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Boulangerie Beans And Leeks

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The Child does not eat meat, which isn’t really a problem – although I do love a good steak here and there. Mostly, I solve this by cooking steak on the grill, alongside a piece of salmon for her, or else we eat out and just each get what we like.

This past week, I found out about a grass-fed beef lecture and tasting, sponsored by the renowned Seattle chef Tom Douglas. Normally, I’d drag The Child with me, but in this case, there was no chance she’d do anything but be miserable for the event, or even try to persuade a few other attendees of how wrong they were to be there.

So I went with plan B: I found a friend to go with me to the lecture, and here’s a tip – if you ever get the chance to be the first person to give someone grass-fed beef, do it. The look of awe and amazement as they taste it and immediately discern the improvement is priceless.

The Child stayed home alone, and such was my guilt over this that I made her favorite dinner and left it out for her. We eat a certain amount of pasta and pizza, and tons of bean burritos, since she’s still not a terribly adventurous eater – the challenge of course being that I am, and get bored with the repetition. But, I have found a few dishes that we both like enough to serve over and over.

Mark Bittman’s Boulangerie Beans, from his comprehensive How to Cook Everything Vegetarian,  is one of them. I make it once a week, because it is simple, filling, and nutritious. The long, slow bake results in beans and potatoes that are soft and richly flavored from broth and leeks; the potatoes layered on top also have a savory, slightly chewy skin that forms and adds some texture, along with the leeks.

It takes only about 15 minutes to toss together, but it’s not a last-minute dinner due to the lengthy cooking time. That said, it can easily be made ahead of time and rewarmed when you are ready to serve. This was how I left them for The Child when I headed out for the grass-fed beef tasting.

She sent me a text message when she finished dinner: “Thanks Mom!!”

When I got home, there was enough left in the casserole for me to have one small bowl of it. In theory, the dish serves four as a main course; it could probably serve six as a side dish.

But if you have a hungry child, it serves one.

boulangeriebeans

Boulangerie Beans And Leeks
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 cups chopped leeks
  • 2 tsp dried thyme (or two tbsp fresh)
  • 3 cups white beans, drained (two 15-ounce cans)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 medium starchy or all-purpose potatoes, peeled
  • 1 cup low-salt vegetable stock
  • 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Saute the leeks in 1 tbsp butter, about 20 minutes, until very soft.
  3. Stir a teaspoon of the thyme, and salt and pepper to taste into the beans. Spread the beans into the bottom of a large baking dish and set aside.
  4. Spread the cooked leeks on top of the beans.
  5. Halve the potatoes lengthwise and slice thinly into half-circles. Lay the potatoes in overlapping rows to cover the beans. Pour the stock over the top, dot with pieces of butter, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the remaining thyme.
  6. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is browned and glazed, another 45 minutes or so. Serve immediately or let rest for up to an hour and serve at room temperature.
Notes
Be careful how much salt you add to the beans if you are not using low-salt broth. The broth reduces during the long slow bake and you can end up with a very salty dish if using regular canned stock.
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This is my contribution to Weekend Cooking, hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Why not swing by and see what other home-cooked goodness awaits?

Ginger Currant Granola

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 I have never, ever, ever – a thousand times never ever – liked currants. This doesn’t usually present a problem, because really, how often do you run into currants? They’re not sold in little red snack-sized boxes like their well-loved cousins, the raisins. They don’t appear in that many recipes. And frequently, when they do, you can just as easily swap them out for raisins or something else. That way, you’re not stuck with a box 7/8ths full of uneaten, unloved, currants.

When I recently made olieballen, though, the recipe called for currants, and I thought I should actually use them – just this once – since I already had plans to alter the original recipe with the addition of candied ginger and – gasp! – a coating of powdered sugar.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the currants: So much so, that I ate some right out of the box.

And then a distant memory came to me, of another time when I ate currants right out of the box. That time, the box was in my mother’s kitchen, and I’m pretty sure that same box of currants was in my mother’s kitchen for the entirety of my childhood, teen years, college years, and even the brief period in my 20’s when I moved back in. I’m pretty sure she’s only ever owned one box of currants her entire adult life.

This may explain my long-standing belief that currants taste like crusty dirt with bits of gritty gravel mixed in.

The currants I used for my olieballen, though, were delightfully chewy with a pleasant tartness to them: like raisins, but more sprightly. They paired wonderfully with the candied ginger, and I found myself wanting the combination again – but perhaps in a healthier form than deep-fried fritters.

