Grilled Lima Beans

I love the idea of Edamame.  Nothing is better than the salty crunchy satisfaction of a healthy snack.  Unfortunately I have a soy sensitivity and stay away from all soy products, including Edamame.  For a while now I have been searching for an alternative and have finally found it…the elusive Lima Bean. 

I stumbled upon these mysterious beans during my last trip to the farmers market.   Hiding behind the rows of heirloom apples and squash was a case of beans that on a regular basis cause small children to cry at dinner tables across the country.  What I had planned for these little guys was not your mom’s succotash, but a delightful snack, seasoned with mint, garlic and rock salt.

Grilled Lima Beans

1 lb of podded Lima Beans

2 minced garlic cloves

2 tablespoons chopped mint

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

olive oil

Combine garlic, chopped mint, red pepper flakes with a tablespoon of olive oil.  Toss with the podded Lima Beans. 

Allow the Lima Beans to marinate for about an hour before grilling.  Spray the grill with a nonstick cooking spray.  Heat the grill to 550 or “sear” setting.  Grill the lima beans for about 15 minutes, remember to save the marinate.  

 They should have a nice charred pod and be soft on the inside.  Toss the Lima Beans back into the marinate and add a pinch of rock salt or kosher salt to season.  Serve hot as you would regular Edamame or toss them into a salad as I did. 

Fall Veggie Hash

 

Temps in the sixties, leaves glowing reds and oranges and a farmers market full of gourds, pumpkins, squash and apples.  The fall veggies are here and I am super excited to share my favorite fall veggie dishes.  Throughout the next couple of weeks I plan on indulging in these fabulous and healthy treats.

I believe my sister was the first to make a version of this brussel sprout, butternut squash salad.  It reminds me of a Thankgiving dressing sans the bread or even a hash.  I changed it a bit from Ana’s version by adding some kale to add some texture to this flavorful mix of veggies. 

Fall Veggie Hash

1 medium butternut squash

1 lb of Brussel sprouts

1 bunch of kale

1 lb of Whole Foods Italian Chicken Sausage

2 lemons

Pepper flakes

Olive Oil

Garlic

Salt and pepper

Fresh Thyme

Fennel seeds

To soften up the butternut squash for chopping, pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.  When it cools peel and chop the squash into ¾ inch cubes.  Place these on a baking sheet and sprinkle them with some salt, pepper, chopped thyme and pepper flakes.  Drizzle the squash with some olive oil and toss with your fingers to make sure every piece of squash is covered in herbs and seasonings.  Bake at 425 for about 35-40 minutes or until the squash is caramelized on the outside and soft to a knife.  

While the squash is baking, peel and split the Brussel sprouts.  In a large sauté pan, heat up some olive oil and add the Brussel sprout the hot pan, season with salt and pepper.  Allow the sprouts to develop a bright green color.  If the Brussel sprouts are browning too fast, yet not softening, add a little bit of water to the sauté pan and turn down the heat.   When they are al dente and have developed a caramel color remove them from the heat and place in a large bowl.

On to the sausage…remove the chicken sausage from the casing and add to the sauté pan that was used for the Brussel sprouts.  Add some fennel seeds to the sausage.  The chicken sausage is pretty lean so you might have to add some olive oil if it starts to stick to the pan.  Once it’s cooked place it in the same bowl as the Brussel sprouts.

The final veggie to hit the pan is the kale.  Rinse it well and then slice it into one inch pieces. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil, one grated garlic clove and some pepper flakes to the sauté pan.  Add the kale to the pan, season with salt and pepper and slowly begin to heat it.  Like spinach, kale cooks down quite a bit and can get pretty soggy.  I like my kale to have texture so I just heat it lightly.  When all the kale is coated in olive oil and is a bright green color, add the juice of one lemon and continue to heat/turn the kale for another couple of minutes.  Add the kale to the bowl with the rest of the cooked ingredients. 

The final dressing of the salad will consist of a drizzle of olive oil the juice of one lemon.   Tear some parsley and toss everything together, add additional salt and pepper if necessary.  

This salad is great with a roasted chicken, a glass of zin on a cold night.