Better suited for St. Patrick's Day?
I can’t remember if M and I have ever eaten out on Valentine’s Day. Here’s our simple V-day dinner menu:
Grilled Halibut Steaks with Shallots, Pepper and Basil
Halibut steaks were rubbed with EVOO, salt, lemon pepper then grilled on direct heat. While the steaks were grilling I sautéed a chopped shallot and crushed red pepper in EVOO, added white wine, boiled until reduced by about half. Mixed in some chopped basil. Spooned the sauce over fish.
Grilled Asparagus
Asparagus was dressed with EVOO, salt and lots of lemon zest. I do love my microplane.
Salad
Baby greens, croutons, and Parmesan cheese, dressed with lemon juice, honey and EVOO
Farm Brownie with Double Rainbow French Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sunflower Seed Drops
The Chocolate Sunflower Seed Drops are a Trader Joe's find. They are sunflower seeds coated in chocolate then candy covered. What made me buy them was the fact that they are free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives, hence why they aren't crazy colored. They are really unbelievable; neither the chocolate nor the candy coating dominates the sunflower seed.
Grilled Halibut Steaks with Shallots, Pepper and Basil
Halibut steaks were rubbed with EVOO, salt, lemon pepper then grilled on direct heat. While the steaks were grilling I sautéed a chopped shallot and crushed red pepper in EVOO, added white wine, boiled until reduced by about half. Mixed in some chopped basil. Spooned the sauce over fish.
Grilled Asparagus
Asparagus was dressed with EVOO, salt and lots of lemon zest. I do love my microplane.
Salad
Baby greens, croutons, and Parmesan cheese, dressed with lemon juice, honey and EVOO
Farm Brownie with Double Rainbow French Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sunflower Seed Drops
The Chocolate Sunflower Seed Drops are a Trader Joe's find. They are sunflower seeds coated in chocolate then candy covered. What made me buy them was the fact that they are free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives, hence why they aren't crazy colored. They are really unbelievable; neither the chocolate nor the candy coating dominates the sunflower seed.
posted by Paula at 9:52 PM
6 Comments:
This is off topic, please forgive me.
Have either of you had Lupini Beans? I just ordered some and was curious to know whether you had any prior experience or knowledge concerning these beans.
I do know that they come both dried as well as jarred with salt water. From what I understand Italians will traditionally eat them alone as a snack, much like pretzels or nuts, with a nice glass of wine. They have a husk like shell that you break open to reveal the bean.
Let me know if you tried these and what you think.
On a side note, don't you think that beans in general aren't really appreciated? They are really unique when you think about it. It's unfortunate that they are not used more often and more creatively in dishes.
Anyways, love the show. Keep up the good work.
I've never had Lupini beans. I used to have this great website bookmarked that had lots of information about bean varieties, but my computer is currently being repaired so I'm not sure what the site is called. As soon as I get it back, I'll let you know. Meanwhile, I just took a scan through all of my cookbooks and didn't find any recipes that specifically mention Lupini beans. Wikipedia mentions that they are popular in Brazil and Portugal, as well as the Mediterranean. Perhaps our resident Italian can answer this better, and I have a Brazilian I can ask as well.
Thanks for the comment, and I do heartlily agree that beans are underappreciated! Maybe we can do a segment about our favorite bean recipes on our next podcast.
Ok the Brazilian has spoken, and he's never had them. The quest continues....
Hey Girls,
So guess what came today from Chicago? ...yep, Lupini beans.
I thought I ordered a jar but in fact they came in these plastic bags which were vacuum sealed.
They are between the sizes of a nickel and a quarter(you have probably seen the pics though).
Anyways, to the point. They are really great! They seem much more rigid then the typical bean and have a nice firm crunchiness to them, not mushy at all.
They are salty from the liquid they soaked in but not too salty. They come in an orange husk which I have found the best way of removing is to simply squeeze from one end. Be careful because they will launch pretty far if you aren't careful though.
They are good though and I am pleasantly surprised. I can definitely see these replacing pretzels and chips as a healthy alternative when I'm watching the game TV.
They are also pretty cheap so hopefully you guys can get some and try them. It would be cool to hear what you think as well.
Sorry for the length, looking forward to the next show.
Beans rule. I'm hooked on Great Northern bean burritos at the moment. If these Lupinis are snackable, I'm intrigued.
They are extremely snackable but remember that they are still beans, and therefore ... good for your heart, the more you eat 'em ... if ya get my drift.
In other news, being Italian, these are a household STAPLE. One thing I suggest doing, however, is soaking the beans from an hour to 6 or more hours in water, room temp or in the fridge. I say this for health purposes mostly because although the saltiness is addictively nice, each serving contains over 35% of your daily sodium allowance. Soaking them insures that the salty taste doesn't overpower the experience and you still get a salty bite when you pop them in your mouth!
Anyway, I love lupinis but they are an acquired taste/texture to some - I hated them as a kid.
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