Pesto Tomato Pizza and White Bean Dip

I have yet again another new cookbook.  And, I've not even finished reading the ones I bought a couple of weeks ago.  The new one is courtesy of Jolene Ketzenberger.  She's the owner and editor of EatDrinkIndy.com and used to be the food writer at our local paper.  In years gone by, she did a Christmas cookie contest.  Like most things fun, the Star has discontinued that.  Just another reason I prefer the New York Times these days!  At any rate, Jolene's hubby John persuaded her to put together a last minute cookie contest at a local Brewery.  It's called Bent Rail.  The noise in there was deafening.  But, the food was incredible.  We'll head that way for dinner and make sure we get there and are gone by the time the band starts!!!  Let me note here... I am NOT a baker.  Used to bake 4,000 cookies and deliver plates of them to all of my clients.  No more.  I really avoid baking.  But, because Jolene wanted to do the contest, I entered.  Whiskey shortbread cookies.  They were good but not fabulous.  Nothing I'll make again.  But, since everyone who entered got to choose a cookbook, I was a happy camper.  That and I got to talk with some other foodies.  Carolyn, this is directed at you - time to start your own blog!  Seriously Simple Holidays is the cookbook I chose.  Can't wait to dig into this one.  Just in time for the holidays too.  Chicken paillards with cranberry port sauce.  Doesn't that sound amazing?  I know there will be a dozen recipes that we'll love.

So, back to the other new cookbooks I bought.  I had to go to the Christmas Tree Shop for bows for the window boxes.  Stop.  I wanted to go.  Needs versus wants.  I'm constantly reminding my clients of the difference...  Bows on window boxes are a want.  So are new cookbooks.  Or, in my case an obsession.  One that Connie happily tolerates because he gets lots of fun food.  The first cookbook I read was Small Plates by Williams Sonoma.  They actually have a lot of very good cookbooks.  This is my 5th or 6th and I've enjoyed all of them.  In addition to a recipe for scallops over a salsa of avocado and mango that's on the menu for New Years Eve, I had my eye on a pesto, tomato and mozzarella pizza.  In the fall we always turn the last of the basil into pesto.  Then, before the cheese is added in, it's frozen.  So, I have about a dozen 1/2 cup containers of frozen almost pesto.  Makes us think of summer when we eat it.  I wanted a meal that was quick, quick, quick.  We'd spent most of Sunday at the office.  Something about our admin being out thanks to her knee being replaced.  But, you've heard that story.  We're still doing double duty.  And, I had cookies to bake.  And, and, and.  Just not a lot of time to cook.  I'd had Connie buy a Boboli crust at the grocery so I was ready.  And, it was the perfect evening.  Nuke the pesto to thaw it.  Stir in some grated parmesan romano.  Schmear it on the crust.  Cut grape tomatoes in half and cover the pesto.  Thinly slice the fresh mozzarella and layer it over the top.  Bake at 450 for 15 minutes and we were good to go.

What did we think?  There almost weren't leftovers.  This was amazing.  My prep time was about 10 minutes.  Cooking time was 15.  And, we had a dinner that tasted much fancier than that.  Here's what the process looks like:

Our second recipe from the cookbook was equally successful.  White bean dip.  It's similar to ones we've made before but with bits of crunchy sage and prosciutto, it's just a step ahead of the generic white bean dip...

White Bean Dip

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
1 oz prosciutto (I used two ounces,) finely diced
6 fresh sage leaves, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 15 1/2 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 shallot, finely minced
2 t lemon juice
salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat 1 t of the olive oil to shimmering in a small skillet.  Add the prosciutto, sage, shallot and garlic.  Saute until the prosciutto and sage are a bit crispy.  In a food processor, whir the beans with the other tablespoon of olive oil and the lemon juice.  Pour the beans into a small bowl and add the sautéed ingredients.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with thinly sliced baguette, pita chips or crackers.

