Sunday, February 24, 2013

Escarole and Beans

For those of you who regularly peruse my blog, you know that many of my recipes are from my grandma - traditional, Italian cooking that not only tastes delicious, but is incredibly nourishing.



Ingredients:
Escarole, 1 bunch
White beans (Navy, Canneloni, Great Northern, etc.), 2 cups, soaked, rinsed, and cooked
Garlic, 4-5 regular sized cloves, chopped
Olive oil, 1/4 to 1/2 cup, I use this
4 ounces filtered water
Sea salt, I use this


How To:
1. Prep the Escarole: Fill your sink (or one side of your sink) with cold water (enough to cover your escarole) and about a tbsp of salt. Rip your escarole into bite sized chunks and add to your sink full of water using your hands to push it under the water and move it around a bit. This is just to clean it up and you'll let it sit until you're ready to use it. If I recall correctly, escarole attracts a lot of bugs in the garden (when you grow it yourself), so you really need to wash it well.

2. Brown Garlic: In a medium pot over medium heat, add your olive oil and garlic and saute until the garlic browns. Remove from heat. Be careful, because the garlic will go from brown to burnt quickly, and you don't want burnt.

3. Cook Escarole: After the garlic and oil mixture cools, add the rinsed escarole to the pot and turn the heat back on to medium. Now, the escarole will be quite watery and that's perfect. So, just rinse it off and add it to your pot, excess water and all. Stir to distribute the olive oil on the escarole and cook for a few minutes until it wilts.

Then, add about 4 ounces of additional filtered water so you have a soupy broth. Add your beans too. If you want more broth, add a little more water. Bring to a boil, then cook another ten minutes on low. Season with salt, start with about 1 tsp and go from there based on personal preference.


Comments:
I remember eating this with my sister at my grandma's house when I was little. However, I was not able to find escarole at my supermarket until just recently, so I have spent most of my life eating this only during those summer visits.

Escarole is incredibly nutritious and you can read about the benefits here. This keeps surprisingly well in the refrigerator for a few days and will re-heat nicely. It makes about six servings and only takes about 15 to 20 minutes, tops, to make.

 
Remember to rinse and soak your beans for maximum nutritional benefit. Place your dried beans in a bowl filled with water and a little whey or ACV and let sit in a warm place for 24-48 hours, switching out your water every so often so that it does not begin to ferment. Then cook your soaked beans in water (or stock) and freeze for future use.
 
 
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8 comments:

  1. This looks yummy! Please share this at Weekend Kitchen Creations, www.weekendkitchencreations.blogspot.com. Join us, share your delicious creation and get other scrumptious ideas.

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    1. Thanks so much for the invitation! I just shared. :)

      Linda

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  2. I grew up eating scarole and bean... a real comfort food for me. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe for it with us on foodie friday.

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    1. I thought you might have had this or something similar. My grandma calls it "scarole" as well.

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  3. This looks wonderful and simple! Thanks so much for sharing this on Waste Not Want Not Wednesday. I've pinned it :)

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  4. Linda, this is a lovely bean dish. Please drop me a line on ca4ole@gmail.com if it is ok with you if I link to it on my blog, Carole's Chatter. Cheers

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    Replies
    1. I totally missed this comment, but feel free to link. This dish is awesome. I hope you will give it a try!

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