Butter Beans and Greens

I enjoying making new recipes. This one is inspired by several different recipes recipes I found online. My search began with an interest in finding additional ways to enjoy BUTTER BEANS. I love how butter beans melt in your mouth. They are a comfort food for me. I wanted to find a way to add texture and flavor to the beans to create a dish. 

I started with dry beans and re-hydrated them. You can start with canned beans and drain and rinse them. 

Ingredients:

1. 6 Garlic Cloves - smashed and diced
2. 1/2 cup onion - diced
   
3. 3 cups of Kale/Spinach/Chard  - diced
4. Sun dried tomatoes (2 whole then diced or 3 TBSP of diced)
5. 1 can of tomatoes (I used fire roasted with garlic)
6. 2 cups of butter beans
7. 1 TBSP Italian seasoning
8. 1/2 TBSP crushed red pepper
9. Olive oil (just enough so nothing sticks to the pan)
   

Serve: add parmesan cheese and/or cooked pasta

Instructions:

1. Add the olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and onion to the pan. Cook until the onions are translucent. 
2. Add the spices and the tomatoes. Stir to combine.
3. Add the greens and cook until wilted. Reduce heat.
   
4. Add the beans so they absorb the flavor. 
5. Cover for about 10 minutes.  Stir gently and turn off.
   
6. If you want a "runnier" dish, you can add an additional can of tomatoes. 
   

Kale, Chickpeas, and Tomatoes

My garden is producing quite a bit of lettuce, chard, and kale right now. As a result, I searched for recipes to use the bounty from my garden in new ways. I came across a recipe for Chickpeas and Kale in Spicy Pomodoro Sauce. 

I modified the recipe and made it my own based on the ingredients I had on hand and personal preferences. My dish features the KALE more than the original. It leaves the ingredients chunky and with a variety of textures.

 

Ingredients:

• 6 cloves of garlic (diced and crushed)
• 1 14 OZ can of diced tomatoes  (either with garlic or italian herbs)
• 3 cups of diced kale
• 2 cups chickpeas
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
• olive oil (so nothing sticks to the pan)

Instructions:

• Saute the garlic and onion in oilve oil until translucent
• Add the caraway seed and warm for a minute or two
• Add the diced tomatoes and stir to combine
• After a few minutes add the kale and chickpeas
• Cook until kale has softened to your liking 

Serve with rice, gluten free pasta, or gluten free bread bread 

You can add some shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese (I prefer Violife Vegan Cheese) to the dish as you serve

Spicy Black Bean Gluten Free Pizza

I love the blank canvas that a gluten free pizza crust provides. When you purchase a pizza crust you have the opportunity to customize the toppings to fit your diet and preferences.

Pizzas Need to Look Good and Taste Good

Since people eat with their eyes first, I try to make my pizzas visually pleasing and full of color. When coming up with recipe ideas, I consider taste, color, and texture. There are many gluten free crusts available on the market. The one I used today was by Scharr. I like this crust as it is a bit thicker than some of the other crusts and is sturdy in your hand even when the toppings are piled high!

Ingredients

• 1 Gluten Free pizza crust (I used Scharr Specialty Breads & Wraps for this recipe)
• 1 cup black beans
• 1/4 cup NutCrumbs
• 3 large cloves of garlic 
• Sprinkle of crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 12 slices of red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup cheese

Craft your Pizza One Layer at a Time

On the base of the crust I added crushed red pepper, 3 cloves of garlic (diced), and 1 cup of black beans partially crushed.

Layer 2: 1/4 cup of  Nut Crumbs (Spicy) to add flavor and texture to the pizza.

Layer 3: 1/2 cup diced onions on top of the Nut Crumbs and 12 slices of red bell pepper in a radial pattern

Layer 4: 1/2 cup cheese

I cooked according to the pizza crust directions and awareness of my oven temperature. I preheated the oven to 410 as I was preparing the pizza and cooked for 15 minutes.