White Beans

Look, there’s nothing wrong with making stir-fries 5 nights a week. But if you’re in the mood to shake things up, let us make the case for these Italian dinner cakes made with white beans, pecorino cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes. (And don’t let the fancy cheese intimidate you! The pecorino can easily be swapped for Parmesan.)

---

White Bean Fritters with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

These Italian dinner cakes are perfectly healthy and fresh, with a crispy cornmeal outside that’s balanced by a creamy, white-bean-filled inside. Served over a salad of spinach and frisée lettuce, this recipe encourages playing with your food, but only if you eat every last bite afterwards.

Ingredients

• 1 can white beans
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 3 tablespoons pecorino cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 3 tablespoons cornmeal
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 shallot
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 packets (about 2 teaspoons) Dijon mustard
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1 frisée lettuce
• 3 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Reserving liquid from can, drain white beans and rinse. Finely chop sun-dried tomatoes. Pick rosemary leaves and mince, discarding stems. Peel shallot and mince. Rinse spinach and frisée. Tear frisée leaves into 1-inch pieces and discard root.
2. In a large bowl, using a fork, smash white beans until mostly smooth. Add sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, grated pecorino, and crushed red pepper, if desired. Mix to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Add cornmeal and 2 tablespoons reserved liquid from beans and mix again.

3.  Shape mixture into 4 equal patties, about 3/4-inch thick and 3 inches in diameter. Place on a plate and chill in fridge for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add shallot and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add white wine vinegar and simmer until reduced by half, 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl.

4.  Add 1 packet mustard to bowl with shallots and stir to combine, discarding remaining mustard. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and whisk to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Set aside.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pan from dressing. When oil is shimmering, add patties and cook until golden on outside and warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

6. In a large bowl, toss spinach and frisée with half of dressing. Divide salad evenly between 2 plates. Top with patties, spoon over remaining dressing, garnish with shaved Parmesan, and serve.

---

Braised White Beans with Chard

This healthy winter recipe fills you up without being too heavy or fattening. Sautéing the chard stems along with the onion adds extra flavor and crunch and you don’t waste any of the chard. Once you add the chard leaves, beans, and broth, it only needs a few minutes to finish cooking; a final splash of white wine vinegar makes the flavors pop.

What to buy: Swiss chard comes in many varieties and colors including rainbow chard, which is not a variety itself but a mixture of various colors. Any type of Swiss chard will work in this recipe.

Cannellini beans are sometimes labeled as white kidney beans, in case you’re having trouble finding them. If you don’t want to use canned beans, substitute with 6 cups of cooked beans.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Swiss chard
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
• 5 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Trim the ends from the chard stems and discard. Cut off the stems at the base of the leaves and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces; place in a small bowl and set aside. Stack the leaves and cut them into bite-size pieces; set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the reserved chard stems, onion, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 8 minutes.
3. Add the chard leaves, beans, broth, and measured salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are wilted and the mixture has come to a simmer. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chard is tender and the broth has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes more.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and vinegar. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

---

Roasted Cod with White Beans, Tomato, and Truffle Oil

For a slacker solution, use canned diced tomatoes (drained of the juices) in place of the diced tomatoes and use high-quality canned cannellini beans to replace the cooked beans.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and medium dice
• 2 pounds cod fillet, cut into 6 equal portions
• 1 1/2 cups cooked small white beans such as borlotti, cranberry, or cannellini.
• 1/4 cup reserved bean cooking liquid, or water
• Truffle oil for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add shallots and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and season well with salt and pepper.
2. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until nearly all liquid has evaporated, but tomatoes are still slightly chunky; transfer to a bowl and reserve. Wipe out frying pan, return to stovetop, and heat remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat. Season cod all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and, once oil shimmers, add cod and cook until nicely browned, about 2 minutes per side.
3. Transfer fish to a baking sheet and place in oven to finish cooking. (According to Chef Ripert, an easy test for doneness is to insert a metal skewer into the center of a fillet for 5 seconds. The fish is done when the skewer goes in easily and, when removed, feels slightly warm to your lip.)
4. Place 1/2 cup of the beans in a food processor with the reserved bean-cooking liquid and purée until smooth to make the sauce. Season well with salt and pepper.
5. To serve, spoon tomato compote in the center of each plate and place a cod fillet on top. Spoon bean sauce outside the compote, and sprinkle reserved whole cooked beans around the fish and over the two sauces. Garnish with a few drops of truffle oil, if desired.

---