Adapted from Williams Sonoma Small Plates

As I type this it's Christmas Eve Eve.  Last weekend our oldest son David, his wife Kara and our grandkids, Bradley and Rosie came over to visit.  We started with Mary Poppins at Civic Theatre.  They totally hit it out of the park with that show.  I have to give kudos to a long-time friend of mine, Don Knebel, for what he's doing there.  After a long career as an attorney, he retired to spend time working with the Institute for Civic Literacy at IUPUI.  But, Civic came calling and he answered the call.  This show was so well done.  I've been singing Let's Go Fly a Kite all week!!!  Here's Rosie meeting Mary Poppins:

 

After Mary Poppins we headed home for ham, mac and cheese and an autumn salad with apples, sugared almonds and blue cheese.  Dessert was a decadent ice cream pie.  With bacon caramel sauce, Heath bars and honey roasted peanuts.  Makes my teeth ache just thinking about it.  But, it was fabulous!

 

Then, we opened presents.  The hit of the year was toolboxes.  We were a bit hesitant to get the kids their own tool boxes but I do believe Mama has a grand idea.  She's going to go to Lowe's and get some lumber and set it up in the garage so they can practice.  Here's Bradley showing his off and Grampy showing Rosie how everything works:

 

 

Carrot, Dill and White Bean Salad

Carrots are one of my favorite vegetables.  They're so incredibly versatile.  Crispy and crunchy raw, meltingly tender when slow cooked.  Makes my mouth water to think about them. 

Ths month's Secret Recipe Club blog is Veronica's Cornucopia.  I'd gone thru and made a list of the recent posts I'd like to try.  Then, when we were finishing up leftovers from our big party, I looked for a side dish.  You see, I had a container of Bloody Mary Grape Tomatoes that I was going to turn into Penne a la Vodka and I wanted something to go with it.  I knew from reading her blog that Veronica has a lot of great side dishes.  So, her blog was the first place I looked.  I saw carrots and white beans in a lemony vinaigrette.  Sold. 

You probably know the Secret Recipe Club drill by now.  Each blogger is assigned a blog.  We choose a recipe to make then blog about it.  We're allowed to make changes along the way.  Since I fall firmly in the category of I'm going to tweak the first time, I typically do make some small changes.  Then, on our group's reveal day we get to see what everyone else chose and who had our blogs.  And, we can always head to the Secret Recipe Club site and see not only the other group's recipes but all the ones that've been posted in the past.  It's a lot of fun, particularly if you get a blog like Veronica's that has such a great selection of fun dishes.  And, that's fun to read.  So, thank you Veronica for a very delightful time with your blog.  I'll be back to visit and see what you're up to now!

What did we think?  I made one big change.  The original recipe called for topping this with toasted sliced almonds.  We used feta cheese instead.  This was a fabulous side dish.  The beans help make it healthy.  Well, so do the carrots!  I'm going to try it with different herbs and cheeses and nuts and vinaigrette flavors.  What really makes the difference is browning the carrots.  It brings out all the lovely sweetness.  Now, Veronica originally got this from 101 Cookbooks.  That's a blog that I frequent too.  Here's a link directly to the recipe on Veronica's site:  Carrot, Dill and White Bean Salad.

Carrot, Dill and White Bean Salad

Ingredients:

for the dressing:

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1/4 t salt
1/2 c finely diced red onion

for the salad
1 t vegetable oil
2 c sliced carrots, cut 1/4" thick on the bias
3 c cooked beans (white beans, chick peas... whatever you like)
1 T dried or 1/4 c chopped fresh dill
2 T packed brown sugar
1/3 c crumbled feta cheese (or you can used toasted nuts)

Directions:

In a small skillet, saute then carrots in the vegetable oil until they're lightly browned.  While those are cooking, mix the dressing ingredients and set aside.  In a medium bowl, toss the cooked carrots wtih the beans and dill. Top the mixture with the brown sugar.  Slowly pour the dressing over the brown sugar and toss to coat.  Serve topped with crumbled feta or toasted nuts. 