I created this recipe for ginger currant granola to satisfy that urge, and it’s a spirited way to start the day. Chewy currants and candied ginger are a spirited combination, contrasting nicely with the pleasing, crunchy granola, which is mellow and warm from the maple syrup. The orange juice provides a nice citrus undertone.  It’s perfect in a bowl of vanilla yogurt.

Note that I used uncrystallized candied ginger, which is chewier than crystallized (it’s available at Trader Joe’s). I prefer grade B maple syrup, which has a richer flavor than grade A – it’s a bit strong for pancakes, but perfect for cooking.

Ginger Currant Granola

Ginger Currant Granola
 
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Ingredients
  • 4 cups rolled oats
  • ⅓ cup ground flaxseed
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • ½ cup shredded coconut
  • ½ cup currants
  • ¼ cup finely chopped candied ginger
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, mix oats with flaxseed, almonds, coconut, currants, ginger, and salt. In another bowl, whisk maple syrup with oil, vanilla, and orange juice. Pour over oat mixture and stir until well-mixed.
  2. Spread out on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake until oats are golden, about 20 minutes.
  3. Remove pan from the oven and place on a rack to cool. Granola will crisp as it cools.
  4. Serve over yogurt or however you like it.
Notes
You could easily amp up the ginger flavor if this with addition of up to a teaspoon of ground ginger. If you wanted a more citrus-y flavor, add up to a teaspoon of grated orange zest. Or both. Why not?
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This is my sticky contribution to Weekend Cooking, hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Why not swing by and see what other home-cooked goodness awaits?

French Onion Soup Grilled Cheese

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One of the parties I went to this past holiday season was an open house, and I did a foolish thing. I took the advice of all those columnists and diet books and ate before I went, so that I wouldn’t overeat when I got there. This seemed wise at the time, because most of the holiday tables I encounter are loaded up with sweet treats.

This party, though, was a savory affair. It featured a grilled cheese bar, with at least six kinds of grilled cheese, and probably more. There was something for everyone, and I mean everyone – there was even a tray made with vegan cheese. Everything was marked, so that no one unexpectedly ate one of the jalapeno and mexican cheese sandwiches.

It was amazing, and as the host and chef told me, the best part was, it was easy: he made all the sandwiches ahead of time, and every so often when the supplies ran low, tossed a bunch on his panini press. The kids were happy, the adults were happy, and the hosts were relaxed.

The surprise hit of the the evening were his French Onion Soup Sandwiches, which were the only ones I sampled – I wasn’t hungry but couldn’t stand listening to everyone rave about something I hadn’t tasted. They were amazing, and really did taste just like the soup, which is my favorite. I asked my host for the recipe, and he replied, there isn’t one.

At first I thought he was being cagey and not wanting to share it, but then I realized that, no, this was guyspeak for I didn’t get this out of a book.

So I asked, How did you make them?

And he told me. No problem.

I just made it up, he said. I should maybe write it down but it’s not hard.

French Onion Soup Grilled Cheese

No, it’s not. I repeated his instructions with no difficulty and though I don’t have a panini press, I made them with no difficulty on my countertop grill. However you cook them, I don’t recommend adding any extra oil or butter at that stage, as the onions already have plenty of butter that will be absorbed by the bread, resulting in a pleasing, crunchy sandwich.

The onions can be quite rich depending how you adjust your ratio of onions to cheese – I used a single layer of cheese atop the onions, making for a very savory, strong flavor. Double or even triple the cheese if you want more of a grilled-cheese taste.

French Onion Soup Grilled Cheese

French Onion Soup Grilled Cheese
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 large white onion
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • gruyere cheese, sliced
  • 4 slices crusty bread
Instructions
  1. Slice onion thinly and separate into rings. Sauté the onions in the butter in a large pan over medium heat, until they have caramelized - turned deep golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Stir often enough that the onions don't scorch, but not so often that they don't brown. Add a pinch of salt and pepper as they cook. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent scorching.
  2. When the onions are ready, put a layer of them on two slices of the bread, then top with a layer of sliced gruyere.
  3. Toast sandwiches on a panini press or similar type of grill until cheese is melted and bread is toasty.
Notes
You can easily adjust this recipe to make any quantity of sandwiches. You need one-half of a large white onion per sandwich. Do not add any extra butter or cooking oil to the sandwiches when toasting them. The onions have plenty of butter on them which will seep into the bread as it cooks. Any additional oil or butter will result in a very greasy sandwich. Which is fine if you like that, but I'm not responsible.
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