Worth the Pots

I found this recipe for chipotle beans on 101cookbooks.com that looked absolutely divine. I built our entire Wednesday night dinner around these beans--and there's a good reason why--they were fabulous! I paired the beans with grilled pork chops coated with cumin, chile powder, salt and pepper for the guys and tofu for me and sauteed plaintains to round out the meal. The beans stole the show though with their complex flavor of tomato, chipotle, garlic, and cilantro along with the gooeyness of the queso fresco and crunchiness of the bread crumb topping. This meal uses ton of pots and pans, but it is worth every minute of cleaning (especially if your husband does it, thanks Adam).


Giant Chipotle White Beans (Heidi Swanson, 101cookbooks.com)

1 pound of large, dried white beans (corona, giant limas, gigantes, or any giant white beans you can find), rinsed, picked over and soaked overnight - or up to 24 hours.

Chipotle-tomato sauce:
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 big pinches of red pepper flakes
2 pinches of salt
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 14-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 Tbs. fresh oregano leaves
1 1/2 Tbs. adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers

Cilantro Pesto:
1 medium clove of garlic
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
big pinch of salt

2/3 cup kale or chard, washed, de-stemmed, and very finely chopped
1 cup queso fresco or feta cheese

1 1/2 cup whole-grain breadcrumbs, toasted in a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil

1. To prepare the beans. Drain and rinse the beans after their overnight soak. Then place them in a large saucepan and cover with an inch or two of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the beans are cooked through and just tender. This can take anywhere from an hour to two hours (potentially more) depending on your beans, but do your best to avoid overcooking. Remove from heat, salt the beans (still in bean broth) with about a tablespoon of salt - enough that the bean liquid is tasty but on the salty side. Let the beans sit like this for ten minutes or so before draining and setting the beans aside.
2. In the meantime, make your tomato sauce. Place the 2 tablespoons olive oil, red pepper flakes, couple pinches of salt, and chopped garlic into a cold medium saucepan. Stir while you heat the saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute just 45 seconds or so until everything is fragrant - you don't want the garlic to brown. Stir in the tomatoes and the fresh oregano and heat to a gentle simmer, this takes just a couple minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the adobo sauce - carefully take a taste (you don't want to burn your tongue)...If the sauce needs more salt add it now, more chipotle flavor? Go for it. Set aside.
3. Make the cilantro pesto by combining the clove of garlic and cilantro in a food processor. Pulse while you drizzle in the olive oil - alternately, you could do this by hand. Season with a bit of salt and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 425F degrees. In a 9x13 baking pan (or large oven-proof casserole/dutch oven) toss the beans with the tomato sauce and the kale. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake in the top-third of the oven for roughly twenty-five (if you're using queso fresco) to forty minutes, I look for the cheese to start browning and any visible beans to get a bit crusty. Remove from oven and let sit for about ten minutes. Top the beans with the breadcrumbs and just before serving drizzle with the cilantro pesto.


Sauteed Plantains (Cooking Light, June 2008)

2 plantains, yellow with some black spots (about 1 lbs.)
1 Tbs. canola oil
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1. Peel plantains; cut each crosswise into 3 pieces. Cut each piece lengthwise into 4 slices.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add plantains to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Transfer plantains to a plate; sprinkle with salt.