Tuscan Beans with Tuna

Do you ever get all the ingredients assembled for a recipe THEN read the instructions.  I know.  We're not supposed to do that.  We're supposed to read the ENTIRE recipe first.  Then, assemble the ingredients in their mis en place.  Unfortunately, my life doesn't always work that way.  Particularly when a recipe is for lunch.  I receive the magazine and read some of the articles.  As I go, I scan the recipes and tear out the pages for those I want to try.  I used to save all of my cooking magazines and had a lovely notebook listing all the recipes I wanted to try.  Then, the magazines took over.  Try they filled a 4' long, six shelf high metal shelving unit.  UGH.  Tiime to start clipping.  I now have boxes of clipped recipes.  They're stored in envelopes with titles like Try Soon or Later.  Why I even keep the Later ones, I don't know.  I'll never get to them.  They're merely taking up room.  And, even if I implement the scanning system I'd like to use, they'll never get scanned in much less named and uploaded.  Good grief, my photos are lucky to be put in named folders.  Wasn't all of this technology supposed to help?  Yes, I guess it really does.  At the office we've got an imaging system.  I now have 62 directories where I can store info.  And, store it I do.  It's nice because in the Financial Planning directory I've got sub-directories and can now pull up articles for reference easily.  Before they languished in a file drawer never to be seen again.  Now, I actually use them.  And, I've set up a virtual recipe index that's very similar.  The problem is that I'm getting so many recipes to try in that that I can't keep up.  If I could talk Lizzy from That Skinny Chick can Bake and Christiane from Taking on Magazines one Recipe at a Time from posting so many good recipes, a good part of my problem would go away.  But, alas, both of them are wonderful cooks and tend to post things I really want to try.  Now, I've got to start organizing those files too.  Vegetables no longer works.  Individual names do.  Eggs.  Way too broad.  We're into omelets, frittatas, sandwiches, deviled, casseroles, etc.  LOL - did I ever get off on a rant there...  All because I didn't read the whole recipe!

It turns out that these beans are actually supposed to be heated with the kale.  Hmmm.  I can do a lot of cooking at the office but I don't have a burner.  Therefore, this became a cold salad - just as I'd originally envisioned it when I read the recipe.  What did we think?  On a scale of 1-5 it was a high 4.  And, on a 1-5 scale of having good for my eyes ingredients, it hit one out of the ballpark.  I should probably have this weekly.  (Molly, you can tell Don to attach this recipe to his list - lol.)  Kale is a nutritional powerhouse but it needs to be prepared properly.  In this case, I used the huge leaves from our plants in the garden.  They were carefully washed, spun dry then VERY finely sliced.  The original recipe called for sage which I neglected to bring from home.  And, since I had appointments right after lunch, I left the garlic out and just used some Italian dressing.

Tuscan Beans with Tuna

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce cans cannellini beans
3/4 pound kale, stems and ribs discarded, large leaves sliced very finely
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
3 inner stalks celery, thinly sliced (with some leaves)1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives

1 jar chopped roasted red peppers

1 can tuna packed in water, not drained
1 can tuna packed in olive oil, not drained
Italian dressing to taste

Directions:

Toss everything in a large bowl.  (nota bene:  much easier than the original instructions that involved sauteeing the beans in olive oil and adding in the kale...  If you'd like to go through all that hassle, please see the original recipe on foodtv.)


adapted from foodtv.com

Whiskey Baked Beans

Indianapolis is frequently a test market for new grocery products.  That means all too often I find something wonderful and use the heck out of it and then poof, it's gone.  Another test that didn't work out.  Mushroom risotto in a bag was one of the more notable items.  When Bush's came out with their Grilling Beans, I thought here we go again.  A test product that I'll love and it'll go away.  This time it appears to be different.  This time, they're adding flavors to the lineup so it looks like they may stay around.  YAY!!

I had half a can of Bush's Bourbon and Brown Sugar Grilling Beans left.  They needed to be used.  Dinner was going to be bbq chicken so they'd be perfect with that.  Now comes the fun part.  How do I dress them up a little without ruining their already great flavor?  A little red onion sauteed in butter.  Half a shot of whiskey added in and reduced.  Finally, a bit of diced pancetta. 

