"white beans" news and stories

In a hummus rut? Swap out the chickpeas and come up with exciting new dips in a snap.

Warm days call for cool picnic ideas, and this white bean salad certainly answers that call. Made by Elise at Simply Recipes from a recipe of her mother's, it looks both refreshing and hearty, a simple solution to the perennial question of not only what to eat, but what to eat while sitting on a blanket, fending off ants and sunburn.

And while you may be able to hold both at bay, we're guessing that when a salad looks as pretty as this one, you'll have no such luck fending off the hungry advances of fellow picnickers eager for just one more mouthful of beans, kissed with fresh lemon juice, spiked with raw purple onions and garnished with fresh, lush herbs.

[Via Simply Recipes]

When it comes to these short, dark winter days, there's nothing better than putting a little effort into a dish and then have it spend the rest of the day filling your home with the delicious smells of cooking. The weekends are perfect for these long braises, soups and stews. Many of these dishes don't need a recipe and can be created by feel. However, for those of you who need a little inspiration, here are eight recipes that are perfect for this time of year.

1. The Minimalist makes Beef Bourguignon from chuck, reminding us all that the cheaper, tougher cuts of meat have the most flavor.
2. Food and Wine offers three recipes for winter stews. For those of you who don't actually have all day to let your dish cook, these recipes are for you, as they all should be ready in about an hour.
3. Florence Fabricant went to Greece last year and brought back with her a recipe for Slow-Cooked Beef with Cracked Wheat. It gets browned on the stove for flavor and does a long, slow braise in the oven.
4. Elise has a gorgeous looking recipe for Spicy Lamb Stew with Butternut Squash.
5. Want a rich, veggie-filled chicken stew? Try this one from Orangette, it sounds quite yummy!
6. I love white beans. And I really love roasted garlic. So I do believe that I will adore this Garlic Lovers White Bean Soup from the Farmgirl.
7. I still have a single pomegranate rolling around my kitchen, which may inspire me to try this Pomegranate and Spice-Braised Pork from the The Splendid Table (even though the recipes doesn't call for fresh pomegranate. I could always use it for garnish).
8. Eclectic Edibles invented this Roasted Root Vegetable Stew as a way to use up already-roasted veggies. However, roasting veggies is so easy that it would be a simple thing to do in the stew making process.

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