ESCAROLE and BEANS - "kick it up a notch" with pancetta

Last night, I made another “poor” dish, Escarole and Beans, a tasty dish that is consumed from the beginning of autumn to spring. It 's a dish that is easy, fast, healthy and very cheap.  In this economic "winter”, it does not hurt to be cheap.

Cooked dry beans, escarole, home-made pancetta

Ingredients

1 lb. dry beans (I like Great Northern Beans)

2 heads of escarole

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1/2 cup olive oil

4 slices hot pancetta (Italian bacon)

1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook beans just like chick peas (See Ceci a la Pignata)

In a large pot, add washed escarole and cook it in its own water by covering pot in a low to medium heat.

In a large pan add oil, saute' chopped garlic until golden, add pancetta and saute' for few minutes until crisp, add hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cooked escarole.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Add cooked beans.  Mix well, simmer for few more minutes, and serve.

This dish can be bland.  It's the pancetta that adds the "BAM" "BAM".

Escarole and Beans with Pancetta

Images: ©2010 - La Casa e Il Giardino -picasaweb

Minestrone of beans, rice and cabbage - Minestra di fagioli, riso e verza

Minestrone or minestra is a light and healthy dish prepared throughout Italy with many variations depending on the region.  The preparation for this particular variation is quite simple but rather long and laborious.  It requires cleaning, cutting and cooking various ingredients (cabbage, dry beans and brown rice), but once you taste it, you will realize that it was time well spent.  Did I mention that besides being nutritious, it's low cost?

I fed 6 persons for less than $5.00 and enough leftover cooked beans and cabbage to freeze for another meal.

 

Ingredients

1 cup cooked beans
2 cups cooked brown rice
Small Savoy cabbage (cooked and cut into shreds)
1 cup chopped tomatoes or 1 can of tomatoes
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 potato, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano

The night before cook the dry beans.  Do not drain.
(I like to use Great Northern beans.)

Wash and cook the cabbage.  Save some of the cooking water.




Cook the brown rice.

• In a deep pot, add the oil, chopped onion and garlic, cook until golden. 
• Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper.  Simmer for few minutes and add the potatoes. 
• Cook for 10 minutes.  Add the cooked cabbage and simmer for 5 minutes. 
• Add the cooked beans and cooked brown rice.  Continue to simmer for 10 minutes. 
• Add some of the saved cooking water from the beans or cabbage.  Simmer for few more minutes and serve. 
• Add grated or shaved Parmigiano.

You may also like:

http://casa-giardino.blogspot.com/2010/11/cabbage-and-brown-rice-verza-con-riso.html

http://casa-giardino.blogspot.com/2010/10/meatless-monday-spinach-and-brown-rice.html

http://casa-giardino.blogspot.com/2010/10/ceci-alla-pignata-chick-peas-and.html