What did we think?  This is the dish I liked best from our Sunday supper. For me, it just barely edged the others out. For Connie, the Crab Boil Potato Salad barely edged the others out.  You'll see the rest of the dinner recipes as the week progresses.  Actually, if I'd gotten some great shots of the Crab Boil Potato Salad during dinner, you'd have seen that today.  But, since I didn't that'll have to wait til tomorrow.  Just an fyi, since most people start with a whole can of baked beans, I've adjusted the recipe thusly. 

Whiskey Baked Beans

Ingredients:

1 can Bush's Bourbon and Brown Sugar Grilling Beans
2 T butter
1 medium red onion, very finely diced
1 shot whiskey
1/2 c diced pancetta

Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.  (Yes, I know I used a skillet but that's what was handy.)  Add the onions and saute until they're softened. 

Pour in the whiskey and cook until the sauce has reduced by half. 

Add the pancetta and saute for about five minutes. 

Add the beans and cook until warmed through.

Lauren's Garbanzo Bean Salad

My friend, Lauren, stopped by the office today to have me taste a Turkish dish that the folks at Bosphorous prepare.  It's called Pepper Delight.  And, it is delightful!  We had a grand time trying to figure out what's in it.  And, because she's an incredible cook, she'll be able to get really close.  Once we finished our tasting, our conversation wandered to things we'd recently made.  She got through the first recipe and I grabbed a meeting notes page and started scribbling.  I knew that even a gimp could toss together the garbanzo bean salad in no time flat.  And, I did.

What did we think?  Could I have this once a week, please?  It's funny.  Mom didn't like garbanzo beans - still doesn't - so we never had them growing up.  Then again, how many of the things we consider to be staples were "normal" items in a grocery store in the 60's?  Sun-dried tomatoes?  Red bell peppers?  I could go on and on here.  We are so very fortunate to have access to all the wonderful food.  And, as my blogging friend Liz and I have said many times, the two of us (who live about 4 miles apart) live in a grocery shopping heaven.  Trader Joes, Marsh, Kroger, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Sams Club, Costco, Aldi's, Kincaids Meat Market, Taylors Bakery.  I'm sure I've missed at least half a dozen.  Yes, I'm rambling.  Back to the subject at hand - what we thought of this.  I absolutely loved it.  We typically eat vegetarian at least once a week.  You all don't see a lot of the recipes because they're frequently repeats.  Beans are so good for you.  And, they're easy on the wallet.  And, easy on the environment when compared to raising cattle etc.  I edited Lauren's recipe a bit based on what was in the fridge and the pantry.  This would also be wonderful with black beans.  Because I was trying to get dinner fixed and get off this stooopid sprained ankle, I didn't measure as I went.  That means that all the measurements below are guesstimates :-)



Lauren's Garbanzo Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
small handful - about 2 T craisins
1/4 cucumber, not peeled, diced
1/3 red bell pepper, diced
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 c parsley -not packed, just loosely tossed in the measuring cup
extra virgin olive oil
lemon balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
cumin
1/4 c walnuts, toasted and crumbled

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and serve.

White Bean Truffle Dip

Beans.  They're so good for you.  And, I do love them.  But, on occasion, I get tired of eating them the same way.  In soups and salads.  Sometimes I'm ready for a new way.  I've tried bean dips but for the most they don't do much for me.  So, when I saw this recipe on TravelEatLove's blog, I thought this might be a bean dip I could love. 

Indeed it is.  We discovered white truffle oil a couple of years ago when I needed it for a recipe.  Connie called from the grocery store and said this stuff is $15 for 8 oz.  Do you really want it?  I looked at the recipe and we didn't need much.  Means a little goes a long way and we'd not be using up the bottle really quickly.  So, let's splurge and get some.  That bottle lasted us almost two years.  And, we didn't use the truffle oil judiciously.  It went in LOTS of dishes.  We added it when it wasn't called for.  We got far more than $15 of enjoyment out of it!!!  We bought another bottle last spring so I had the backup ready to go.  Here's the deal with the white truffle oil.  When a savory dish needs a little something but you just can't put your finger on it - oftentimes this will work.  Just add a little.  The flavor is incredible.  It does kind of what soy sauce does.  Adds a depth of flavor that you just can't pin down.

