Man Woman Cook Eat Drink

~ An intermittent review of what we cook, eat and drink

Man Woman Cook Eat Drink

Tag Archives: beans

Pasta e Fagioli Soup with Focaccia

01 Sunday May 2016

Posted by Fabric of Madness in Dinner, Pasta, Soup, Vegetables

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bacon, beans, bread, focaccia, parmesan, pasta, pesto, vegetables

It must be the colder weather.   I just knew that what I wanted to eat needed to be soup, needed to be pasta, and needed some freshly baked bread.  What I didn’t know was what it was called.  So my apologies to any purists out there – this version was created and then I realised nothing is ever really created (well, ignoring the amazing items that come from Heston) and found that Italy has the name for my pot of bubbling goodness.

tiny little pieces of pasta just waiting to be souped

tiny little pieces of pasta just waiting to be souped


Enough for 3 or 4 people, or 2 really hungry ones:

3 tbs olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped, or fewer or more, up to your taste
1 carrot diced
4 slices bacon finely chopped
1x400g can diced tomatoes opened
handful parsley chopped – I also had some basil that I chopped with the parsley – use whatever herbs you have on hand (or dried ones if your garden is bare
about 1 litre chicken stock yup, I cheated, and used the little pots of stock that you add water to. They are probably one step up from stock powder, but hey I’m not saying this is gourmet
150g soup pasta to be perfectly honest I would use any pasta shapes I had at home, just happened to have ‘soup pasta’. They are tiny little shapes of pasta that work well for soup.>
1 x 400g can cannellini beans opened and drained – you could be Very Organised and cook up your own, but this dinner is all about speed – after all it’s Saturday night and we have to watch the rugby
parmesan grated – as much or as little as you like – Mr MWCED likes his on the side so not much went into the soup – I grated about ½ cup and it all got used
Pesto to taste, about a teaspoon
salt&Pepper to taste – will depend how salty your stock is – I always grind a fair whack of pepper into my sauces and soups
  • Heat pan with a tablespoon of oil and brown off the bacon. Once this is cooked put aside.
  • Clean out pan and add rest of olive oil. Heat and add onion, let sweat a few minutes then add garlic and carrot.   Cook for around 5 minutes or so, then add tomatoes and half of the parsley. Cook for about 10 minutes.
  • Add half the stock and then pasta.   Stir continuously for around 6-8 minutes until pasta is soft. Add more stock as needed. Soup should be quick thick.
  • Add cannellini beans, a bit more parsley, the bacon and heat through. At this stage add parmesan and maybe a bit of pesto if you like.  Check taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

This is a recipe that can be adapted however which way. Add more /different vegetables, experiment with herbs, use different pasta, add some chopped Italian sausage, just have fun.   And, more importantly, eat some delicious soup!

Italian Pasta and Bean soup

Because I had been thinking of soup most of the afternoon (I was cold therefore I needed to think warm things),  I was able to be ultra-efficient and get some ingredients into the breadmaker in preparation for dinner (usually I far from ultra or efficient!).   My Focaccia recipe came from a much used bread recipe book (Alison Holst’s Bread Book). Once the breadmaker had finished the dough cycle,  I then kneaded it for about 10 minutes – you know, until that time that the dough feels smooth and doesn’t need extra flour, doesn’t stick to your hands, and makes you feel kind of dreamy and proud of your domestic skills.   Roll into a rectangle, around 20cm x 30cm, place on an oven tray (I line it with baking paper) and put in a warm place for around an hour (my warm place was the oven which had been previously warmed and then turned off).   After an hour the dough should have doubled in size.  Turn oven to 225 Celsius.   Poke the loaf with your fingers to create holes over the surface.  Brush over oil and or whatever toppings you wish.  i had some homemade pesto which I mixed with a little olive oil and spread that over the bread then finished off with sprinkling Maldon salt.    Bake for around 15 minutes, until golden brown top and bottom and you Just Have To Take It Out Of The Oven And Feel Great Satisfaction.

Go on, you can do it!

Go on, you can do it!

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Chicken Thighs – yet another….

21 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by Fabric of Madness in chicken, Dinner, Uncategorized, Vegetables

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

beans, chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, vegetables

Ok so I must ‘fess up.  We eat a lot of chicken thighs in the MWCED household.  Preferably boneless and skinless, though sometimes a bit of bone and skin is ok.   The problem with skinless is that you just don’t get that lovely colouring – but better that than far too many calories I figure.   You can see what I mean with the picture from last night’s dinner.  The meal was very  yummy,  but doesn’t win any prizes for looks.   Still,  if you want a tasty, quick and flavoursome dinner, this is one to keep going back to.   Surprisingly there is no garlic in this recipe, yowser, what was I thinking!

