My Recipe Reviews

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Great Northern Beans

White Bean Salad

by

 
America’s Test Kitchen has done it again with this simple, tasty White Bean Salad. The recipe is set up for two servings, but you can easily double or triple it if you’re having more family for lunch or dinner.

White Bean Salad

At the beginning of 2020, the year of ‘whaaaat?’, I created recipe lists from a bunch of different cookbooks that sit on my shelves. A couple of years ago I pared down those cookbooks from about 150 to under 100. I kept the ones that I really will cook from and have had some marvelous recipes.

White Bean Salad is one of those good newly discovered recipes, although it has familiar, comforting flavors. It’s tangy from the touch of vinegar and oil, crunchy from the vegetables, and hearty from the beans.

Easy to throw together, go ahead and pre-chop your garlic, shallot (or green onion like I used), and red pepper to make things easier.

White Bean Salad

This is one of those salads you can eat for a meal (hello, Veggie Monday). In fact, since Bret has an intolerance to (a.k.a.->hates) onions and peppers, I get to enjoy the entire salad.

I prefer this salad cold, but you can serve it room temperature, too. If you’re having it for a potluck or family get-together, stir it before serving to get the vinegar/oil combination evenly all over the beans and vegetables.

White Bean Salad

We’re not going to an outing this Fourth of July weekend. I miss going to gatherings for a couple of reasons – not getting to see family and friends, and not being able to try out my new creations and recipe efforts on them.

It’s supposed to be made with cannellini beans but I couldn’t find any, so used Great Northern Beans. Works great! Don’t have either of those? Use well-drained and rinsed black beans or even butter beans. Nothing that will get too mushy, though.

White Bean Salad

I love this White Bean Salad and how simple it is. Don’t let that simplicity fool you, though. It’s packed with great flavor.

Looking for another great picnic/side salad? Try my Shoe Peg Corn Salad!

White Bean Salad

White Bean Salad

Yield: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Bean salad with crunchy red peppers, garlic, shallots, and tossed with a tangy vinegar/oil dressing.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 small shallot , minced (or 2 spring onion end bulbs)
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped into small, even pieces
  • 2 tbsp chopped chives (or the green end of a spring onion)

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until it just begins to brown - about 30-45 seconds. Pull the skillet off the heat and let cool for a minute. Then add 2/3 cup of water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Place back over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
  2. Take the skillet off the heat and add the beans. Stir, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a cup and add the shallots (or spring onion) and 2 tablespoons of the small-chopped red bell pepper. Stir so that all of the ingredients are soaking in the vinegar. Let sit for 20 minutes.
  3. Drain the beans (but do not rinse). In a small bowl, stir together the drained beans, the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, the shallot/bell pepper/vinegar mixture, the rest of the bell pepper, and the chives.
  4. Taste, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (or you can serve it at room temperature). Stir before serving and sprinkle with extra chives if you'd like.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

I used Great Northern Beans instead of cannellini.  Use whatever small white bean you'd like - it'll work.

The original recipe says to throw the garlic out, but I kept it in to add flavor.

The original recipe calls for sherry vinegar.  I prefer apple cider vinegar, so used it.  Use what you'd like.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 727mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 11gSugar: 4gProtein: 16g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© America's Test Kitchen
Category: Salad

Creamy Great Northern Beans with Ham

by

 

After the rich Thanksgiving goodies, we always look for something more down home and simple for dinner. These Creamy Northern Beans with Ham certainly fit the bill for that!

I threw the ingredients together in the slow cooker, let them cook for 8 long hours, and the result was a creamy, flavorful pot of beans with tender and delicious chunks of ham. Add a piece of cornbread and you have the perfect warming dinner for a cool Fall evening.

The original recipe calls for a ham hock, but I substitute one inch cubed smoked ham instead. I find that a ham hock usually leaves the beans greasy and it’s hard to skim all that fat off.

If you don’t have ham leftover from Thanksgiving, go to your local deli and ask for a pound of smoked ham cut one inch thick. Cube it into chunks when you get home and throw them in with the beans.

These delicious Creamy Northern Beans with Ham remind me of dishes my Mother used to make. Pure comfort food at its best that leaves you satisfied. We lost my Mom in 2009, but I’m lucky enough to have inherited her recipe box and cookbooks with hand written notes in them. Priceless!

Be sure and use the pinch of cloves called for in the recipe. It’s not overpowering and adds a nice flavor depth to the creamy beans!

I hope you’ll try these – they’re simple to make and are so very good for a nice dinner. They even seem to get better and better after a few days.

You don’t have to wait till Thanksgiving or even cool weather to make this recipe. They’re awesome all year round.

Creamy Great Northern Beans with Ham

Creamy Northern Beans with Ham

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Inactive Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 16 hours 20 minutes

Creamy with tender beans and chunks of ham.  Wonderful dinner for a cool evening.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Great Northern Beans
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • pinch of ground cloves
  • 1 lb smoked ham, cut in 1" cubes
  • 4 1/2 C Water
  • 1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Sort beans and put them into a large pot.  Cover with fresh water (about 2 inches higher than the beans) and let them sit overnight.  If you're in a hurry, boil them for 5 minutes, then let them sit covered in the pan for about 30 minutes.
  2. Rinse the beans and place them in the slow cooker.  Add the garlic, onion, salt, pepper, ham and the pinch of ground cloves.  Pour in the water and broth.  Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, until the beans are tender and creamy.  Add salt and pepper to taste if necessary.
  3. If you have leftovers, pour them into your container and let them sit out until they're room temperature, then refrigerate.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

If you want more of a soup than stew, just add 2 more cups of water.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 203Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 941mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 6gSugar: 1gProtein: 21g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Soups, Stews, and Salads