July 18, 2008

Beans - two ways for Friday lent - Fasole de post in doua feluri



Fridays we try to fast, as all Fridays throughout the year are lent days for us as orthodox christians. Actually, I should say me and Clara try to fast, because Gabriel always does.
Lent for orthodox people is over 5 weeks before Christmas, 40 days before Easter, about a week in June before St. Peter and Paul, and about 2 weeks in August and some other days for different saints/hollidays. We were brought up this way and we are trying our best to keep our traditions, , and we are passing them to Clara now. This is part of our customs and who we are. But I fail a lot since I am not trying to hard. I either forget to cook something on thursday so we have what to eat Friday, or I get really hungry and crave for food that I should not have for lent. The funny thing, the days when I could have everything, I don't crave so much, but Fridays, that's the time when I think of diary products, eggs, fish and meat when I know I shouldn't....Sometimes it is very easy and I am surprised to see it's already time to go to bed and I did it. It's harder during the long lent for Christmas and during the one for Easter, because you are trying to have healthy and consistent meals. Clara is not in love with zucchini or mushrooms, and eggplants are not always on her Ok list, which makes it hard to make something for all three of us without repeating the menu too much.
When I have no ideas what to make next day and I ask Gabriel what should I make, it's always the same: beans, beans and more beans, a food that I don't love as much as he does.
For today I made a bean salad, a cannelini spread and braised cabbage.
The cannelini spread is Gabriel's favorite, and I take a shortcut because I used canned beans ( from 2 400g/14 oz cans). I put the beans in the food processor with 1/3 cup oil and pepper and pulse it about 30 seconds. I chop finely half a white onion and add it to the beans, together with about a tablespoon garlic aioli made from 2 cloves of garlic, a teaspoon of oil and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Pulse a couple more times and that's it. Serve it with tomato salad or sundried tomatoes in oil, pickles or roasted bell peppers, a crsuty bread, it's very good. I like to add chopped rosemary to mine, but the rest of them don't, so.....
The bean salad is a mix of (1 can of each) garbanzo beans, cannelini and black beans, bell pepper, olives, red onion and cilantro, 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, salt and pepper. You could also add corn, but today I didn't have.
They are always good as side dishes for meat, and always perfect for vegetarians. And the ingredients could be played with to your liking.
Vinerea e zi de post pentru noi si incercam pe cat putem sa tinem postul. Eu si Clara incercam, Gabi reuseste intotdeauna. Vrem sa pastram traditia asta, pentru ca asa am fost crescuti, e parte din obiceiurile noastre si din cine suntem noi. Eu insa nu reusesc intotdeauna pentru ca nu mai stradui cat trebuie. Simt ca mor de foame, ma ia cu ameteala sau pur si simplu poftesc la tot ce nu are trebui, numai pentru ca stiu ca nu pot. Alta data e asa usor, ca nu-mi vine sa cred ca a trecut ziua si am izbutit.
Cand e postul craciunului si al Pastelui e mai greu sa gasesc insipratia pentru fiecare zi. Mai ales cand Clara nu mananca anumite legume si nu vrea sa fac aceleasi 5 retete tot timpul postului. de cate ori il interb pe Gabi ce sa mai fac de mancare de post, intotdeauna primesc acelasi raspuns: fasole. Iar eu una nu sunt atat de innebunita dupa fasole.
Pentru azi am facut salata de boabe de fasole, icre de fasole si varza dulce calita cu rosii. Icrele le fac cu fasole de la conserva, asa ca nu e mare lucru e facut. Pun fasolea in robotel cu o cescuta de ulei si le pulsez timp deun minut. Adaug o jumatate de ceapa tocat foarte marunt si un fel de mujdei facut din 2 catei de usturoi, o lingurita de ulei si una de mustar, sare si piper dupa gust.
Sunt tare bune cu salata de rosii, rosii conservate in ulei, muraturi, ardei copt si o paine proaspata. Mie imi place si sa adaug rozmarin proaspat tocat, dar la restul nu, asa ca....
Salata de fasole e o combinatie de naut, fasole alba (cannelini) si fasole neagra, cate conserva din fiecare, ardei gras, ceapa rosie si masline, putinulei, otet, sare si piper. Eu am pus si coriandru proaspat. Ingredientele se pot schimba dupa plac. Eu am pus alta data si boabe de porumb, dar azi nu am avut.
Sunt bune ca garnitura la mancaruri cu carne, si intotdeauna bune pentru vegetarieni.

7 comments:

Lola said...

Si eu tot din can fac fasolea batuta, dar folosesc butter beans (iar la mancarea de fasole great northern, parca-s mai asemanatoare cu fasolea noastra)

roxana said...

lola, si eu folosesc tot butter beans, numai ca ieri nu am gasit. La iahnie sau la ciorba cu afumatura, nu pun din can, o fierb eu, dar folosesc tot great northern. Bine ca mi-ai adus aminte, am poze de la fasole cu afumatura si de la ciorba cu afumatura. O sa fac post separat.

Lola said...

Aha, ca veni vorba: ai folosit Gordo Rancho beans vreodata? daca da, m-ar interesa sa aflu de la tine daca sunt chiar asa nemaipomenite cum se zvoneste.

Anonymous said...

Mancarurile mele preferate!

Anonymous said...

din cauza ca ne am americanizat
ne e cam lene sa o fierbem..........................:{{{{{ dar asta e......... america
sau romania
femeile din ce in ce mai comodeasta..... sa nu spunem puturoase

roxana said...

am stat vreo 5 minute sa ma gandesc daca sa public comentariul asta sau nu, si apoi m-am gandit: dupa ce ca sunt lenesa/ puturoasa, mai sunt si ipocrita, prea multe se aduna chiar inainte de Paste (pe cuvant ca la spovedanie ieri am spus ca sunt lenesa), asa ca here we are...
uite ca m-am americanizat, nu s-a intamplat voit, dar imi pastrez radacinile si mancarea cu fasole, chiar daca din lene, convenienta si alte motive, de cca 10 ori pe an cumpar fasole fiarta in conserva.
Multumesc pentru opinie si sper ca ai gasit reteta de mancare de fasole undeva unde fasolea e fiarta in oala proprie. (cel putin nu am umblat cu cioara vopsita mintind ca am fiert-o eu, desi puteam, ca doar n-a stat nimeni langa mine sa stie ca e din conserva sau nu :D).
Si gata cu filozofia fasolii, inapoi la cratita (sau conserva).

Elena said...

Ce ma bucur ca asa o fac si eu salata (butter beans la chopper cu usturoi si ulei de masline). Cateodata mai adaug si un patrunjel. Sotului meu ii place mult sa "chop"-uiesc si rosii uscate in ulei de masline ca sa punem deasupra. Cat despre salata de fasole, de obicei pun si porumb (cum scriai) si tu, si o servesc de multe ori vara la gratar. Ceapa din fasole se poate insa si marina (in lime juice) si iese grozava. Asta am invatat-o de la o doamna ce vindea bean tacos in Mexic. Adica tacos cu o pasta de fasole (maro) cu ceapa marinata in lime. Erau deliciosi.

Roxana - de-abia astept niste posturi noi ;)