Roasted Mushroom & Green Bean Casserole via NY Times

By Millie Peartree (NYT Cooking / CBS News)

Total Time: ~45 minutes

Yield: 10–12 servings

 

🛒 Ingredients

• 2½ lbs haricots verts (French green beans), trimmed & cut into 1‑inch pieces (we left them whole)
• 1 lb hen of the woods mushrooms (or cremini/oyster/button), bite‑size pieces (we used Costco mushrooms)
• 2 large shallots, halved & thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp extra‑virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt & black pepper
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp all‑purpose flour
• 1 quart heavy cream (or half‑and‑half) - this is way too much and way too heavy. Maybe 1/2 quart or 2 cups of half and half.
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning or maybe rosemary salt
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp chicken base concentrate (or ½ bouillon cube)
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1¾ cups grated Parmesan (divided)
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 cups fried shallots or onions (store‑bought or homemade)

 

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Prep oven → Heat to 400°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Roast veggies → On a parchment‑lined sheet pan, toss beans, mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. Roast ~30 min, tossing halfway.
• Option: For softer beans, add 3 tbsp water, cover with foil, roast 30–45 min.
3. Make sauce → In saucepan, melt butter over medium‑low. Add flour, whisk 1–2 min until golden. Slowly whisk in cream, cook 6–8 min until thickened.
4. Season & enrich → Add Cajun seasoning, onion & garlic powders, chicken base, nutmeg, pepper. Stir in 1½ cups Parmesan until melted. Adjust seasoning.
5. Combine → Add roasted beans & mushrooms to sauce. Toss until heated through. Transfer to baking dish.
6. Top & broil → Mix panko, fried shallots, and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan. Spread over casserole. Broil on high 1–2 min until golden & bubbly.
7. Serve hot → Straight from oven, crisp topping intact.

 

📝 Notes

• Texture balance: Roasting deepens flavor; broiling ensures crunch.
• Make‑ahead: Assemble up to step 5, refrigerate, then top & broil before serving.
• Variations: Swap mushrooms, adjust spice blend, or use vegan cream alternatives.

 

Pasta e Fagioli (Tuscan Bean & Pasta Soup)

 This is not your Nonna’s pasta e fagioli. Found this on Italia Squisita on youTube.

Author: Aurelio Barattini, L’Antica Locanda di Sesto, Lucca

Tradition: 4 generations, 100+ years in the restaurant

Ingredients

• 1 lb cranberry beans (PennMac has them in the bulk food bins)
• 4–5 garlic cloves
• Fresh sage leaves
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2–3 5 - 6 tbsp tomato paste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & black pepper
• Fresh rosemary
• 2–3 small chili peppers
• 1–2 tbsp lard (optional, for flavor)
• 12 oz. Ditalini pasta (spelt pasta preferred)

Instructions

1. Soak Beans (Night Before):
• Place beans in water with garlic cloves and sage. Leave overnight. (I started in the morning and soaked for 3 hours, then pressure cooked.)
2. Cook Beans (Morning):
• Drain soaking water.
• Add beans, garlic, and sage, to a pot with fresh water, and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Boil for 2–2.5 hours until tender. (Alternatively, use the instant pot “Bean” setting, 30 minutes high and then release.)
• Strain beans, reserving cooking water. Keep a handful of whole beans aside.
3. Prepare Mirepoix:
• Sauté carrot, celery, and onion in olive oil until lightly browned.
• Stir in tomato paste and cook until dark.
• Add chili, rosemary, and sage and cook a little longer
• Add drained beans to pot.
• Crush remaining beans through a sieve into the mirepoix, thinning with cooking water. (I just mashed with a potato masher.)
• Return bean cooking liquid to pot and simmer until creamy.
4. Cook Pasta:
• Add pasta to the broth. Cook longer than package directions (e.g., 15 minutes instead of 9) for a softer texture.
• Add reserved whole beans back in. Adjust salt. (No salt anywhere else in this recipe, so you'll need a lot!)
5. Finish & Serve:
• Ladle into bowls.
• Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle black pepper, and garnish with sage leaves.
• Parmesan is optional, believe it or not.

 
Notes

• First trial was with the smaller amount of tomato paste. We think more will be better.
• This dish is considered a “poor dish” of Tuscan tradition, but rich in taste and history.
• I enjoyed this when it was freshly cooked. It did not age well in the fridge. It became thick and unappetizing. Next time will not smash the beans.

 

White-Poached Chicken with Chinese Cabbage and Peanut Rayu (adapted from Ottolenghi Comfort.)

Ingredients

Chicken and Cabbage

• 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb 5 oz/600g)

• 4 tsp Shaoxing wine

• 10g ginger (peeled and finely grated, about ⅓ oz)

• 2 tsp peanut oil

• 1 large Chinese cabbage (napa or wombok), thinly sliced (about 4½ cups/400g)

• 1 cup (20g) basil leaves, torn

• 6 green onions, finely sliced on the diagonal (about ¾ cup/60g)

• 1–2 limes, cut into wedges, to serve

• Salt

Peanut Rayu

• 1 cup (240ml) peanut oil or other flavorless oil

• 3 tbsp chile flakes (ideally Korean gochugaru, or an equal mix of regular chile flakes and Aleppo pepper flakes)

• Note- I used Italian pepper flakes and this may have been a bit too hot, so maybe 2 tbsp?)

• Scant 1 cup (120g) unsalted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped in a food processor

• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped

• ⅓ cup (35g) sesame seeds

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 tsp flaked sea salt

Instructions

1. Make the Peanut Rayu:

   • Put the oil and chile flakes into a small pan and place over medium-low heat.

   • When the oil starts simmering, add the peanuts, garlic, and sesame seeds. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

   • Add soy sauce, sugar, and flaked sea salt, then set aside to cool and decant into a sealed jar. (Ideally make a day ahead; it keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge.)

2. Prepare the Chicken:

   • Half an hour before cooking, remove chicken breasts from the fridge to bring to room temperature.

   • When ready to cook, fill a large pot (with tight-fitting lid) with 6⅓ cups (1½ liters) of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

   • Once boiling, add chicken breasts, stir quickly, cover with lid, and turn off heat. Let sit, undisturbed, for 1 hour.

   • Strain chicken and discard poaching liquid.

3. Finish the Dish:

   • When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and tear chicken into long shreds. Place in a large mixing bowl.

   • Add Shaoxing wine, ginger, peanut oil, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside for at least 5 minutes.

   • Just before serving, add sliced cabbage and most of the basil. Toss well to combine.

   • Transfer to a serving plate and spoon peanut rayu on top.

   • Finish with green onions and remaining basil leaves.

   • Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Notes

• The key technique is poaching chicken in just-boiled water at room temperature for 1 hour; ensure the chicken is not cold or it will not cook through properly.

• Peanut rayu adds rich, aromatic flavor and can be used over other dishes like eggs, noodles, or celery.

• Serves 4.

• 	Calories	Net Carbs	Protein	Fat
  Per serving	1,046	15.5 g	58 g                           82g