French White Beans Food

PROVENCAL FRENCH BEANS

Steps:

• Place the beans in a bowl and cover with water. Soak in the refrigerator overnight.
• Drain the beans, place in a large saucepan with the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving the stock.
• In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil, then add the onions, diced carrots, and celery, and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Add the parsley, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and cook for 1 more minute. Add the beans and 2 cups of the cooking stock. (If you dont have enough liquid, add additional stock or water to make 2 cups.) Cook for 15 minutes until the stock makes a little sauce, adding more stock if necessary. Finish with the Parmesan cheese. Serve with a garnish of chopped parsley.

COUNTRY FRENCH WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Place beans in a large bowl and cover with water by about 2 inches. Soak overnight. Drain.
• Mix beans with remaining ingredients, except red bell pepper ,in a crockpot.
• Cover and cook on high 3 1/2 - 5 hours or until tender. Stir red bell pepper into beans.
• I always start checking these after 3 1/2 hours.

COUNTRY FRENCH WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Place beans in large bowl. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Let soak overnight, at least 10 hours.
• Drain beans. Mix beans and remaining ingredients except bell peppers in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on high heat setting 3 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours or until beans are tender.
• Stir bell peppers into beans in cooker.

FRENCH CANADIAN (NOT BOSTON) BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Pour the beans onto a plate, and pick-over looking for bad beans, or stones. Place beans in bowl, cover with water by at least 2 inches, and soak overnight.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Drain beans and place in 4-quart bean pot. Add onion, dry mustard, pepper, salt, and maple syrup. Add water to cover. Cut salt pork into 1-inch pieces and place on top of beans. Bake covered, approximately 8 hours. Check each hour to see if water needs to be added. You can add more maple syrup in place of water for flavor, if desired.
• Serve the beans with brown bread, franks, or ham. For breakfast, serve with eggs, bacon, and home-fries.

FRENCH STRING BEANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Blanch the string beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for just 4 minutes. Drain immediately and immerse in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When they are cool, drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl toss the onion and bell peppers together with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes, tossing with a spatula from time to time to be sure the vegetables roast evenly.
• Just before serving, reheat the string beans in a large saute pan drizzled with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and arrange on a platter. Spoon the roasted vegetables over the string beans and serve hot or at room temperature.

FRENCH BOILED WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Sort through beans, picking out any extraneous materials. Cover beans with hot water and soak overnight. Rinse and drain beans and place in a 4-quart pot.
• Add chicken broth, shallots, bay leaf, thyme, parsley and carrots.
• Cover and bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer for 2 1/2 hours or until beans have a creamy texture when bitten; stir occasionally.
• Discard parsley and salt to taste.
• Prep time does not include over night soak.

FRENCH FLAGEOLET BEANS

Steps:

• The night before cooking, place the beans in a large bowl and cover them with water by 1 inch. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Drain the beans, rinse well, and drain again. In a large ovenproof pot such as Le Creuset, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-low heat, add the bacon, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bacon starts to brown. Add the onion, fennel, and carrots and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften but aren't browned. Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 more minutes.
• Add the flageolets to the pot and stir in the broth, bay leaves, and rosemary. (Don't be tempted to add salt! The beans will become tough.) Add 2 cups of water, which should just cover the beans, and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover the pot tightly and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the lid, stir in 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and return the pot to the oven without the lid. Raise the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 45 more minutes. The beans will be very tender and there will be just a little liquid in the bottom of the pan. (If the beans are dry, add a little more water.) Discard the bay leaves and rosemary. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.

BRAISED WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Rinse the beans and put in a large pan with 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stick, all halved, 1 unpeeled garlic clove and the bouquet garni. Cover with water, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30-45 mins, until the beans are almost tender but holding their shape.
• Meanwhile, chop the remaining onion, carrots and celery stick. Peel and finely chop the remaining garlic. Heat the butter and oil in a large pan, add the vegetables and gently fry for 10 mins until lightly coloured.
• Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Fish out and discard the whole vegetables and bouquet garni. Add the beans to the pan of vegetables with the tomatoes and sufficient reserved cooking liquid to just cover them. Top up with boiling water if necessary. Add plenty of salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for about 30 mins until the beans and vegetables are tender, then scatter with parsley, to serve.

FRENCH WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat the oil over moderate heat.
• Add the onion, fennel, carrots, salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, stock, basil, and fennel seeds and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the cannellini and simmer 3 minutes longer until heated through.
• Meanwhile, if using the pesto, combine the garlic, basil, parsley, cheese, and oil in a small bowl and with the back of a spoon, mash the mixture into a paste.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each one with a dollop of the pesto.

COLD PROVENçAL WHITE BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Thoroughly rinse the beans and place them and the water in the slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beans are tender. Quickly and gently pour them into a colander and drain them. (You can reserve the cooking water and use it to thicken soups or stews.) Transfer the beans to a serving bowl.
• In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, mustard, and garlic. Blend thoroughly with a whisk or an immersion blender.
• Pour the dressing over the beans and mix thoroughly. Add the green onions, olives, and salt and pepper to taste, and toss by hand (or if you must, using spoons).
• Serve either chilled or at room temperature on lettuce leaves and garnish with the tomato wedges.

FRENCH WHITE BEAN AND CABBAGE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add in the onion, carrot, and garlic; cover and cook 5 minutes or until softened.
• Transfer the cooked vegetables into a 6-quart slow cooker.
• Add in the cabbage, potato, beans, stock, and thyme; season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
• Just before serving, stir in the liquid smoke (if using), and parsley; taste to adjust seasonings.

FRENCH CANADIAN BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Pour the beans onto a plate, and pick-over looking for bad beans, or stones. Place beans in bowl, cover with water by at least 2 inches, and soak overnight.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Drain beans and place in 4-quart bean pot. Add onion, dry mustard, pepper, salt, and maple syrup. Add water to cover. Cut salt pork into 1-inch pieces and place on top of beans. Bake covered, approximately 8 hours. Check each hour to see if water needs to be added. You can add more maple syrup in place of water for flavor, if desired.
• Serve the beans with brown bread, franks, or ham. For breakfast, serve with eggs, bacon, and home-fries.