CANNELLINI BEANS: ROASTED AND BLISTERED

Cannellini beans are the food world's pushover.  You want them  in a soup?  They'll accommodate you.  You want them creamed? Fine, but only because they've known you since high school. Roasted, Sauted, whatever you want, like an insecure kid trying to get in with the "cool crowd." They're easy, delicious, and get along with almost any ingredient. So here are two applications that I adore, and both of them take under 30 minutes to make.  The first dish, Roasted Chipotle Cannellini beans is inspired by a white bean and kale dish over at 101 Recipes. I made a few adjustments to suit my own palette, but the smoky, spicy, comfort food quality is still there.  In the second dish I crisp up the beans with garlic and rosemary, and add lemon zest at the end for some brightness.  Enjoy!

Roasted Chipotle Cannellini Beans with Spinach and Queso Contejo

Ingredients:

4 or 5 15 oz cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers
2/3 cup spinach, de-stemmed and finely chopped
1/2 cup Cotija or Queso Fresco
1 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees. Bring the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and minced garlic up to heat over a medium flame for about a minute. Stir in the tomatoes and the fresh oregano and bring to a gentle simmer.  Off the heat, add theadobo sauce and taste.  I added a little too much the first time I made this, so beware, adobo is powerful stuff. Salt and pepper to taste, but go easy on the salt, because I find that canned beans can be a touch salty.  Add the beans and spinach, and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking pan and sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumbs and bake in the top-third of the oven for roughly twenty-five minutes, or until it is browned and bubbly on top.  Enjoy!

Blistered Cannellini Beans:

Ingredients:

3 15 oz cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon of rosemary, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chili flakes

about 3 tablespoons of olive oil

salt and pepper

Zest of one lemon

Directions:

Ok, this is super fast and easy.  Add the garlic and chili to the oil over a medium flame.  Once it starts crackling a little add the rosemary and stir for about 10-15 seconds, careful to not burn the garlic.  Add the beans and gently stir to combine everything.  Bring the heat up a little, and let the beans sit, getting browned and crisp on the outside.  Add salt and pepper to taste, stir, and let them rest for another minute.  Pour them onto a serving dish and sprinkle the zest over.  Enjoy!