You've probably already guessed, but we loved this dip.  It's super easy to make and the flavor is incredible.  It's actually good for you in a lot of ways.  Beans, lemon juice, garlic.  Your breath?  Not so much :-)

White Bean Truffle Dip

Ingredients:

1 can white navy beans, drained and well rinsed
juice of one large lemon (about 2T of juice)
12 roasted garlic cloves
2 T white truffle oil

Directions:

Toss the garlic with a little olive oil and put it into an oven proof baking dish.  Roast the garlic at about 450 for 20 min.  It'll be very soft and just a little brown.  How's this for a really fuzzy photo???

Juice the lemon.  Remember to roll it on the counter before you cut it.  That'll help release the juice.

Combine all the ingredients in the food processor and process away. 

This is best made the day before it's going to be used.  It can be served with baguette, crackers, crudite, fingers (just kidding but we did lick the spatula thoroughly.)

Many thanks to TravelEatLove for a great recipe and really helpful notes on what she'd do the next time she makes this.  We increased the garlic a bunch but left the lemon the same since our lemon was mongo.

Aunt Bebe's Bean Bowl

2010 is the 50th anniversary of the I Hate to Cook Book by Peg Bracken.  The forward says, "The genesis of this book was a luncheon with several good friends, all of whom hate to cook but have to.  At that time, we were all unusually bored with what we had been cooking and, therefore, eating.  For variety's sake, we decided to pool our ignorance, tell each other our shabby little secrets, and toss into the pot the recipes we swear by instead of at.  These recipes have not been tested by experts.  That is why they are valuable.  Experts in their sunny spotless test kitchens can make anything taste good.  But even we can make these taste good."  If you're not familiar with this hilarious cookbook, that gives you a great idea of the delightful adventure that awaits upon reading it.

My mother used the heck out of the I Hate to Cook Book.  Not that she hates to cook.  Au contraire, she's a fantastic cook.  But, the recipes are almost all wonderful.  Sole Survivor, Risk it on a Brisket, Aunt Bebe's Bean Bowl, Cockeyed Cake.  Those are the names I remember without opening the book.  My copy is very well worn.  I think it was the first cookbook I ever got.  And, yes, I can tell you the Cockeyed Cake recipe is on page 92.  It was Dad's favorite.  And, it's the easiest cake ever.  Moist, chocolatey.  MMMM. 

Babbling on about this cookbook makes me think I should go back and make some more of the old faithful's and try some new things from it! 

So, how did I come to fix Aunt Bebe's Bean Bowl this week?  Connie's bridge partner, Marsha, just made life master.  For those of you who aren't bridge players, life master is a big deal.  A VERY BIG DEAL.  It takes a lot of work and a lot of skill.  Connie's got the 300 points but needs to win at a regional to get the rest of his gold points.  Marsha's celebration is at the bridge center this week.  And, I volunteered to take some casseroles and salads.  There'll be about 80 people there.  Thankfully, I'm not feeding the whole crew!  Others are bringing lasagna, chicken casserole, fruit salad.  A cake's been ordered.  And, I'll have to miss the party because I've got to tape the radio show...  Ah, work before pleasure.  Bummer.  Last night I put together two 9x13 pans of Chicken Green Bean Casserole.  We've got the hamburger browned and the tomatoes dumped in for the Glop.  Tonight, we'll make the mac and cheese to mix in.  Tortellini is cooked and chilled for Lana's Salad.  I'll put that together tonight.  And, I'll make the dressing for Casa D'Angelo salad tonight.  The morning of the party I'll get up way early and put that salad together.  Last, but not least, I thought of Aunt Bebe's Bean Bowl.  It's easy, good and needs to be made in advance.  Even better.  It comes from a chaper titled, "Potluck Suppers, How to Bring the Water for the Lemonade."

