at home with ann

This has quickly become one of my new favorite meals.  Quick, easy, healthy, and the kids (usually) enjoy it, too.  That's pretty much all I ask for these days.  It's also great because you can stock all the ingredients in your pantry/freezer to have at the ready.  Long gone are the evenings of leisurely stirring risotto for forty minutes while sipping on a few glasses of wine.  Yesterday I put all the ingredients in the crock pot after lunch and dinner was ready to go at our early bird time of 5pm when we came in from playing a highly competitive game of outdoors Chutes and Ladders.  If you're wondering what that is, it's basically Colin directing me around the yard to most of the "chutes" and him winning the game.  The champion always seems to win ice cream. White Chicken Chili 1 lb. chicken breasts (fresh or frozen) 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed 1 8 oz. jar salsa verde (I like the Trader Joe's brand) 2 teaspoons cumin 2-4 cups chic...

I am so excited we are participating in the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) with Tangerini's Farm again this year! Last year I loved getting all the vegetables every other week, picking the u-pick crops in the fields, trying new things, and enjoying locally grown, organic food at the peak of freshness.  I think we'll enjoy it even more this year now that I know what to expect in terms of variety and quantity.  Colin will be starting on solid foods before too long, especially since he spends mealtimes staring at me, smacking his gums,  and trying to grab everything.  I'm happy that we will be able to give him super healthy, organic vegetables.  In our first pickup we have: green leaf lettuce, broccoli rabe, bok choy, garlic scapes, scallions, sugar snap peas and radishes.  Aside from a lot of big salads, I'm planning a stir fry and made the white bean garlic scape dip below. White Bean and Garlic Scapes Dip recipe from Tangerini's Farm 1/3...

I did a similar salad to this a few months ago, but it's really just a template, the possibilities are endless.  It's a great balance of protein, carbs and vegetables to keep you feeling good but not over-stuffed.  It's also excellent on a 95 degree day when you can't stand to be in the kitchen.  So is homemade ice cream, but that's tomorrow's post. Wheat Berry and White Bean Salad 1 cup cooked wheat berries, prepared according to package directions (I use Bob's Red Mill) 1 cup white beans 1/2 cucumber, chopped 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, chopped scallions, sliced olive oil red wine vinegar salt and pepper parsley goat cheese or feta, optional Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, garnish with chopped parsley and goat cheese.  Chill or serve immediately.

The escarole was the last thing (aside from lettuce, there is always lettuce) left from our CSA share last week.  As much as I love having a fridge full of healthy vegetables, it's also nice to get it cleaned out once in a while so things don't mysteriously disappear into the back to be discovered weeks later. Escarole and white beans is an Italian dish.  My guess is it would likely be a side dish or one of the twelve courses in an Italian dinner, but we had it solo.  Beans, greens and carbs make a good dinner to me.  It was so creamy from the beans that it didn't even need cheese, imagine that! Escarole and White Beans Olive oil 1 large head escarole, rinsed and cut into pieces 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 clove garlic, minced 2 cups white beans Salt Pepper Parsley Hot sauce, optional Heat olive oil in a large saute pan (something big with a lid) over medium heat. Saute garlic and white beans for about a minute. Add in escarole, about ha...

I love bean burgers, they are the perfect homemade veggie burger.  Plus, then you know you have a nutritious base to load up with all the delicious condiments you desire.  After cooking up a batch of dried white beans on Sunday to use in the Polenta Stacks and a white bean and tomato soup, I still had a couple cups leftover.  Since it turns out we can't live on salads alone, I thought bean burgers would be a good lunch/dinner option. This is a basic recipe, feel free to modify as you like, or based on what's in your fridge. White Bean Burgers 2 cups cooked white beans 1 stalk celery, finely diced 1 medium carrot, finely diced 1 small onion, finely diced 1 clove garlic, finely diced ~2 T. fresh parsley (or whatever you grab from the garden) 1/2-3/4 cup breadcrumbs 1 egg (for vegan, use one flax or chia egg) paprika, optional Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.  Spray lightly with cooking oil. In a large bowl, m...