As for the veges,  I felt like potatoes.  And we had some beans – a bit different from courgettes 100 ways – due to them being in season and in our garden.    We also have a lovely crop of tomatoes and just happened to have these wee ones – which went great with the beans.

IMG_2319IMG_2321

Here we go:

INGREDIENTS – for 2 to 4 (depends how hungry you are)

  • 3 slices bacon, chopped into smallish pieces
  • ½ cup flour
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 teaspoon mixed fresh herbs from the garden (I used oregano, thyme and parsley) – or use dried (but only about 1 teaspoon if dried)
  • 4 chicken thighs – one each was enough for us, but if you are hungry and there are four people then perhaps use 2 thighs each
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • one onion, finely sliced (shallots would work nicely here if you have them, sigh, I didn’t)
  • ½ cup dry white wine – well I use whatever happens to be open – usually in our household it is Chardonnay
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • chopped parsley

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Fry the bacon for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the hot bacon grease in the pan (turn down the heat while prepping the chicken).   You might need to help the bacon along with a little of the olive oil.
  2. Mix the flour with salt and pepper and the herbs. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture and transfer to the hot pan. (Add olive oil if needed). Pan-fry the chicken for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown (but not cooked through). Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on plate.
  3. Add the onions to the pan with the rest of the olive oil. Saute for 5-10 minutes, until softened and fragrant and golden brown. Add the wine slowly, stirring to get all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and let everything cook until it reduces slightly, about 5-10 minutes.
  4. Add the chicken and bacon back to the pan and then transfer to an oven proof dish and bake for 40 minutes, basting the chicken every 10 minutes or so with the pan sauce.. Skim the oil off the top of the sauce if you want.   You could also serve with bread to soak up all those juices.

 

 

vegetables

Use enough potatoes for the number of people. Mine happened to be quite large so I cut into smaller pieces. Boil until just tender.   Then put onto an oven tray with some olive oil, salt and a little pepper.   Cook in oven with chicken until done. Add a bit of butter to top of potatoes and cook under the grill until browned and crisped.

Meanwhile put green beans into boiling water for a few minutes. Take off heat and strain. Add beans back to hot pot with baby tomatoes. Add a teaspoon of pesto – add pot lid and let heat from pot/beans warm through tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

When the weather turns chilly in Summer

20 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by Fabric of Madness in chicken

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

beans, chicken, peppers

20140120-143655.jpg

We seem to be having more chill less hot. And I love it hot, but this summer has been pretty mediocre here in the bottom half of the North Island, NZ.   Often it gets better around February, just when the majority of us are back at work and starting to dream about the next holiday.  Saturday was not warm for most of the day, I had chicken thighs in the fridge and could feel a Tuscan Chicken coming on.   This recipe is a bit different to the usual, inspired by a Bill Grainger recipe (http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/chicken-with-cannellini-beans-and-peppers-8444839.html) I decided not to roast the red peppers but sub them for what I had to hand in the pantry.   Bill’s recipe is for 4 people, but there are only 2 of us, so I decreased amounts a bit. Though we still had plenty for delicious leftovers.

Chicken with Beans and Peppers
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves chopped
2 thyme sprigs, leaves chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp crushed chilli (in jar)
Zest 1 lemon
5 chicken thighs, skin and flesh slashed to bone
1 tbsp olive oil
1 x 400g/13oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 or 5 shallots, halved/quartered depending on size
About 6 Pepperdew peppers, from a jar, cut into thick strips (this added a bit of heat, subbing for the chilli powder in the original recipe). Though not very hot, don’t worry, just a pinch of warmth really.
75 ml white wine
75 ml chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas6. Mix the rosemary, thyme, garlic, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Drizzle the chicken thighs with a little oil then rub the herb mix into the flesh. Season with salt and pepper. Tip the beans into a large, deep roasting tray, stir in the peppers, shallots, white wine and stock. Lay the chicken thighs and any remaining herb mix on the beans. Cook for 45 minutes, topping up the dish with a splash of water if needed.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow Man Woman Cook Eat Drink on WordPress.com

Tags

airnz asian asparagus bacon hock basil BBQ beans beetroot brusselsprouts cakes carrots chicken Chilli cinnamon cocktails cucumber custard dessert Dinner duck;SlantedDoor;springrolls;SanFrancisco feta Filo Pastry fruit garlic ginger ham honey icecream leeks lemon lentils Martinborough meatballs mozzarella muffins oliveoil olives oregano parmesan parsnips pasta pastry peaches peppers pesto peter gordon pies pomegranatemolasses Pork potatoes prawns pumpkin puy lentils quick Raspberry rice ricotta risotto salad Salads soup soy spice spinach tart tarts tea Thai tomatoes tzatziki vegetables walnuts winter yoghurt zucchini

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Man Woman Cook Eat Drink
    • Join 49 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Man Woman Cook Eat Drink
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: