My favourite thing to do with a can of chickpeas...

Maybe you know you're going to have an evening out braving the crowds for some last minute Christmas shopping. You know you'll be exhausted when you come home, but before you reach for the phone to call for a grease laden pizza, consider this recipe! It requires very little prep time, and mostly uses pantry staples. You've got a lonely can of beans in your cupboard, right?

For the record, yes, I do consider bacon a staple.

I made this recipe last March for the first time, and my husband regularly requests it. And by regularly, I mean at least once weekly. He doesn't get it that often, but it is one that's in regular rotation in our house.

Lately, we've been on a huge legume kick (see yesterday's quesadilla recipe). And for me, nothing pairs better with legumes of all shapes and sizes than something smoky and porky. This recipe comes from Cooking Light, serves four and will satisfy even the biggest meat eater in your house. We usually buy good quality bacon from Rowe Farms. It's naturally smoked and free of all those nasty chemicals present in most processed smoked meats.

Chickpeas with Broccoli Rabe and Bacon

(Cooking Light March '10)

Ingredients

1  pound  broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1  tablespoon  olive oil
6  slices center-cut bacon, chopped
1  cup  chopped onion
1/2  teaspoon  dried oregano
1/8  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
6  garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1  (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
2  ounces  Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
 

1. Cook broccoli rabe in a large pot of boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.

 

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add bacon; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. 

 

3. Stir in onion, oregano, and red pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until onion begins to soften, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add chickpeas; sauté 1 minute. 

 

 

4. Stir in broccoli rabe, salt, and black pepper; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, tossing to combine. 

 

 

5. Place about 1 1/2 cups chickpea mixture on each of 4 plates; shave 1/2 ounce cheese evenly over each serving.

Stuffed Pork with Prosciutto and Lemons

I think my love of pork prevents me from ever becoming a vegetarian. And, as the weather turns cold, I find myself turning on the oven more often so I can slow roast.

I won't lie to you. This recipe had... erm... challenges.

One: I am not a butcher. My pork looks... well... not that pretty.

Two: My oven sucks and took twice as long to cook the stuff.

Three: Neither of the above two should matter because it was delicious, right?

Lemon and Prosciutto Stuffed Pork Loin with Broccolini


Ingredients

1 4-pound boneless pork loin roast, trimmed
12 thin prosciutto slices (about 6 ounces)
1 large lemon, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 1/2 pounds broccolini, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 cup Pinot Grigio or other dry white wine
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Place pork, fat side down, on work surface with 1 short end facing you. Using long thin sharp knife and starting 1/2 inch above underside of roast, cut 1/2 inch in along right side. 

Continue cutting 1/2 inch above underside, unrolling roast like carpet. 

Yeah, it's not pretty. I know. Amateur + dull knife = less than amazing butchering.

Arrange prosciutto evenly over pork, overlapping if necessary. 

Arrange lemon slices over prosciutto. 

Sprinkle with panko, then chives. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 

Turn pork so 1 short end faces you. Beginning at 1 short end, roll up pork; arrange seam side down on work surface (fat side will be facing up). 

Using kitchen string, tie at 1- to 1 1/2-inch intervals. Transfer pork, fat side up, to roasting pan. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Meanwhile, place roasting pan over 2 burners on medium-high heat. Add broth and wine; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 8 minutes. Stir in butter. Add cornstarch mixture and stir until sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain sauce into small pitcher. Season with salt and pepper.

Using kitchen scissors, cut string along top of roast; discard. Cut pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices; arrange on platter. Drizzle lemon juice over broccolini; season with salt and pepper. Serve pork with broccolini, passing sauce alongside.

Divide broccolini between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle olive oil over, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Place in oven and roast until tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes, reversing sheets halfway through roasting. 

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Place pork on lower rack; roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F; roast pork until instant-read thermometer registers 145°F when inserted into center of pork, 45 to 60 minutes longer, depending on thickness of roast. Transfer to cutting board. Increase oven temperature to 375°F.

Cook broccolini in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain; cool. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover pork; chill. Wrap broccolini in paper towels, then plastic; chill.