Recipe by Silvia Baldini— This is a classic Italian bean and pasta soup. It must be served with a generous trickle of good olive oil and abundant grated Parmigiano. It never fails to warm the bellies of my hungry lot. It's a thick and nourishing soup and everyone loves it. Don't use the pancetta for a vegetarian and lighter version.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini— This is a classic Italian bean and pasta soup. It must be served with a generous trickle of good olive oil and abundant grated Parmigiano. It never fails to warm the bellies of my hungry lot. It's a thick and nourishing soup and everyone loves it. Don't use the pancetta for a vegetarian and lighter version.
Drain and rinse the canned beans, place in a wide and large pot, add sage, rosemary, garlic cloves, pancetta and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil then simmer and heat through for about 20 minutes.
Remove the herb sprigs. Reserve half cup of the mixture for later use. Blend the remaining beans and 1/2 cup of the cooking water with a hand blender then push and pass the beans mixtures through a sieve to get rid of the outer husks and unwanted bits.
Place the puree in a saucepan and season with salt and pepper and a little chili-pepper to taste. Mix in the tomato paste.
Cook the pasta in the bean puree, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add about 4 tablespoons of water to finish cooking if necessary. Add the reserved beans and stir gently. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and chili-pepper.
Serve in large bowls with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan.
I hear microwave cooking on high for 2-3 minutes is the Pop Secret to espionage. I’m a chef, not a spy, I don’t care much for microwaves. Unlike our advisor to the president, what I really care for is my health and the health of my family. I also deeply care about cooking nourishing dishes for us and I yearn to satisfy my cravings for clean, light but filling dinners. I choose fish often instead of meat, I always offer crunchy vegetables, good grains and lots of legumes and once in a while, I indulge in the comfort of a bowl of pasta or a thick slice of wholesome, crusty bread; PHO and Ramen amuse me — but spaghetti aglio e olio do it for me.
When I spot fresh clams and mussels at the local store I’m quick to snatch them. Clam and mussels are low in fat and low in cholesterol and they are a great source of fish oils like salmon and cod. Frankly, I find them addictive, sort of like potato chips. I cannot resist them. They are really easy and fast to prepare—no worries, a quick steam it’s all they need, no risk of wiretapping from appliances.
I cook my clams and mussels together with humble white beans, fennel and chorizo. These lovely treasures always turn out deeply satisfying and saucy. The beans are a powerful and a healthy alternative to high fat proteins and contain lots of iron, something women often need; the fennel adds a clean and bright crunch and the chorizo gives an indulgent smoky flavor to this all star-family favorite. I like to gobble down my big bowl with crusty bread. The kids and my husband “order” them on spaghetti. It’s a win-win situation, the adults pretend to be in the sunny riviera, the children throw the empty shells at each others.
Okay, besides nourishing the family, and cursing at the 5 am 2 hour snow delay text from school, I know you deeply care about what’s happening in congress, so double the portions up, get your “Girl’s Gang” over and in between saucy bites be productive and call your elected officials —non stop. This is – believe you me – the truth: we can eat all the healthy beans we can fit in our tummy, but if the Affordable Care Act is repealed at the end of the month more than 10 million Americans could lose their healthcare and it will be harder for the poorest Americans to afford health insurance. Be a force; the people in your life will be grateful and well fed. #RESIST
Heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium to low. Add the garlic cloves, the chili peppers flakes, if using then the onion and the celery. Gently cook and soften the onion for 5 to 7 minute with out browning.
Add the sliced fennel, the chorizo and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook stirring for an extra minute. Add the beans, the sun dried tomatoes if using and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium.
Add the sherry vinegar and the white wine, stir for 5 minutes on medium low heat to cook the alcohol out. Add the Thyme and a hand full of the chopped parsley. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
When ready to serve add the clams and mussel to the beans, squeeze the lemon juice and stir. Then cover with a lid and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Uncover and stir with a wooden spoon and cook until some of the clams and mussels start to open. Season lighlty with salt and pepper.
Keep cooking and with a slotted spoon transfer the opened clams and mussels to a bowl as they open. It should take 7 to 9 minutes. Discard the unopened ones.
Stir the beans on low heat, loosen with water if necessary, taste and season with salt and pepper, add the remaining chopped parsley. Discard the garlic cloves and thyme.
Add the reserved clams and mussels to the beans, mix and drizzle extra olive oil. Serve with good bread.
