Zucchini Eggplant Rolls

(recipe from Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine)

Eggplant slices:
1 large eggplant
Salt
Olive oil

Tomato sauce:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp. dried)

White bean puree:
One 15-oz. can cannellini beans
1/4 cup pine nuts (I used walnuts)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, and basil are nice)

1 zucchini, cut into 3-inch matchsticks
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Rinse the eggplant.  Cut off the top and bottom ends, so that the eggplant can stand vertically on a cutting board.  With a long knife, cut it vertically into slices 1/4-inch thick.  The first and last slices will have too much skin for easy rolling, so those will not be needed.  Choose your best eight slices (I used all of my slices) and gently rub both sides with salt.  Place them in a colander in the sink and allow them to drip for 30 minutes.  This tenderizes the eggplant and removes its bitterness.

While the eggplant sits, prepare the tomato sauce.  Saute the garlic in olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, red pepper, salt, and black pepper.  Lower the heat and simmer 15 minutes, breaking tomatoes apart with the back of the spoon.  Stir in basil.  Simmer over very low heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat the over to 350F and return to the eggplant slices.  Rinse them under the faucet and pat them dry.  Brush both sides with olive oil and place on a baking sheet.  Roast for 20 minutes, until the thinner parts of the slices are golden brown.

While the eggplant roasts, prepare the white bean puree.  Put all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until uniform and smooth.  (If you have any leftover, this puree also makes a great spread for crackers and tomato sandwiches.)

When the roasted eggplant slices are cool enough to handle, assemble the rolls.  Thinly spread about a tablespoon of white bean puree across a slice of eggplant, then lay 3-4 (or more if thin) zucchini matchsticks across one end.  Beginning at that end, roll the eggplant up and place it in a baking dish, seam down.  When all of the rolls are in place, spoon the tomato sauce over them and top with breadcrumbs.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden.  Serve with pasta, risotto, or polenta.

(A bit of an effort, but very delicious!  So flavorful!)

Cannellini Beans in Mint Marinade

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay)

1/3 cup EVOO
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
Several grinds black pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh mint leaves
3 1/2 cups freshly cooked or canned cannellini beans, drained

Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a medium-size bowl.  Stir in the mint.  Add the beans to the marinade.  Gently toss to coat, then allow them to marinate at room temperature for several hours before serving.  Any leftovers may be refrigerated, but should be returned to room temperature before serving.

Barley Cannellini Bean Stew with Broccoli and Tomatoes

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay)

2 Tbsp. canola oil (I used coconut oil)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
One 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup dried cannellini beans
3/4 cup uncooked barley
2 cups chopped broccoli
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves (I used 1 Tbsp. dried oregano)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat and sauté the garlic and onion for several minutes, then add the tomatoes, vegetable stock, and beans.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes. 

Meanwhile, put the barley in a small pan with a tight-fitting lid.  Add 2 cups hot water, cover, and let stand for 20 minutes. 

Add the barley to the soup, along with its soaking liquid, return to a simmer, and cook an additional 20 minutes over medium heat.  Stir in the broccoli, carrots, oregano, salt and pepper, plus 2 cups of hot water, and cook 20-25 minutes longer, until the vegetables and beans are tender.  Serve immediately.

(Makes a lot!  Very tasty.  May want to use canned beans; I found the dried beans took a long time to soften.)

White Bean Soup with Escarole

(recipe from The Food Network)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups broth
2 (16-oz.) cans white cannellini beans, drained
4 fresh sage leaves, cut into chiffonade
8 oz. escarole (or kale!), cut into chiffonade
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan.  Add onion and carrots, cover, and simmer 5 minutes or until tender.  If vegetables stick to saucepan, add some water, cover and continue to simmer.

Add the garlic and sauté for a moment.  Add 1 of the cans of beans and mash with a potato masher.  Add the other can of beans along with the broth and bring to a simmer with the sage.  Simmer 10 minutes or until as thick as you like it.  If too thick, add more water; if too thin, boil down until some of the liquid has evaporated.