Aunt Bebe's Bean Bowl

Ingredients:
1 can Del Monte Blue Lake Green Beans
1 can wax beans
1 can kidney beans
1 onion
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
2/3 c cider vinegar
salt and pepper

Directions:

Drain the green beans and wax beans and dump them in a storage container.  Drain and rinse the kidney beans.  Add them to the bowl. 

Dice the onion and add it.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  This needs to marinate in your refrigerator for at least 24 hours.  As Peg says in her instructions, "Stir it a few times if you happen to think of it while it marinates."  I always put it in a plastic storage container and just give that a few good shakes whenever I open the refrigerator door...  You can get all fancy schmancy and put the drained salad in a lettuce lined bowl or you can be plain pipe rack and serve it straight out of the container.  Whichever you do, this is fantastic bean salad.

Don and Molly's Baked Beans

 A few days ago, I drove to a small city close to here to do reviews for some employees of one of my groups.  Afterward, the owners and I sat in the break room and chatted.  The topic turned to food, naturally.  Molly and I love to trade recipes.  She's a fearless cook just like I am.  Don said they'd tried a new recipe for baked beans and it'd turned out really well.  Molly offered a taste.  Even cold, they were wonderful.  Right then and there I decided they'd be on the menu for the dinner in Cincinnati.  Turns out that baked beans are one of daughter-in-law Kara's favorite foods.  I left the rest of the beans with the kids - along with a ton of other food, but that's a subject for another day - and today I'm mourning the fact that I don't have any of these beans to heat up for dinner tonight.  They were fabulous!  Thank you, Molly and Don!!

Don and Molly's Baked Beans
2 28 oz cans Bushes baked beans
1 c molasses (I used the milder version)
1 c barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1 large can French's French Fried Onions (2/3 for mixing in and 1/34 for on top)
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple
1/2 pound bacon, browned and crumbled (1/2 for mixing in and 1/2 for on top)

Mix together the baked beans, molasses, barbecue sauce,

2/3 of the french fried onions, the pineapple and 1/2 of the bacon. 

Pour into a 9x13 ovenproof pan.  Top with the rest of the onions and the rest of the bacon. 

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until the onions are golden and the beans are bubbling. 

Baked Beans

Last weekend I found some baby back ribs on sale at Sam's.  John Marvel had just made the BEST baby back ribs for the MOPS March/April party so I was anxious to try the recipe for myself.  What goes with baby back ribs?  Cole slaw, au gratin potatoes, baked beans.  MMMMM, lots of good things.  Many times over the years I've doctored up a can of baked beans. But, I can't recall ever having made my own from scratch.  It was time to try.  Particularly since I had well over half a slice of ham left from the pork skewers for the MOPS party.  Gosh, it does sound like all the MOPS do is party and eat!  I started with some great northern beans and looked at a couple of recipes.  One of my favorite barbecue guys is Steven Raichlen.  I probably used his recipe the most.  But, his calls for canned beans.  I wanted to avoid those because of the sodium. 

Baked Beans
1/2 bag great northern beans (13 svg bag)
1/2 ham slice (3/4 of a pound)
1 kielbasa, cooked and diced
1 onion, finely diced and cooked with the kielbasa
1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c shagbark hickory syrup or maple syrup
1/2 c barbecue sauce
1/3  ketchup
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T dry mustard
1 T yellow mustard
1 T cider vinegar

Cook the beans.  You can either soak them overnight, then cook them or boil them for 10minutes then cover them and let them soften a bit.  Whichever method you choose is fine.  Then, you want to cover them with water and let them simmer for a couple of hours.  Add the ham in at the latest halfway thru the cooking.  Saute the kielbasa and onion.  Once the beans are tender, drain them.  Shred the ham and put it back in with the beans.  Put in the rest of the ingredients and heat through.