This recipe turns on two other basic recipes – Roast Beets, and Braised Shelling Beans-for a fairly easy to make dish that is filling and pretty in a bowl. Although the beets may seem an odd fit here, the earthiness of the beets links to the earthiness of the beans and carrots, while the vinegar and natural sugars of the beets make them an excellent foil to the rest of the ingredients.
INGREDIENTS:
3-4 cups cooked Cranberry beans (see recipe for Braised Shelling Beans) + 1 cup of cooking liquid from beans, at room temperature 1 bunch Golden Beets, roasted (see recipe for Roast Beets, use white balsamic white wine vinegar to finish the beets) at room temperature, cut down to ½ inch pieces 2 stalks celery, trimmed, washed, and cut into ¼ inch dice 3 Chantenay carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice 2 cloves garlic, minced Extra Virgin olive oil as needed Salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped ½ cup white Water or vegetable stock as needed -OPTIONAL- 1 bunch spinach, stems removed, torn into bite sized pieces and washed and dried
METHOD:
Heat a sauté or frying pan large enough to hold all the ingredients over medium heat. When hot, liberally film the pan bottom with oil.
When the oil is hot, add the carrots and sauté until they pick up a little golden color.
Add the onions and celery and cook until onions are translucent.
Turn heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and cook gently until fragrant. Scatter half the herbs over the ingredients and stir in.
If using the spinach, add to the pan with a drizzle of oil and sauté until wilted.
Add the beans to the pan and toss to combine with the rest of the ingredients. Add the wine, stir to coat the ingredients, and cook until reduced by 80%.
Add the 1 cup of bean cooking liquid and enough water or stock to come half way up the beans. Cover the pan and simmer a few minutes to warm the beans a little. Add the beets, tossing the ingredients to mix them in, and cover the pan. Simmer gently to heat the beans and beets through. Remove the top and if there is a lot of liquid in the pan, simmer to reduce it so there is just a little liquid in the pan bottom.
Sprinkle with the rest of the herbs and serve.
Chef’s Notes:
If you have some left-over grains such as farro or wheat berries they would be a nice addition to the dish. Just reheat them in the pan at the last minute or heat in a microwave and stir in at service. Adding farfalle pasta that is cooked separately would be a fun addition, and a healthy choice if you use a whole grain pasta. With the grains in the dish, all you need is a diary product such as some cheese to form a complete protein. You could add dollops of soft goat cheese or chunks of feta for this if you wish to make a vegetarian one pot meal that is a complete protein. If you happen to have the beans and beets already done, this dish is a snap to finish pretty quickly.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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