Ribollita

I have to get something off my back before I dive into this post, I didn't pour a glass of wine until I was smelling the deliciousness of garlic cooking in olive oil.  Now that I have that out of the way, I can also proudly admit that this recipe is another favorite from Runner's World (see Red Velvet cupcakes...I think they are on here).  As with most recipes, I used the actual recipe as a guideline and altered where I saw fit and it seemed to work for me.  Of course, you can't go wrong when trying a recipe from a Chef!

Had to add this...Chef Matt Connors, a nine-time marathoner with a 3:05 PR, prepares a hearty prerace Tuscan soup. By Matt Connors Image by Yunhee Kim From the December 2008 issue of Runner's World.

Ribollita

Italians make ribollita, which means "reboiled," from leftovers and cook the soup twice before eating. Make it with whatever light-colored beans you have on hand.

2 cups cannellini (or any white bean), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 large Yukon gold potato, diced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 bunch kale, chopped roughly
1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped
2 cups chicken stock
3 slices day-old, crusty white country bread
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)


Mash one-cup cannellini beans in a bowl with the back of a fork until smooth. Set aside.

Gently cook garlic, rosemary, onions, celery, carrot, and kale in the olive oil for about 20 minutes in a heavy-bottomed soup pot, stirring occasionally. Add both mashed and whole cannellini beans, chicken stock, potato, and tomatoes.

Simmer gently for at least one hour. Add bread and simmer until it's completely dissolved into the soup. Taste.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serve (preferably the next day), drizzled with olive oil and Parmesan. Makes four generous servings.

And here is what I did...
- Instead of cannellini beans, I used Northern, they are white.  I also used both cans in their entirety because it seemed wasteful not to. Unless you picture yourself using them on a salad or in another form, be bold and use both cans.
- Instead of fresh rosemary, I bought it in a jar, but that is just because the grocery store was out of fresh
- Can someone please define "large potato?" I used two normal sized looking potatoes
- 2 celery  = 3 in my book because what am I going to do with all this celery? In my honest opinion, no one actually eats celery because they like it, they eat it because they are pretending they are eating real food.  In soup, celery is 100% ok...it is also amazing with PB, which is probably how I will have to eat it so as not to waste it.
- Back on track...1 bunch kale is a lot of kale, but know that, like spinach, it shrinks [insert joke here].
- I used vegetable stock instead of chicken and still loved this recipe.
- What is with the bread? I felt weird about that, so I dismissed that step.
- Finally, if you feel so inclined to beef up this soup, pun intended, I added cooked, ground turkey and liked the added heavy.  It also helped the soup go a little further.
- One more thing, I had a green pepper that was looking too creepy to add to a salad, but I saved it to chop and add to the soup and it worked.  Look in your fridge and throw in those weird looking veggies instead of tossing them.  This can certainly be used as a bottomless pot stew.

Enjoy..and happy running!

Smashed White Bean and Avocado Club

Let's get one thing straight, "Smashed White Bean" in my book is store bought hummus.  I also don't have a food processor, so there was no way I was about to smash beans with a fork.  Also, I do know that hummus is generally made with chick peas, which seemed like a fair enough substitute.  So here goes, let's make a sandwich.

Ingredients

• 2 15-ounce cans white beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 slices multi grain bread
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, preferably hothouse (seedless), thinly sliced (peeled, if desired)
• 1 4- to 5-ounce container sprouts (such as alfalfa, radish, broccoli, or a combination)
• 2 avocados, pitted and thinly sliced

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the beans, oil, salt, and pepper. Roughly mash the mixture with the back of a fork.
2. Place 8 of the bread slices on a work surface. Divide the mashed beans among them. Top with the onion, cucumber, sprouts, and avocado.
3. Stack the open-faced sandwiches on top of one another, avocado-side up, to make 4 double-decker sandwiches. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread.
4. Slice each sandwich in half, if desired, and serve.

Like I said, I bought hummus, but if you want to smash beans, have at it.  I also used a gluten free wrap instead of bread, but again, cleanse.  I didn't use onion because I don't like them raw.

Another variation that was even more delicious, was a little home brew.  I smashed a whole avocado, shaved half a cucumber into it, added salt and pepper, a dash of white pepper for a little kick and probably a teaspoon of dill - I just shook a for a bit until the amount seemed good. Toast gluten free bread, which is as dry as it sounds, spread a small amount of the avocado mixture, just enough to hold down a piece of romaine (I suppose you could use iceberg, butter or any other lettuce), then top with half the avocado mixture - this is enough for two open faced sandwiches and it was super yummy. 

Many thanks to Real Simple again for this concoction.

Linguine with asparagus and pine nuts

Ingredients

• 12 ounces linguine (3/4 box)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 cup shaved Parmesan (about 3 ounces)

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook, tossing occasionally, until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the asparagus mixture to the pasta along with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the Parmesan before serving.

And here are my notes...I used gluten free pasta because of the cleanse, but will make this again using whole wheat pasta.  I also made this twice, the first with asparagus, the second with green beans, but I think I would use whatever is on sale, like broccoli, spinach, etc.  I also didn't top with shaved Parmesan because of the cleanse, but again, would use it when I make it again off the cleanse. Oh, I almost forgot, this is a Real Simple recipe, April 2010. I really love Real Simple.

The Cleanse

I can't believe it has been since June, that is horrible, but back on track, in more ways than one.  I started 2012 with a bang to my system - no caffeine, no alcohol (as if these two weren't bad enough), no animal products and no gluten.  I feel like there were other things, but I also view cheese as a food group.  This is the Quantum Wellness 21-Day Cleanse.  I am shocked to say this, but I am really enjoying the cleanse, a lot.  After the first couple days without my morning coffee, my body figured out that it wasn't getting coffee and stopped the headaches.  I have learned how to eat better to feel better and can see some of the practices sticking, but not coffee, maybe less, but my morning coffee while getting ready in the morning is a simple pleasure...plus, I am kind of sick of feeling tired, but that may also be a protein shortage.  I have been eating different foods, eating really healthy, working out, losing weight and trying new recipes.  Below are a few that I have enjoyed, including alterations to fit them into the cleanse.  Here are a few of my favorites...