One Can, Two Dinners For Two
If there is a time of year to be like a squirrel, this would be it. Lucky for us humans storing up for winter hibernation does not require months of stowing away acorns to get through the long cold months. Instead, a carefully organized weekend trip to the store to stock up the pantry, fridge and freezer can mean no need for last minute trips to the market in the event of a sudden snowstorm. Certain canned foods, augmented with a few fresh basics can keep warm, interesting, and tasty meals on the table all winter week long.
Beans are one of the few canned items that are almost always okay in the can. One can of beans is easily stretched into two, four, or even six meals depending on how it’s used. One of my favorite go-to winter meals can be made entirely of goods stored in the cupboard in the event the weather is keeping me indoors. A quick pasta sauce is made of diced garlic and herb canned tomatoes, stewed canned white beans, garlic, and whatever herbs I have on hand. This is assembled in less than 20 minutes and tossed with penne or whatever odds-and-ends pasta I am trying to use up.
I typically use Great Northern White Beans or the larger white variety, Cannelini beans. This past week for a change I found some nice looking Italian imported canned butter beans. I took those beans home with some basic fresh veggies, two pieces of fish and a package of chicken sausages. These formed the basis for two nights of dinner for two, no second trip to the store necessary.
The holy trinity of French cooking, mirepoix, the diced combination of onions, carrots, and celery is the perfect flavoring base for the butter beans. Sautéed until soft in a bit of olive oil, I then added minced garlic to the veg and a handful of fresh herbs. The beans and some white wine were layered in next and cooked down until the wine had reduced by half. A can of chicken stock (another pantry staple) and some seasoning was enough to complete the white bean dish, the base for my two dinners to come.
Night one, with the beans freshly hot and steaming, I decided would be perfect for the sausages. While the sausages heated on a stove top griddle, I steamed a few handfuls of baby spinach in the microwave with a bit of chicken stock reserved from the can for the beans (in a pinch frozen spinach can be used here too, just heat according the package directions). With the beans cooked, I divided the pot in two, putting half aside for the next night’s dinner. To finish that night, I stirred the steamed spinach into the soupy butter beans and tasted to adjust the seasoning. I ladled the beans and greens into two shallow dishes, drizzled with some good extra virgin olive oil, and topped with two hot, plump sausages per person. Night one complete.
For night number two I wanted to use the leftover beans and extra fresh spinach in a different way. Instead of a hot steaming bowl of beans, greens and meat, I would make a warm spinach salad topped with the beans mixture and a bacon roasted piece of trout, the perfect hardy winter salad. Two large fillets of trout nestled on a bed of lemon slices and parsley. One thick slice of smoked bacon topped each piece of fish before it went into the oven. Ten or so minutes later the bacon was crisp and the fish moist and flaky. While the fish was cooking I reheated the beans and made simple balsamic vinaigrette. I divided handfuls of spinach among two plates, topped with the beans, and a fish fillet each. The bacon was crumbled as a garnish and the vinaigrette heated ever so briefly to warm it up before drizzling over each plate.
This week I fed two people in my house for two days but these recipes could just as easily feed four or more by doubling up on ingredients. Planning dinner days in advance may not be my forte but I hate trudging to the store in bad weather more than I dislike a pre-plan. And if planning out dinner ahead of time tastes this good, I might need to try it more often.
Made with dried basil, butter beans, dry white wine, chicken stock, salt and pepper, trout fillets, lemon, parsley
Serves/Makes: 4
***Butter Beans and Greens***
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1 small carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 clove garlic
- 8 leaves basil
- OR
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 can (15 ounce size) butter beans, rinsed and drained
- 6 ounces dry white wine
- 1 can chicken stock
- salt and pepper
***Trout***
- 4 large trout fillets, bones removes
- 1 lemon
- 1 handful parsley
- 4 slices thick cut bacon
- 4 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
For Butter Beans: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.
Meanwhile, mince onion and cut peeled carrot and celery into small dice. Add onion, carrot, and celery to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes until softened. Mince garlic, add to onion mixture and saute for another two minutes.
Add herbs, beans, and wine. Bring to a simmer and cook until wine has reduced to about 1/4 cup. Add all chicken stock along with some salt and pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes to combine flavors and reduce liquid. Set aside.
For Trout: Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with non stick spray.
Thinly slice lemon and layer on baking sheet as a base for the fish. Layer parsley sprigs on top of lemon. Season flesh side of fish with salt and pepper and skin side with just pepper.
Place fish flesh side down on lemon and parsley spread. Lay one piece of bacon on each fish fillet. Place fish in the oven for 10-12 minutes until bacon is crispy and fish is cooked.
Meanwhile, divide spinach greens between individual dinner plates.
Whisk together balsamic and olive oil with a bit of salt and pepper. Heat vinaigrette briefly until warm in the microwave or stove.
When fish is cooked, remove bacon and crumble as a garnish.
To assemble, ladle beans over spinach and top each plate with a trout fillet. Sprinkle plates with crumbled bacon and drizzle with a couple of teaspoons of the warm balsamic vinaigrette.
Made with olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, basil, dried basil, butter beans, dry white wine
Serves/Makes: 4
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1 small carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 clove garlic
- 8 leaves basil
- OR
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 can (15 ounce size) butter beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 glass dry white wine
- 1 can chicken stock
- 2 ounces baby spinach leaves
- salt and pepper
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.
Meanwhile mince onion, and cut peeled carrot and celery into a small dice. Add onion, carrot, and celery to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes until softened. Mince garlic and add to onion mixture and saute for another two minutes. Add herbs, beans, and wine. Bring to a simmer and cook until wine has reduced to about 1/4 cup.
Add all but 1/4 cup chicken stock along with some salt and pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes to combine flavors and reduce liquid.
Place spinach in a microwave safe bowl along with reserved chicken stock, a pinch of salt and some cracks of pepper. Cook for 30 seconds and stir. Cook for an additional few seconds if necessary until spinach is wilted. Remove spinach and taste for seasoning. Stir into cooked beans and served as a hearty side dish with meat or as a vegetarian main.
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