LA CASA E IL GIARDINO: escarole

Showing posts with label escarole. Show all posts

Sunday, January 3, 2016

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

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Game at the Farmers' Markets

Farmers' markets are an unparalleled source of fresh, local, organic produce and meats. They can be pricey, though. So, I time my shopping and go towards the end of the day or in the last hour or so of the market's schedule, when some farmers drop their prices.

Short on money, you can still eat well.

Escarole - Cost 3 heads for $2.00

Great for escarole and beans and for salads.

Yellow, Green and Gray Zucchini - Cost $2.50

Ideal with pasta and zucchini or zucchini and potatoes .

Eggplant - $2.00

Last Jersey tomatoes of the season - Cost $4.50

Ciambella (round) crusty bread - Cost $2.99

I will savour these last local tomatoes as I do not buy tomatoes during the winter months.

Personalized pumpkin for my favorite Yankee fan.

PRICELESS!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Legumes on the Table - Legumi sulla Tavola

Legumes are often valued as an inexpensive source of protein, but are notably absent from most Western menus.

Legumes—including beans, lentils, peanuts, peas, chickpeas, fava beans, and soybeans—are good sources of fiber and have a low glycemic index. According to experts, a diet high in legumes may be beneficial for the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

Beans in tomato sauce

One common complaint against legumes is the bloating and gas.

I have some tips to ease the transition to including more legumes in your diet:

add them in slowly, one serving a day for a week.

change the water halfway through cooking them.

soak overnight with a pinch of baking soda and

change the water before cooking

mix with other vegetables (escarole and beans)

If you cook dry beans at home, instead of eating canned beans, you’ll skip a great deal of unnecessary sodium as well as byproducts of the can lining.