Stir the escarole (or kale) into the pot, cover, and simmer 5 minutes or until tender.  Uncover, add parsley and adjust seasoning.

White Bean and Tomato Salad

(recipe from Real Simple magazine)

Two 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I used navy beans)
1 small tomato, diced
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
1/2 tsp. salt
olive oil

Combine all ingredients and drizzle with the olive oil.

(It does not get much more simple than this!  Easy summer salad recipe, good for parties.  Nice served with salad greens.)

Bean Salad with Fresh Salmon and Dill

(recipe from Food & Wine magazine)

1 1/2 cups dried cannellini beans (10 ounces), soaked overnight and drained
1 small onion, halved
1 carrot, halved
4 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
2 bay leaves
1 medium fennel bulb, finely diced, stalks, core and fronds reserved
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup good fruity olive oil
Two 8-oz. skinless salmon fillets

Place the beans in a large pot.  Add 2 quarts of water and the onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaves and the reserved fennel stalks and core.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to very low, cover and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 hour.  Season the beans with salt and pepper during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Drain the beans and discard all the cooked vegetables.  Coarsely chop the fennel fronds.  Transfer the beans to a large serving platter and, while still warm, add the dill, diced fennel bulb, fennel fronds and all but 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine.

In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. of olive oil.  Season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper, add the fish to the skillet and cook over moderate heat on 1 side until brown and crusty, about 3 minutes.  Gently flip the salmon and cook on the other side until just cooked through, about 4 minutes.  Transfer the salmon to a plate to cool slightly.  Break the salmon into large flakes and toss gently with the beans.  Serve the salad warm or at room temperature.

(A nice hearty salad with great flavor.  Beware of overcooking the beans - check that they're not turning too mushy.  I cooked mine an hour and they were a bit overdone.  Also, I'm not a fan of throwing out the onions and carrots and garlic - perhaps may be nice to chop them a bit and keep them in the salad?  Might give it a try next time...  I did not use so much olive oil - can add to your liking.  Also, instead of fresh salmon, I added the thick smoked salmon to mine, which tasted nice.)

Tangy Bean Salad with Carrots and Green Onions

(Recipe from Whole Foods Market)

Serves 4.

3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp. mustard, preferably German
1 Tbsp. sesame tahini
3 Tbsp. water
2 1/2 cups cooked and drained garbanzo or cannellini beans (I used half of each)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

Whisk together vinegar, tamari, mustard, tahini and water in a medium bowl.  Add beans, green onions, carrots, and parsley, toss to combine, and set aside at room temperature to let marinate for at least 15 minutes before serving.

(This gets better and better the longer it sits.  I added some dill and lemon juice.  Delicious in a whole wheat wrap with Dijon mustard and watercress.  Also good over salad greens.  So easy to make.)

Ribollita Soup

(recipe from Eating Well magazine)

Ribollita, a traditional hearty Tuscan soup typically uses day-old bread to add body and thicken the broth. This version uses a bean mash, which keeps the soup gluten-free and adds fiber.

Serves 8.

1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed (I used equivalent amount cooked dried beans)
1 medium leek, halved lengthwise and sliced, white and light green parts only
1/4 cup thinly sliced garlic
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced zucchini
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 head Savoy or green cabbage, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups diced russet potatoes
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp. celery seed
crushed red pepper to taste

Using a potato masher, mash half the beans into a paste.  Set aside.

Saute leek and garlic in 1/2 cup broth, stirring, until translucent and tender, 2 to 3 minutes.  Do not brown.  Season with 1/8 tsp. pepper.  Stir in carrots, celery, and zucchini; cook, stirring, until nearly tender, 3 to 5 minutes.  Season with 1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper.

When the carrots and celery are nearly tender, stir in cabbage.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 4 to 6 minutes.  Add potatoes, broth, water, tomatoes and juice, the bean mash and whole beans, thyme, and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Season with celery seed, crushed red peppper and the remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper and 1/8 tsp. salt.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, until all of the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

(A hearty and delicious vegetable soup!  I added 1/2 of a small can of tomato paste to this.  Makes a lot!)