Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip

One of the perks of working at a cooking school is getting free food once in a while. Usually it's already been cooked by the chef students, but yesterday there were white beans leftover from a class (that couldn't be put back because they were already soaked). So when someone offered to give them to me, I made this dip. It's simple, but the lemon zest and rosemary make it anything but boring.

ROSEMARY-LEMON WHITE BEAN DIP

Yield: 2 cups

2 cups cooked* white beans (such as cannellini), drained but moist

1 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

grated zest of 2 lemons

1.      Put the beans in the container of a food processor with 1 clove garlic and a healthy pinch of salt. Turn the machine on, and add the 1/4 cup olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until the mixture is smooth. Taste, and add more garlic if you like; then, puree the mixture again.

2.      Place the mixture in a bowl, and use a wooden spoon to beat in the rosemary, lemon zest and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste, and add more salt and pepper as needed.

3.      Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

from Mark Bittman, The New York Times

*HOW TO COOK BEANS:
1.      Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover by 3-4 inches.
2.      Drain and rinse soaked beans.
3.      In a heavy pot, cover beans with a few inches of fresh water and bring to a boil.
      Simmer, covered, until the beans are tender (about 1 to 1 ½ hours). 

cooked beans in food processor with garlic and salt

If you don't have time to soak/cook the
beans, you can always used canned.

pouring in the olive oil

pureed white beans

fresh rosemary

lemon zest

everything in a bowl

rosemary lemon white bean dip

In addition to dipping crackers or vegetables
in it, you can also use it as a sandwich spread.

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Little Quinoa Patties

I've made quinoa patties before, using a slightly different recipe (one that is gluten-free if you want to check it out). I honestly can't remember which one is better because I made the other one almost two years ago. But I do remember that I liked them both. Last time we dipped them in a delightful red pepper mayonnaise. This time we dipped them two sauces: tzatziki and chipotle-chili tartar sauce. What I really appreciate most about quinoa is that it acts and tastes like a grain (technically it isn't), which satisfies the carb lover in me, but it's high in protein, so I feel good about having it as a main course. If you make an interesting enough dipping sauce and form the patties even tinier, I think they'd make a cute hors d'oeuvre.

LITTLE QUINOA PATTIES

Makes 20 little patties

2 1/2 cups cooked* quinoa, at room temperature

4 large eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives

1 onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan or gruyère (or 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed

extra-virgin olive oil or clarified butter as needed

1.      Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into approximately twenty 3-inch (1-inch thick) patties. If the patties are too moist, you can add more bread crumbs, a bit at a time, to firm up the mixture. If they are too dry, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture. The quinoa mixture keeps nicely in the refrigerator for a few days.

2.      In a large, heavy skillet over medium-high, heat just enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the quinoa patties (in batches if necessary) and cook until the bottoms are deeply browned, about 8-10 minutes. Carefully flip and continue to cook until the patties are browned on the other side.

3.      Remove patties from the skillet and cool on paper towels.

*To cook quinoa: Combine 1 cup of well-rinsed uncooked quinoa with 1 1/2 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, decrease the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and you can see the little quinoa curlicues. Drain if any water remains and then return to the pot. Let stand covered for 10-15 minutes, then fluff with fork.

slightly adapted from Epicurious (originally from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson)

raw quinoa

rinsed quinoa in the pot with water and salt

cooked quinoa (already fluffed with a fork)

cooled quinoa and egg

adding the onion, garlic, chives and feta

adding breadcrumbs

mixed

patties frying

patties flipped

patties cooling off

quinoa patty dipped in tzatziki
(we also dipped some in chipotle-chili tartar sauce)

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Chicken Meatballs with Tomato-Balsamic Glaze

Since I stopped being a vegetarian, I've started a love affair with meatballs (save the jokes). And like with most love affairs, things get stale after a while if you don't spice things up a little. Maybe that's the wrong expression to use (because these aren't at all spicy). But you know what I mean...mix it up a little. These did the trick. Because of the glaze, they're kind of like little mini meatloaves (then again, I guess all meatballs sort of are).

  CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH TOMATO-BALSAMIC GLAZE

Makes 14 meatballs

Meatballs:

1 egg
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground chicken (preferably not all breast meat)
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Tomato-Balsamic Glaze:

2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar

1.      Preheat oven to 325º F.

2.      In a large bowl, combine egg, parsley, tomato paste, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Mix well with a wire whisk, making sure the tomato paste is completely dissolved.

3.      Add ground chicken, grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Use your hand to mix ingredients together. Mixture will be somewhat wet. Form medium size balls (an ice cream scooper with wire scraper works well) and place onto ungreased baking sheet or very large baking dish.

4.      Make the glaze by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl, then brush over meatballs (if you don't have a brush, just use a spoon). Bake for about 30 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball registers 160º F. Remove from oven and serve.

barely adapted from onceuponachef.com

egg, parsley, tomato paste, garlic, milk, salt & pepper

adding chicken, bread crumbs & cheese

mixed

scooping

raw chicken meatballs

tomato paste, olive oil, balsamic vinegar & sugar

glaze mixed

I doubled the glaze from the original recipe - I like mine
extra glazy (which should really stand for good & lazy,
but in this just, just means with lots of glaze).

glazing meatball

glazed

baked

chicken meatballs with tomato-balsamic glaze

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French Onion Bites

If you ever wished you could eat a bowl of onion soup with your hands (without the pesky broth and second degree burns), then these French onion bites are for you. I suppose I made them a little less onion soupy by switching the bread in the recipe to little filo cups, so if you want the full experience, don't do that. But they were just so cute (and just so there in my freezer, which I cannot say for a freshly baked baguette).

FRENCH ONION BITES

Makes 36 hors d'oeuvres

1 baguette, sliced 1/4-inch thick (36 slices)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large onions, chopped (about 4 cups)

1 garlic clove, lightly crushed

1 small bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme

1/4 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups finely shredded Gruyere (using a microplane, about 3 oz.)

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1.      Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.

2.      Arrange slices on a large baking sheet and bake in oven until golden, about 8 minutes. Let cool.

3.      Meanwhile, heat butter and oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until butter is melted, then cook onion, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, covered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

4.      Uncover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Add wine and cook until entirely evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard garlic clove, bay leaf, and thyme. Transfer to a small bowl and keep warm, covered.

5.      Preheat broiler.

6.      Arrange toasts on a large baking sheet, then top each with a rounded teaspoon of caramelized onions and sprinkle generously with shredded Gruyere. Broil 3- to 4-inches from heat until cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes (watch carefully).

Cooks' Notes:

•Onions can be caramelized 1 week ahead and kept chilled.

•Bread slices can be toasted and cheese shredded 3 days ahead. Keep toasts in an airtight container at room temperature and keep cheese chilled.

from Gourmet Live by Maggie Ruggiero

raw onions with garlic, thyme, salt and pepper
(I added the bay leaf right after I took this photo)

adding white wine to the caramelized onions

garlic, thyme and bay leaf removed

filo cups

I used frozen Athens Mini Fillo Shells.

filling with onions

topped with cheese

ready to bake

french onion bites

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