A Greek feast to welcome the boy home.

CHEF'S NOTE: I missed my feller when he went away so I decided to cook a big Greek feast for his return.  Two of these recipes were from Veganomicon - the baked beans and the lemony potatoes.  The sauteed silverbeet recipe was from Stephanie Alexander.

I used cannellini beans instead of lima beans and could have cooked them longer, though they were still delicious.

I also used a helluva lot more olive oil in the sauteed silverbeet, and squeezed some lemon juice and salt on the top at the end.  THIS WAS SO DELICIOUS AND BUTTERY I DON'T KNOW HOW.

With regard to the lemony potatoes...I'm surprised I didn't get a marriage proposal last night, they were that good.  Maybe he'll ask me today.

x

Veganomicon Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans

Minutes to Prepare: 35

Minutes to Cook: 60

Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 Pound dried lima beans
2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 small carrot
1 (28-oz) can diced or crushed tomatoes
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 T tomato paste
1 T agave nectar or maple syrup
1 T dried oregano
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
Pinch ground nutmeg
Black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3 T finely chopped fresh mint

Directions

1. Cook lima beans for 30 minutes, researve 1 cup of liquid and dissolve bouillon cube in it.
2. Sautee onion, garlic and carrot together
3. Add in tomatoes and other seasonings and cook for 10-12 minutes
4. In a lightly oiled casserole dish, place beans, sauce, parsley and thyme.
5. Bake covered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
6. Remove lid and bake for 10-15 minutes to reduce the sauce and give the beans a dry finish
7. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving


Lemony Roasted Potatoes
(From the cookbook “Veganomicon- The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook” by Isa Chandra Moskiwitz & Terry Hope Romero)
2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes (medium to small potatoes work best)
1/3 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley or dried oregano (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel the potatoes, slice in half lengthwise, and slice each half into wedges no more then 3/4″ thick.

In a large, deep baking pan or casserole dish (at least 10 17-inches or bigger), combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, vegetable broth, oregano, salt, and tomato paste. Add the peeled, sliced potatoes. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and toss the potatoes to cover with the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil (or use lid of casserole dish), place in the oven, and bake for 30-35 minutes until the potatoes are almost done. Several times during the baking process, remove the pan from the oven, uncover, stir the potatoes, place the cover back, and return the pan to the oven.
Uncover the pan one last time, stir the potatoes again, and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15-20 minutes, until most of the sauce has evaporated and some of the potatoes have just started to brown on their edges. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and/or more dried oregano before serving.
serves 4-6

Silverbeet,Pine Nuts, and Currants
Adapted from Stephanie Alexander's 'The Cooks Companion'



Approx 12 stalks of silverbeet with the leaves
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I used three)
1/2 cup of dried currants or raisins
80g pine nuts, toasted
Chopped parsley

• Separate the leaves from the stalks. Chop the stalks into small dices, roll the leaves up into a cylinder and slice so that they are shredded.
• Heat half the olive oil in a heavy based pan and add the onion, cook until soft and slightly browned.
• Add the chard stems and garlic and cook for at least 5 minutes or until the stalks are tender. 
• Add the leaves drizzled with the rest of the oil and place the lid on to steam until the leaves are soft.
• Add the pine nuts and currants and toss to combine.