ED says - Eat your beans

In the face of a recession you can either hunker down with a Costco-sized case of Top Ramen or learn to cook.

The Economic Downturn, or ED as my friend Stan and I like to call it - can have some unexpected perks. For example - learning to cook and specifically, learning to make food from scratch. I'm already a convert of course, but what better way to save money and get better quality food for your buck? I'd rather not buy my vitamins and minerals separately, when I can get them in my food. It's also empowering, a creative outlet and a social opportunity too.

Plus you get to EAT what you make...

I'm writing a magazine article for my Writing About Food and Health class on just this topic. It goes into how whole foods like vegetables, beans and whole grains are the original budget food - La Cucina Povera (poor people's food). What better way to make one chicken breast stretch into a meal for 4 than by making a succulent stew beefed up with creamy white canellini beans? Sounds like a way to try the "little bit of this, little bit of that" approach again too...

I made just such a dish for my Culinary Skills class exam yesterday after pulling "Chicken Stew" from the hat. I took the leftovers home and added some canellini beans that my kitchen station partner hadn't used up in her dish. I actually like it better with the beans.

My new favourite beans are Cranberry Beans - aka Pink beans or Borlotti or Romano beans. They have a lovely creamy texture, almost nutty flavour and they don't fall apart in cooking like Canellini beans seem to. And talk about budget food... I bought a little tub of dried beans for 99cents. It held 4 cups of dried beans, each cup making 3 cups cooked - so 12 cups of cooked beans for 99 cents! I have a feeling that rivals Mac and Cheese on economical... not to mention filling...

Since I should be studying for finals right now, I'll leave the info on cooking and loving beans up to Culinate.com today.


Culinary Skills 2 Chicken Stew

1 -2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced

1 boneless/skinless chicken breast, cut into 2 inch chunks
2 chicken wings, tips cut off
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 baby zuchini, in 3/4 inch slices
1 baby crook neck squash, in 3/4 inch slices
1 clove garlic, minced
6 Crimini (brown) mushrooms, 1/4 inch slices
3/4 of a small can of fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves removed, stems discarded
pinch of dried oregano
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup of cooked Canellini or cranberry beans

Crispy Capers, to serve (below)
Brown Rice, to serve


Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the onions and cook until translucent. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the chicken wings, sprinkle with smoked paprika on both sides, turning once. Add the cubed chicken breast, sprinkle with remaining smoked paprika and brown on all sides. Remove the chicken breast (leave the wings in) and set aside.

Add the vegetables, mushrooms and garlic to the pot. Cook until lightly browned and starting to soften a bit.

Add the tomatoes, stock, tarragon and oregano. Bring up to a boil, then reduce heat to low-medium, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the browned chicken breast, cover and simmer on low for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, testing a piece to ensure it is cooked but not overdone. The goal is succulent, moist chicken.

Stir in the vinegar and add salt and lost of black pepper to taste. Simmer a minute or two.
Serve over a bowl of brown rice with crispy capers (below).

For the crispy capers - drain 1 or 2 teaspoons of capers well. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the capers to the hot oil (be careful, if they aren't dry they will spatter), and let them brown and crisp, stirring occasionally. They will be crunchy and lightly browned when done. Remove from the pan, drain on paper towel. Serve over stew (or salads!).

If you need more than just taste for encouragement....
Beans are packed with fiber (naturally cholesterol-lowering, filling, blood sugar stabilizing and much more), anti-oxidants, magnesium, folate, and vitamin B6. Bean consumption is linked to lower cancer and heart disease rates too. Bastyr is even completing a research study that has demonstrated eating beans leads to weight loss - not surprising with their amazing satiety factor...

Enjoy!