pasta e ceci

 Just made this soup (Italian chickpea and pasta stew) and it was outstanding.  

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 packed cup canned whole tomatoes, drained (diced tomatoes, not drained)
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed (i canned them myself without salt so not rinsed)
• 1 cup ditalini (little elbow macaroni was fine)
• 4 cups roughly chopped escarole, Tuscan kale or radicchio (I used Tuscan kale and added it earlier)
• Grated pecorino, for serving  

 

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not taking on any color, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and red-pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute more. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Stir in the tomatoes and the chickpeas, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon or spatula and smashing about 1/2 cup of the beans.
3. Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high.  (If using kale, add now and let it cook a little) Add the pasta and simmer, stirring often to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan, until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. The water will mostly be absorbed by the pasta, but if you prefer it brothier, you can add 1/2 to 1 cup water and simmer until warmed through, 1 minute more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Add the escarole and stir until wilted. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil

rosemary meatballs with dijon collards and apricots

I don't remember where I first saw this recipe but now see it's many places, including here.

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 lb grass fed ground beef (using local lamb today)
• 3 sprigs of rosemary, de-stemmed and minced
• 2 large cloves of garlic, pressed
• salt, pepper, granulated garlic
• 1 T oil

Greens

• 4-6 heaping cups shredded collard greens
• 1 T. dijon mustard
• 4-5 dried apricots, pitted and chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
2. Add your ground beef, chopped up rosemary and pressed garlic into a large mixing bowl. Using clean hands work the meat until the garlic and the rosemary are evenly disbursed throughout the meat. Add in some salt, pepper and granulated garlic to your liking and mix again. Form your mixed meat into meatballs. I made mine on the small side and yielded eleven or so out of my pound of ground beef.
3. Coat the bottom of a cast iron skillet with your tablespoon of oil. Make sure that the bottom surface of the pan is covered. Arrange your meatballs neatly in the pan. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until your meatballs are cooked through.
4. Remove the meatballs from the oven and transfer the skillet to the stove top. Using tongs, remove your meatballs from the pan and set them aside on a separate plate. Add your tablespoon (or more if you like) of dijon mustard to the fat drippings in your pan. Whisk together lightly.
5. Add in your shredded collard greens and allow them to cook down in the leftover beef fat and mustard mixture over medium heat. Once your greens have wilted, add in your apricots and allow the entire mixture to cook down until the apricots and lightly softened.
6. Place the meatballs back in the pan over the greens and serve! Enjoy!