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!
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