Plenty More...Parsley, Lemon and Cannellini Bean Salad

I have been waiting for my Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi for a few weeks. I pre-ordered it! I love this man! His recipes are so beautiful and inspiring. I want to make every single one of them. I'm always amazed at the different combinations of salads and dishes he comes up with. I have never been disappointed with any of his recipes.

I made this salad last night and it was delicious! It kinda of reminds of tabbouli with the amount of herbs in it, except that it is a lot more filling because of the quinoa and beans. It makes for a wonderful light lunch.

It calls for red quinoa, which I happen to have on hand but you can use regular quinoa if you want. Although the contrast on the beans is very pretty...See, I told you his recipes were pretty.

I will definitely be making more recipes from this book, so stay tuned.

Parsley, Lemon and Cannellini Bean Salad

2/3 cups red quinoa
2/3 cups flat leaf parsley, finely shredded
2/3 cups mint, finely shredded
3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/3 cups cannellini beans, drained
1/2 large lemon, skin and seeds removed, flesh finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the quinoa in boiling water and drain. Rinse under cold water and drain. Set aside and let it dry out. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir together and serve.

m xo

Chicken Chili

I looked out the window the other night and noticed the sun shining…then I looked at the clock…then I looked out again. It was 7:30 and still daylight! Wow, I can't tell you how happy that made me feel. I finally started to see the light (no pun intended) at the end of the tunnel. It's amazing how a little sunshine can make you feel. This winter in particular. It has been so loooong. I'm sure we are sick of hearing ourselves complain about it. I know I am.

Today was a beautiful sunny day…sunny but cold, so I wanted to make something warming and comforting. Chili hits the spot for me. The heat from the spices and peppers takes the edge off a cold night.

I used leftover roasted chicken from last nights dinner, but if I hadn't had leftovers, I would have baked off some chicken breasts and thighs.

I like using poblano peppers for this recipe when I can find them. Poblanos are a mild chili pepper originating from Puebla, Mexico. They have a nice smokey flavour. They can have a little kick sometimes, which is nice for people that don't like it too spicy. They tend to have a tougher skin than most peppers so thats why I roasted and peeled them.

 I usually do this on the grill outdoors, but again, too cold, so I just placed the whole peppers directly on my gas stove flame. Use tongs to rotate and flip the peppers. You want to keep your eyes on them. When they are completely charred and blistered, place them in a sealed plastic bag or bowl covered with plastic wrap to trap the steam inside. Let them sit for 15 minutes. Then peel and seed the peppers. You can use this method with any pepper.


Chicken Chili

Leftover roasted chicken, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 poblano peppers, roasted. peeled and chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
19 oz. can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups chicken stock or water
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
lime wedges (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, poblano peppers, jalapeño, cumin, chili powder, oregano and salt. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and fragrant. Add the chicken, kidney beans and chicken stock or water and turn up the heat a little. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the chopped cilantro and serve each bowl with a wedge of lime.

m xo