I haven’t blogged in ages – really ages! I’ve been a bit busy with packing up our house to move and getting started in a new job at the New Hampshire Boat Museum. The transition has really thrown “Aunt Lil” for a loop! Right now I’m living in temporary housing in a lovely guest house, but there is one major drawback – there is no kitchen. I have a microwave, small fridge (no freezer), and a tiny sink. That’s it. I brought up with me a crock pot, plug in fry pan from the 1970s (borrowed), and a pannini maker. It’s certainly meant that cooking like Aunt Lil is out of the question. Its hard enough to cook her recipes, but add these challenges and well, I think I’ll wait until I have a real kitchen.
Cooking on my hot plate - First I cooked the pasta - then the rest.......
In the meantime, I am cooking. Two nights ago I had a really delicious meal of Herbed Fava Beans with Pasta from the April 2012 issue of Food Network Magazine. Here’s the recipe:
- 1 small bag of fava beans (1 1/2 cups – 2 cups)
- 1 cup bow tie pasta (I used a bit more)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 4 sprigs mint, plus 1 tbs finely chopped mint
- 4 sprigs parsley, plus 1 tbs finely chopped parsley leaves
- 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
- 2 tbs unsalted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
1. Defrost the fava beans (I ran them under the sink in a colander)
2. Cook the pasta and save 1 cup of water after draining
3. Heat olive oil, garlic, mint sprigs, parsley sprigs, and all but 2 tbs of scallions in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook stirring, until the scallions are soft for 1-2 minutes. Add the beans and 1 cup of the reserved water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the favas are tender and the liquid is slightly reduced for 8-10 minutes. Discard the garlic and herb springs.
4. Add the pasta to the skillet and cook tossing until its absorbed for about 3 minutes. Stir in the butter, chopped mint and parsley, reserved scallions, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.
This was very yummy and I figure it had to be healthy. What’s great for me is that unlike most past dishes today, it has no cheese in it. Most cheeses give me migraines. Enjoy!
Fava beans up close
