Cannellini Beans with Spinach and Garlic

We recently had a day trip to the beautiful Port Macquarie in mid New South Wales.    It is a lovely coastal area, with delightful beaches, plenty of sunshine and diverse shopping.  They have the biggest vegetable seedling selection I have seen around here at one department store, so needless to say I collected quite a few punnets to bring home to plant some more delicious vegetables in the garden.

We also went to another shop to pick up some supplies but as our time was limited and we had so much to do, I didn't query the total of these goods, although I thought it was a bit pricey at the time.  After dinner that evening hubby unpacked our purchases and as I folded up the plastic bags I reached for the receipt to keep for warranty and realised that I had been overcharged $50!  I normally check before paying for anything but this was a reputable store and one we have dealt with many times so I had no reason to doubt them.
The next morning I phoned the store and explained that we were overcharged on this item and the owner didn't blink an eyelid but replied "oh is that what it scanned at"?   Causing me to think she realised it was an overcharge at the time, but nonetheless she immediately agreed to a refund but I said that I don't go to Port Macquarie very often and then she offered a gift card for that amount and suggested I pick it up when next in town.  I suggested that she post it to me for the cost of one dollar, so my gift card is on its way.  It makes me sad that people in some stores do overcharge and people, particularly the elderly or those from non English speaking backgrounds are the ones most likely to be taken advantage of  by careless business owners.

Dinner this night was a a selection of seafood, lightly floured and deep fried (fritto misto) accompanied by a healthy garden salad and a side dish of Canellini Beans with Spinach and Garlic.

This is a delicious, healthy and tasty side dish to accompany most meals.  Or have it alone with some crusty bread, or tossed through cooked pasta with a little pasta cooking water and a generous grating of Parmesan cheese.  I must thank my Mother in Law for sharing this recipe, many years ago, it is a staple dish and one which is always welcome on our table.

Sizzling Garlic

Until recently we had to soak the dried beans for at least 4 hours.  Now you can buy canned, cooked beans and just need to rinse them before using in various recipes. 
Hint# You can quick soak them by bringing the dried, rinsed beans to a boil for 2 mins.  Turn off heat, leave lid on and let sit for 1 hour.  After the hour, rinse and refresh water, bring back to a boil and boil for the required time, approx 40 mins for cannellini beans before draining and using in recipes.  Dried, soaked and cooked taste better than canned varieties, but in these busy days, beans are beans.

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Cannellini Beans with Spinach and Garlic

1 x 400g tin cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or butter or northern beans instead)
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and roughly chopped
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper
parsley chopped, to garnish
1 dried red chilli, chopped, as a garnish (optional)

Heat up a small non stick frypan and add about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, add the garlic and stir until the garlic is just turning brown.
Add the spinach and combine, then add the tin of drained and rinsed beans.  Toss together and add more olive oil and a little water (about 4 tablespoons water), salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for about 10 minutes in total, until the beans have slightly softened and the water has evaporated.
Serve, with chopped parsley for garnish and/or chopped dried chilli with extra olive oil if so desired.

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Do you cheat with tinned beans too to cut down on your preparation time?

Buon appetito, enjoy Merryn xx

Salt and Pepper Wok Fried Pork Slices

This is a super quick mid week meal to cook and it is so full of flavour.
Last Wednesday I was lucky enough to have an old and dear friend come to work for a coffee.  After she left a representative from a company we haven't dealt with before arrived at 4.20pm, I usually close at 4.30pm but we needed to discuss her company's products.   When I left, after 5pm I went directly to a local supermarket which was luckily on the way home and ran into a lady I haven't seen for nearly 10 years.  Hence, I didn't arrive home until well after 6pm so it was a challenge to get dinner on the table quickly.



On with the rice in the rice cooker, out with the pork rashers (those strips you get from pork belly) luckily they were rindless or else I would have removed the rind.  I sliced them into 1cm strips then 2.5cm slices.  The rice cooker beeped so I removed the cooked basmati rice to a double greaseproof lined tray to cool - this is a neat trick if you don't have time to refrigerate your rice before frying and one my eldest son taught me.

A quick chop of garlic, onion, spring onion, chilli, lap cheong and bacon ensued for both the pork and the fried rice dishes.
Then the pork was fried firstly and placed in a warm oven whilst I fried the rice.  I must share my fried rice recipe with you another time, it is foolproof.  Then some freshly rinsed bok choy was stir fried with garlic, oyster sauce, sesame oil and vegetable stock.
We like to eat well, even when pushed for time.
This recipe is adapted from Adam Liaw's cookbook 'Asian After Work'.

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Salt and Pepper Wok Fried Pork Slices

650g pork rashers or pork belly

4 teaspoons sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 red chilli, sliced

1 Spring onion chopped

1 1/2  tspn salt

1  tspn pepper
handful of coriander leaves for garnish

Slice the pork rashers, or pork belly roughly into slices 1cm thick x 2.5cm.

Heat your wok, or non stick saucepan over high heat, when ready add 2 teaspoons sesame oil and cook half of the pork, stirring continuously until it is lightly browned on all sides.   Remove pork to a plate and repeat with the remaining sesame oil and pork slices.  Place the browned pork with the first cooked pork.
Lower the wok heat and add the garlic, chilli and spring onion and cook until the garlic is just lightly browned.  Pour off the drained juices from the plate and return the dry pork to the pan.  Add the salt and pepper to taste and toss until well combined.
Serve onto a warmed platter and scatter with coriander leaves.

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Do you have quick dishes on stand by for when time is short?

Buon appetito, enjoy Merryn xx