Ally's Kitchen
Spices from the Middle East combined with Southern country ham? Inspiration for food comes from all kinds of places and at the most random times…as proof of this, you just have to watch one of my videos…here’s the link…
…see what I found one chilly Spring day while walking through the Boston Garden! Now, I absolutely love beans, and I refer to myself oftentimes as ‘The Bean Queen’…forget the 
‘dancing queen’! I had seen one of my foodies on Facebook, Caution: Caveman Cooking, talk about a Middle Eastern dinner he’d cooked, so I thought, why not, make these dried baby limas Middle Eastern with the traditional country ham and maybe some even more healthy fresh watercress for both beauty and nuitrition. For me, cooking is all about exploration, taking chances and risks, and being adventurous. Most of the time, it works out really well, plus, when it doesn’t I’ve learned much more by taking the risk! So, I gathered up my starting 5 lineup of spices and went to work!
Serves: 6+
What you need:
24 oz dried baby lima beans (1 ½ 16 oz bags)
2-3 c water
32 oz chicken broth (divided and adding as the beans cook)
1 cup chopped country ham
Note: You can substitute one big ham hock or 6
slices of bacon removing either prior to serving)¼ tsp coriander
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp cinnamon (I used Saigon cinnamon)
½ tsp red curry powder
¾ tsp ground cumin
Kosher salt/pepper to taste
1 bunch fresh watercress
(Note:
You could substitute your favorite green:
arugala, spinach, finely chopped chard, kale, Tuscan kale, etc.)
What you do:
Place dried beans in a large pot, cover with water, wash beans then drain in a colander. Place beans in a large heavy pot with 2 cups of water and 2 cups chicken broth. Add ham and some salt/pepper. Bring to boil for about 5-10 minutes then reduce to medium high letting beans cook (slightly boiling) with lid askew (so steam can escape) for about 45 minutes, adding water and broth as needed.
After about an hour, the beans should be getting tender. Add spices and blend. Reduce heat to medium with a slow steady simmer boil. Cover and cook another 45-60 minutes checking to see if you need to add more chicken broth/water. Check beans (by tasting) for tenderness; they may be a slight al dente. Increase heat, add more chicken broth/water and bring back to boil uncovered for about 15=20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will reduce some of the liquid and thicken the broth slightly. Add more salt/pepper to taste.
Wash and trim watercress leaving portions (about 2-3 inches) of the delicate tasty stems. Add watercress about 15 minutes prior to serving/eating.
©2012 Alice D’Antoni Phillips Ally’s Kitchen
What you need:
24 oz dried baby lima beans (1 ½ 16 oz bags)
2-3 c water
32 oz chicken broth (divided and adding as the beans cook)
1 cup chopped country ham
Note: You can substitute one big ham hock or 6
slices of bacon removing either prior to serving)¼ tsp coriander
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp cinnamon (I used Saigon cinnamon)
½ tsp red curry powder
¾ tsp ground cumin
Kosher salt/pepper to taste
1 bunch fresh watercress
(Note:
You could substitute your favorite green:
arugala, spinach, finely chopped chard, kale, Tuscan kale, etc.)
What you do:
Place dried beans in a large pot, cover with water, wash
beans then drain in a colander. Place
beans in a large heavy pot with 2 cups of water and 2 cups chicken broth. Add ham and some salt/pepper. Bring to boil for about 5-10 minutes then
reduce to medium high letting beans cook (slightly boiling) with lid askew (so
steam can escape) for about 45 minutes, adding water and broth as needed.After about an hour, the beans should be getting
tender. Add spices and blend. Reduce heat to medium with a slow steady
simmer boil. Cover and cook another
45-60 minutes checking to see if you need to add more chicken broth/water. Check beans (by tasting) for tenderness; they
may be a slight al dente. Increase heat,
add more chicken broth/water and bring back to boil uncovered for about 15=20
minutes, stirring occasionally. This
will reduce some of the liquid and thicken the broth slightly. Add more salt/pepper to taste.Wash and trim watercress leaving portions (about 2-3 inches)
of the delicate tasty stems. Add
watercress about 15 minutes prior to serving/eating.
©2012 Alice D’Antoni Phillips Ally’s Kitchen
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