Christmas Lima Bean & Butternut Squash Stew Recipe

One of my new year's resolutions is to use more of the food stored in my pantry. My shelves are overflowing with packages of grains, heirloom beans, dried pasta, Asian sauces, jams, mustards, sardines, cans of tomatoes and more. My goal is to cook with something that is languishing in the pantry or my equally stuffed-to-capacity freezer, every single day. Yesterday I chose some Christmas lima beans to transform into a vegetarian main dish. Eat less meat and more vegetarian food! That is yet another new year's resolution.

Christmas lima beans are sometimes called chestnut lima beans. When uncooked they are beautifully speckled like a calico horse, and when cooked they are more uniformly brown like chestnuts--but they really don't taste like chestnuts, despite what you may have heard. They have a texture a bit like russet potatoes and a mild earthy flavor but none of the characteristic sweetness or dry crumbly texture of chestnuts.

Beans are often used in salads or soups, but Christmas lima beans are the perfect bean for making a stew because not only are they large and "meaty" but the liquid they soak and cook in becomes a rich brown gravy when reduced. I combined the beans with silky sautéed onions and chunks of sweet squash to make a satisfying meatless main dish. It's a mild but hearty dish and the toppings jazz it up considerably.

Note: I get Christmas lima beans from bulk bins at Rainbow Grocery, you can also get them online.

Christmas Lima Bean & Butternut Squash Stew
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

2 cups Christmas lima beans
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced into thin half moons
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2-1 teaspoon red chili paste or harissa
1/4 teaspoon minced peeled ginger

Toppings:
Extra virgin olive oil
Wedges of lemon
Crumbled soft goat cheese, optional
Chopped cilantro, optional

Instructions

Place the beans in a large dutch oven and cover with water. Water should rise at least one inch over the top of the beans. Let soak overnight.

Do not drain the water! Simmer the beans gently until tender, probably an hour or so. Add the butternut squash and more water if necessary, cover and gently simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is cooked.

Meanwhile in a separate skillet heat the olive oil and add the onion. Add the salt to the onions and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the cumin, chili paste and ginger. When fragrant, add the onion mixture to the beans and squash. Simmer without the lid until the remaining liquid thickens to make a velvety gravy. Taste for seasoning.

Top each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon and any other toppings you like. 

Enjoy!

Healthy Deviled Eggs Recipe

Deviled eggs are a favorite for Easter (and more importantly, the day after!) but really there's no reason not to eat them whenever you want. I was looking for a way to make them a little bit healthier and found an ingredient that is creamy, mimics the texture of hardboiled egg yolks and has a very mild flavor--cannellini beans! I remove 1/3 of the yolks, then puree white beans with the remaining yolks, a little mayo, mustard, horseradish and some hot sauce then I fill the egg whites as usual. You would never know these are "light" deviled eggs, but they have 1/3 less fat yet plenty of protein and some added fiber.  

Deviled eggs are fun to make because you can customize them however you like. Someone came up to me after my demo at Macy's this weekend and told me she makes deviled eggs with pesto. I've made them with wasabi and also with curry powder. But the sky is the limit! Another option is just to top them with different garnishes. Some garnishes include fresh dill, smoked salmon, caviar, anchovies, sun dried tomatoes, capers (fresh or fried) and green onions or chives. If you want to use a spice, paprika is traditional but  I've also used smoked paprika, Old Bay seasoning and Cajun seasoning instead. 

I tried the method of baking eggs, but found they got very dark patches and one burst. I'm sticking with my tried and true method, I add eggs to a pot, cover them with cold water, bring to a simmer, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Here are some more tips for hard boiling eggs:

1. Use eggs that have been in the refrigerator for a a week or two. Fresh eggs can be much harder to peel. 

2. Turn the egg carton on it's side in the refrigerator 24 hours before hard boiling, to help keep the yolks centered.

3. Don't add salt to the boiling water, it can toughen the egg whites. 

4. Once cooked, soak the eggs in cold or ice water to prevent that ugly green layer from forming on the yolks

5. Crack and peel the eggs in a bowl of water to help keep shells from sticking. 

A couple of tips for deviled eggs:

1. Use a pastry bag (or zip top bag with a corner snipped) to fill the deviled eggs. 

2. For round rather than oval shaped deviled eggs, cut the eggs in half across the middle and then cut a tiny slice off the bottom and they will stand perfectly. 

Healthy Deviled Eggs 

Makes a dozen deviled eggs 

Ingredients

6 hardboiled eggs

1/4 cup canned white beans, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons yellow mustard

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise 

1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish

Hot sauce, to taste, optional

Instructions

Slice the hardboiled eggs in half. Remove the yolks, discarding two whole yolks and transferring the rest to a food processor bowl. To the yolks add the white beans, mustard, mayonnaise, horseradish and hot sauce to taste. Blend until smooth and creamy. 

Transfer the yolk mixture into a pastry bag, then fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture. Garnish as desired.

Enjoy!