Recipe Notes
This is a great dish for a crowd. You can prep every thing ahead and cook the clams and mussels at the last minute. I like to serve it with good crusty bread or as a delicious sauce for spaghetti.
It’s Valentine and I’m always on the look out for delicious recipes to help us make the most of our every indulgence.
My little no- bake pots are crammed with clever ingredients, good for your body and your heart. It’s no secret that chocolate is an aphrodisiac, a mood and libido enhancer and that mega-superfood raw cacao, rich in flavanols and powerful antioxidant may protect us against cardiovascular disease, reduce the risk of stroke, and help us improve our blood circulation.
There you have it, my raw cocoa no-bake pots are silky rich, deep in flavor and they are easy to make and GOOD FOR YOU. I think of them as the energy bullets of desserts – sure to please your loved ones, no matter what color, gender or age they happen to be.
6ounces70% bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1/2cuptoasted and peeled hazelnuts
1/2cupsheavy cream
1/3cupwhole milk
1large egg
1/2tsppure vanilla extract
1 small pinchsea-salt
Servings: ramekins
Instructions
Place the raw cacao, the pieces of chocolate and the hazelnuts in a food processor.
In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and the milk over medium heat until bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Do not allow it to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly.
Add the cooled off cream and milk mixture to the chocolate and hazelnuts with the motor running and process until smooth. Keep the motor running and add the egg, vanilla and salt.
Pour the mixture into 8 ramekins, small espresso cups or cute shot glasses.
Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. Take them out at least 1/2 hour before serving to ensure the perfect creamy and silky consistency.
Dust with extra raw cacao before serving.
Energy-packededamame beans, bittersweet fava beans,salty pancetta, all coated in delicious and healthy olive oil and finished with a squeeze of bright lemon juice. I like to pile this satisfying and pleasingly chewy mixture on thick slices of toasted sourdough. Prep your beans and pancetta ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to a week, keeping them ready and waiting for whenever you need a quick lunch, side, snack or last-minute and light supper.
Prep your beans and pancetta ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to a week, keeping them ready and waiting for whenever you need a quick lunch, side, snack or last-minute and light supper.
Prep the beans. Shell the fava beans and edamame. Keep them separate.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add the fava beans. Simmer for 2 minutes and then scoop them out. Squeeze each fava bean out of its outer bitter skin, toss in a colander to drain and set aside. Keep the water boiling. Then add the edamame to the boiling water. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Fry the pancetta or the bacon in a skillet until crisp and brown. Remove from the heat.
When ready to serve, in a large bowl combine the fava beans and edamame, the pancetta, the olive oil and the lemon. Mix delicately.
Toast the bread. Spoon the beans and pancetta mix on the toasted bread, drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Finish with a little sprinkle of chopped mint.
Recipe Notes
Grated Pecorino or aged ricotta would make a nice salty and savory addition to the toast.
Energy packed edamame beans, bittersweet fava beans, salty pancetta, all coated in delicious and healthy olive oil and finished with a bright squeeze of lemon juice. I like to pile up this satisfying and chewy medley on thick slices of toasted sourdough. Prep your beans and pancetta ahead of time, you can store them in the fridge for up to a week, keep them waiting and ready for lunch, side, snack or a last minute lite supper.
Prep the beans. Shell the fava beans and edamame. Keep them separate.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add the fava beans. Simmer for 2 minutes and then scoop them out. Squeeze each fava bean out of its outer bitter skin, toss in a colander to drain and set aside. Keep the water boiling. Then add the edamame to the boiling water. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Fry the pancetta or the bacon in a skillet until crisp and brown. Remove from the heat.
When ready to serve, in a large bowl combine the fava beans and edamame, the pancetta, the olive oil and the lemon. Mix delicately.
Toast the bread. Spoon the beans and pancetta mix on the toasted bread, drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Finish with a little sprinkle of chopped mint.
Recipe Notes
Grated Pecorino or aged ricotta would make a nice salty and savory addition to the toast.
Wash and trim the beans. Cut in 4 to 6 inches pieces.
Add the sesame oil to a pan and the garlic. Brown slowly on medium heat. Add the beans. Shake a couple of times. Add the soy-sauce, the fish sauce and the lemon juice. Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until cooked but still crunchy. Season with salt and pepper and add the cilantro.
er and in between saucy bites be productive and call your 
