vegetarian cooking

Creamy Braised White Beans from NYT Cooking is a satisfying dish with just the right amount of comfort for a mid- meal. Sometimes to my surprise, I do have everything in my kitchen to whip up a quick meal. Making more vegetarian dishes these days means beans and lentils are always at the ready. Just a quick pop to the local bakery for fresh crusty bread.

Note: I should have simmered the dish a bit longer to really get the garlic to soften. It would have created a smoother spread for the bread. I also recommend mashing the garlic with a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper and a dash of chili peppers for a little extra zing. Served with a fresh herby salad.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
1 cup whole milk
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, with their liquid
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern, drained and rinsed
1 thyme sprig, 2 sage leaves or 1 bay leaf
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, allspice or garam masala
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 slices crusty bread or thick toast
Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Aleppo pepper or red-pepper flakes, for serving

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, cut side down, and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the milk, chickpeas and their liquid, white beans, thyme and nutmeg and stir to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper. When the mixture begins to bubble around the edges of the pan (you don’t want it to come to a full boil), reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened and tastes great to you, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Use a fork to remove the garlic halves from the beans. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then use the fork to remove the cloves from the skins. Spread the cloves on bread or toast.
If you would like the beans to be more stew-like, mash some of the beans using a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Serve beans and milk in bowls. Garnish as you wish, with a drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan and a pinch of Aleppo pepper and black pepper. Serve with the bread alongside for dipping.

Every season has me trying new recipes. Winter is tricky. We crave comfort but also wanting dishes that are healthy. Salads don’t always speak to me but finding ones that have some substance is always welcomed. Vegetarian dishes are my jam and finding ones with flavor is my speciality!

Well as life swirls around with many things distracting me these days. I have been cooking, staying healthy, checking out major online sales, finding new interests, and mostly trying to unlock the mystery of why we are having some poor sleeps in my house. Anyhow, I would like to share some of my recent favorite meals. Heads up, they are all vegetarian. That is how we roll these days just because it makes my family pretty happy. I love recipe swapping with friends. I just hadn’t thought to throw them on the blog. We have been insta and whatsapp sharing. But this week, I have had multiple requests by friends on what to cook. So here you go!

BTW half baked Harvest is my love these days and the New York Times is my husband’s. A pretty good combination.

Every recipe is quick, easy, and pretty minimal in the ingredient department. Cheers to healthy home cooked meals!