Category: Garlic

No. 623Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Giant Beans with Tomatoes & Herbs

GIANT BEANS WITH TOMATOES AND HERBS | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Grab a little wintery comfort with a bowl of GIANT BEANS WITH TOMATOES AND HERBS a simple oven bake bursting with flavor-no boring beans here.
From my Collection Membership to you.

GIGANTE BEANS

Beans pictured here are giant lima beans, which are easy to procure online. The orginal recipe from Andrea Gentl uses a bean called “fasolia gigantes,” which are large white beans used in Greek cuisine, many times in the dish referred to as ‘Gigantes plaki’, which is very similar to this recipe. The Greek beans are available online. This dish is often served as a main course and best of all it is vegan-friendly. *One thing to note is that the beans need to be soaked overnight in lots of fresh water prior to cooking. Do not be tempted to peel off the skins, this will cause the beans to split and become mushy.

TOMATOES AND HERBS

The prepped beans* are baked in an herb-based fresh tomato sauce with oregano, thyme, bay leaf and fresh rosemary. Bake them in a 350° large covered casserole until tender for 2-3 hours, adding extra water as needed. My beans took the full 3 hours and required extra water, but time will depend on the size of your beans.

GIANT BEANS WITH TOMATOES AND HERBS | Bijouxs Little Jewels

GREEK COOKING

This particular recipe originates from a port town on Serifos, although this bean dish is served in many part of Greece. It appears as the term “plaki” pronounced Plah-KEE, refers to a Greek cooking method where the food is baked or roasted with plenty of tomatoes, veggies, and extra virgin olive oil, just as these beans are prepared.

HEALTHY DINNER

This bean dish is healthy, tasty and very satisfying. Serve with lots of extra Greek olive oil and a dense bread with a crisp crust, perfect to mop up the sauces. Simply Beautiful Food from Greece for the home kitchen.

 

No. 619Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

LA Hippie Nachos

LA Hippie Nachos| Bijouxs Little Jewels

These nachos are special, they are LA Hippie Nachos. Lots of little nudges make regular nachos special, Hippie Nachos No 619 from Bijouxs Little Jewels Collection.

HIPPIE NACHOS

So, what are Hippie Nachos you say? I came across this recipe online here, and had to make them. They really are such a step-up from standard nachos, yet remain true to the classic.

THE RECIPE

Who does not love nachos?? I have made them many ways over the years but discovered Hippie Nachos a recipe from artist Louesa Robuck. I met Louesa right after I moved to Ventura, a chance encounter and a friend and I went out to view her Monotype paintings in her studio. That was how the connection began. Her beautiful book Foraged Flora had just come out and she gifted me a copy! So, over the years I have attended her work shops Punk Ikebana, it was great. She truly is a talent.

ALL ABOUT THE BEANS

I think the key to this recipe is the amping-up of seasoning of the refried beans that make these nachos so special. Do not skip this step in the recipe. It’s an easy fix and really makes a difference. Once you prepare the beans you can assemble the nachos and broil to cheesy brown delights. The Have’a Corn Chips are also special, available in many markets.  

LA Hippie Nachos | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

Serve the nachos right out of the skillet while still warm.

No. 613Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon | Bijouxs Little Jewels

ON THE MENU tonight, Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon, a favorite No. 613 in the Membership Collection.

Tagines are exotic and comforting at the same time: the pungent spices, a juxtaposition of the salty and sweet, combined with meats and vegetables gently simmered tender in a delicate broth create a different take on a comforting stew. This simple chicken tagine is a Bijouxs I would like to share.

ABOUT TAGINES

More info: Tagine is the name of the stew, and also the name of the beautiful glazed clay vessel in which tagines are prepared. No worry, you do not need a tagine (the vessel) to make a tagine (the stew) – a heavy Dutch oven with a lid will do. The things I love about tagines (the stews), besides the incredible layers of flavors, are that they are easy to prepare and utilize less-expensive cuts of meats, pure Bijouxs.

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon | Bijouxs Little Jewels

SIMPLE RECIPE

The basic technique for most tagines is rather simple, place the meat in the tagine (or dutch oven) add the vegetables, spices, and water, then cover and simmer, that’s it. Most tagines do not require an initial browning of the meat and utilize dried spices, olives, etc. many available in your pantry.

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon | Bijouxs Little Jewels

COOKING IN A TAGINE

In my beautiful azure blue tagine I purchased long ago from Global Table in NYC, it is import to heat the tagine slowly on the stove, a flame tamer really helps. I recently found a pretty tagine at Willams Sonoma. The key is that the ingredients do not dry out due to the conical shape of the lid which keeps the liquids flowing back onto the ingredients. Important for getting really tender chicken in this recipe.

Enjoy this recipe!

No. 609Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Fusilli with Anchovy Butter & Lemon Garlic Breadcrumbs

Fusilli with Anchovy Butter & Lemon Garlic Breadcrumbs | Bijouxs Little Jewels

This recipe is a preview from my new cookbook “Simple Italian”. Curly spirals of Fusilli pasta are bathed in a mild anchovy butter, then tossed with crispy Garlic-Lemon Breadcrumbs-Recipe No.609 from the Membership Collection.

FUSILLI PASTA

Fusilli is one of the loved pasta shapes, the curly spirals are the prefect vessel to grab and hold the sauce, in this case, a mild Anchovy Butter pan sauce. I know, anchovy butter does not get your attention but the mild Unami flavor is an Italian classic. This recipe is a take on one from Ina Garten’s Be My Guest with Bobby Flay. So if Ina likes it, it has to be good.

GARLIC LEMON BREADCRUMBS

The crowning glory to the pasta are the Toasted Garlic-Lemon Breadcrumbs, not be to missed. The crispy crunch is the perfect finish for the creamy pasta. Beautiful Food by design.

SIMPLE ITALIAN FOOD

Simple Italian Cookbook | Bijouxs Little Jewels

This recipe is a preview of my 5th cookbook “Simple Italian” in now production. This project is close to home, with many of the recipes from my own family kitchen. Coming soon!

 

No. 603Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Chicken Braised in Coconut Milk & Herbs

Chicken Braised in Coconut Milk & Herbs | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Coconut milk creates a savory creamy sauce for Chicken Braised in Coconut Milk & Herbs, the newest Little Jewel from the Collection Membership.

COCONUT MILK

This simple braising method creates tender chicken with a light coconut sauce infused with garlic and herbs. Braising is a cooking method that is not that widely used, but should be revisited in our cooking collection.

Braising is a cooking method that combines both wet and dry heat. Food is first seared at a high temperature, then simmered in a covered pot with a liquid. This method is great for tougher cuts of meat, making them tender. Perfect for these boneless chicken thighs.

FRESH HERBS

The fresh thyme is important to this recipe, adding a woody hint along with the garlic infusing flavor into the rich coconut milk braising liquid.

WEEKNIGHT COOKING

This brown+braise recipe makes an easy a weeknight dinner, the oven cooking portion requires no attention.
Chicken Braised in Coconut Milk & Herbs, another Little Jewel in the Collection Membership.

 

 

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