate.)

Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg mixture and allow the excess to drip back into the dish. Immediately coat both sides of the eggplant with the breadcrumb mixture by laying it in flat, applying a small amount of pressure and then turning it over to repeat. Lay out the coated eggplant slices onto the prepared pan.

Broil the eggplant slices for a total of about 12 to 16 minutes. Turn the pan halfway for each side unless you have a convection oven so that you get even browning. Flip the slices halfway through. As soon as the slices are done, place them on the cooling rack to keep them crispy while you continue cooking any remaining slices. I did 2 batches.

When you are finished with all of the slices, arrange them on a platter. Sprinkle chopped parsley, basil or cilantro over the top. I grated a bit of parmesan as well, but honestly, it isn’t necessary.

Oven “Fried” Eggplant

German Chocolate Cookies

German Chocolate Cookies

German Chocolate Cookies are gooey dark chocolate, sweet toasted coconut and pecans. ‘Nuf said.

While I may enjoy a good piece of layer cake, it doesn’t make much sense to make one for only two people. And most cakes that I like have a buttercream frosting or a chocolate ganache and require refrigeration. This is TOTALLY unrealistic for me. Unlike TV cooking personalities, I don’t have an empty spare refrigerator only filled with the ingredients for a single dish. I live in the real world.

So when my husband and I are craving a delicious German Chocolate Cake, I will turn to these German Chocolate Cookies instead. I came across this recipe in the New York Times. Interesting piece of cooking trivia – German Chocolate Cake isn’t German at all. It’s named after an American chocolate maker, Samuel German. Okay, German Chocolate Cookies aren’t an exact substitute for the cake, but they are awfully satisfying. And with cookies, there is never any waste.

If I am making something sweet, I like to balance it out with either a tart citrus or a darker chocolate. You could buy a 64% to 70% chocolate and chop it up yourself or you could take the lazy way out like I did and simply use a dark chocolate chip. Once you could only buy semi-sweet chips, but now you can easily find milk chocolate, sugar-free chocolate, flavored chocolate and dark chocolate.

And while you can easily toast your own coconut, I bought already toasted, sweetened coconut from Nuts.com, my go-to store for nuts, dried fruits and all kinds of wonderful ingredients and hard-to-find items. If you want to cut the sweetness even further, swap out unsweetened coconut for the sweetened coconut.

I have never outgrown my love of milk – real dairy milk. To me, NOTHING beats cookies and milk. So you can have yours with coffee, tea or dessert wine, but I’ll be enjoying my German Chocolate Cookies with a cold glass of milk!

These cookies would make a lovely gift over the holidays, packaged in a nice tin.

For other great cookie treats to fill that tin:

Italian Polenta Cookies

Vegan Italian Chocolate Cookies

Lavender Mint Shortbread Cookies

Chewy Molasses Cookies

Tehina Shortbread Cookies

Who doesn’t LOVE cookies?

Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lemoniscious Ricotta Cookies

Ma’Amoul – Moroccan Stuffed Tartlets

Recipe

German Chocolate Cookies

Yield: About 30 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup/128 grams all-purpose flour
½ cup/47 grams Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons/113 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
½ cup/101 grams granulated sugar
½ cup/110 grams packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups/128 grams lightly toasted, sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup/170 grams chopped bittersweet chocolate (or chocolate chips)
1 cup/119 grams chopped pecans

Directions

Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour,
cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter,
granulated sugar and brown sugar together with an electric mixer on
medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla
until smooth.

German Chocolate Cookies


Step 2
Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture. Add coconut,
chocolate and pecans and mix to just combine.

German Chocolate Cookies


Step 3
Portion the dough in 2 tablespoon scoops and roll them into balls.
Place them on parchment-lined baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies until dry on top but still soft in the center, about 10
minutes, turning once unless you have a convection oven. The cookies will not have spread much, so just go by how the surface looks. Remove from the oven and immediately tap the sheets against a work surface to deflate them slightly. Alternatively you could use a flat spatula to lightly press down on the cookies to flatten some. Allow the cookies to sit on the sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.