Category: Lunch

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Friday Night Black Beans

Friday Night Black Beans |Bijouxs Little Jewels

The best recipe to pack for wonderful weekend getaways or lounging at home–Friday Night Beans are truly a Little Jewel from the Kitchen.

WEEKEND KITCHEN

Spring is almost here and boy, I can’t wait to get out and pack up for a weekend jaunt. These beans are part of my Mason Jar Cuisine along with my Mason Jar Blueberry Muffins. We don’t usually go far but a picnic at our local beach is just fine. It’s an easy formula; Mason Jars filled with salad, black beans, cornsticks (or cornbread) and cool things to drink.

Here’s how. During the week prepare some of your favorite picnic foods, mine include a jar my no-egg Caesar Dressing for salad or dip; a jar of black beans cooked with a hamhock (Cajun style); and Mason Jar Blueberry Muffins.  The beans are super-quick using the Instant Pot. The night before prepare the beans and bake the blueberry muffins and while the oven is hot bake the cornsticks. The morning is easy, just pack and go enjoy the weekend.

Friday Night Black Beans | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Friday Night Black Beans | Bijouxs Little Jewels
BLACK BEANS

There is no waste with cooking these recipes. The extra black beans make tasty lunch quesadillas or bowls served with rice  and the muffins are great for the lunch box. I like use glass jars, yes, they are heavy but are so much more sane for the environment and our health. I love these French Canning Jars with the snap lids, and they come in many sizes. Bring along an insulated tote to keep things warm, along with a large thermous filled with your favorite beverage.

Let’s go for a picnic with Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen.

 

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My Everything Salad

My Everything Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

My Everything Salad is a delicious antidote to avoid food waste in the kitchen, another Bijouxs Membership Collection.

MY EVERYTHING SALAD

I have been creating endless salads using leftover ingredients in the kitchen fridge for years, hardly thinking of them as a real recipe and hardly photo worthy. I came across this salad, and it struck a cord with me. Many of the ingredients were things I typically have on hand-cooked grains, beets, carrots, green onions, cucumber, and fresh herbs. The only to-get items were the pomegranate seeds and Shishito peppers, made easy via Trader Joe’s.

 

My Everything Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

NO FOOD WASTE

I am working hard on reducing any food waste. If I cook a recipe for the blog I share it with friends and neighbors. I found that freezing large quantities of food, did not work for the solo me. I am constantly moving on to the next thing. So, leftovers in my fridge are constantly reimagined into something, interesting or not so interesting.

 

BEAUTIFUL FOOD BY DESIGN

Again, I go back to my Bijouxs basic mantra ‘“the everyday beauty all around us, right here in our kitchens.” I think even the rag-tag kitchen stragglers can be made into something healthy and beautiful-avoiding any waste.

My Everything Salad is another Little Jewel from the Bijouxs Membership Collection.

 

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Creamy White Bean Soup

Creamy White Bean Soup | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Flexibility is word for this recipe. Italian White Beans are the flexible Bijouxs Basics recipe which begin this soup. Start with one batch of Italian White Beans = Creamy White Bean Soup. Brilliant.

WHITE BEAN SOUP

Creamy White Bean soup is really just all about a puree of Italian White Beans with most of the beans, then adding in some still-whole beans. The soup is thick and creamy. Feel free to add extra vegetable broth if a thinner consistency is desired. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and Italian parsley.

Creamy White Bean Soup | Bijouxs Little Jewels

COMFORT SOUP

This simple soup provides a warming bowl for these challenging in-between days. The as we head into Spring, we still have plenty of cold weather left. Enjoy Creamy White Bean Soup, and stay warm.

Creamy White Bean Soup| Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

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Bonnie Lu’s Pixie Salad

Bonnie Lu’s Pixie Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Bring on Spring! Bring on the Pixies! They are almost ripe, just a matter of weeks. Bonnie Lu’s Pixie Salad is a great way to begin the Pixie season, another Little Jewel from the Bijouxs Kitchen.

PIXIE TANGERINES

These tangerines are synonymous with Ojai, a lovely town nestled in the foothills just inland from the central coast. Pixie tangerines are a famous crop of the region, with many citrus groves in the area. Pixie’s are sweet and a very special citrus to herald in the Spring season. I am so lucky, my neighbor has a very abundant tree that I gather from each year.

Bonnie Lu’s Pixie Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

OJAI

The town of Ojai has a special place in my heart. As a kid, we used to drive from the valley over the interior road to the town. I always loved the Spanish Mission architecture of the town, reminding me of the valley I was raised in. Charming shops and restaurants line the main street and Bonnie Lu’s is a part of the food culture.

BONNIE LU’S CAFE

One of the cafe recipes I was attracted to was this salad with a No Oil Citrus Sesame Dressing & Butter Leaf Lettuce Salad via Edible Ventura County.  Pixie tangerine is a part of both the salad and the dressing. The salad also contains asparagus spears, tomato and shallots.

Breakfast is also served at the cafe, they close at 2 pm so plan an early trip.

Bonnie Lu’s Pixie Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

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Rigatoni with Rosemary and Pancetta

Rigatoni with Rosemary and Pancetta | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Rigatoni with Rosemary and Pancetta is buttery with just a hint of garlic, fresh rosemary and lighlty dotted with salty pancetta-a simple little jewel pasta for your family weeknight meal from the Membership Collection.

COOKING CLASSIC ITALIAN

This pasta originally hails from Marcella’s Italian Kitchen cookbook. Rigatoni con il Rosmarino e la Pancetta Affumicata. Back in my early cooking days I studied recipes and books from the best chefs from France and Italy. So many legends were still cooking at the time. Many of the books they wrote, such as this book from Marcella Hazan, are still very important today, containing techiques and recipe backgrounds which you do not find in many of the current glossy cookbooks.

Rigatoni with Rosemary and Pancetta | Bijouxs Little Jewels

To this point, Marcella’s cookbook contains only a handful of small photographs. The classic chefs wrote much more about the cuisine and techniques and I go back to these books in may collection over and over again. There is always something to learn in the world of cuisine.

RIGATONI WITH PANCETTA

A word about pancetta. It is a salt cured pork product, usuallly cubed and browned and added to pasta dishes, the most famous is Pasta Carbonara. Pancetta Affumicata called for here is salt-cured and smoked, similar to bacon, although good grocery store pancetta will work fine.

Fresh rosemary and a high quality butter are what make this simple dish a stand out. No need for costly ingredients, much of Italian cooking relies on what was at hand.You will notice the garlic only lightly flavors the pasta, no garlic overload, so this dish can be enjoyed by all ages.

Rigatoni with Rosemary and Pancetta another Little Jewel recipe added to the Membership Collection. Join for all-acces to 500+ recipes, here’s how to join

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