White Beans and Tomatoes

One of the great things about Italian cooking is there are so many simple methods and combinations that result in something amazing. I made these beans twice in a week, once for company with the stuffed peppers. I didn't have any sage, which is traditional, so I used oregano.

Warm two to four cloves of crushed garlic in three tablespoons of olive oil (can use less if you want) until garlic is browned. Discard garlic and add two cups of cooked white beans, tossing until beans are warmed and coated in oil. Add four to five large tomatoes, diced, to the pot with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and one tablespoon of dried oregano. Bring everything to a boil, then simmer for about twenty minutes. Taste for salt again, and if you prefer to use fresh herbs add them now. Serves 4. Pictured with biscuits made from a whole grain version of biscuit mix.

Stuffed Peppers

This recipe eliminates everything I disliked about stuffed peppers as a kid. Instead of large, bland bell peppers the smaller, spicy green chilies (like a hatch chili) are used, which have a chance to soften and char in the oven. Milk soaked bread crumbs instead of rice round out the filling. Ground pork is used instead of ground beef, which is cheaper where I am. These peppers are are a great make-ahead and can be picked up and eaten out of hand at room temperature.

Wash and half five green hatch chilies, cutting out the stems and seeds. Mix half a pound of ground pork (not too lean) with half as much milk soaked bread crumbs. Add one teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of pepper, and one tablespoon grated Italian white cheese (Parmesan, Asiago, whatever you have in the fridge). Mix well and press a layer of meat mixture into peppers. Oil a baking pan and arrange peppers in one layer. Cover peppers loosely and bake for ten minutes at 350 degrees; remove cover and turn oven up to 400 degrees. Bake for another ten minutes. Serves 3.

Chunky Apricot Sauce

A few apricots on my counter were getting soft - I'd bought them dead ripe - so I made them into a sauce to eat with my morning oatmeal. The flavour of apricots is very distinct, but they pick up other seasonings well. A couple of slices of fresh ginger would work really well in this sauce. The flavour of cinnamon would have been great, but I only had powdered and wanted a seasoning that would not dull the gorgeous orange colour. In the end, I just used a little vanilla.

To make it, drop five or six medium apricots in boiling water for a few seconds, then put into cold water to loosen the skins. Take skins off fruit and chop roughly. Put apricot pieces in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of honey and simmer just until softened. You may need to add water if you are using less ripe fruit. Remove from heat, stir in 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, and cool. Store in fridge for up to 4 days. Stir into your yogurt or oatmeal in the morning.

Many will prefer a much sweeter sauce; you can add more honey or sugar if desired. I topped the fruit with a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk.

Mini Brownies

I recently taught a Chinese friend to make these brownies. She was very excited to watch them bake through the door of my little toaster oven. "They're expanding, and giving off the most amazing smell! So wondrous!" I asked her why Chinese people don't often eat sweet things. She told me that people are concerned about weight problems, but added sweet things make people feel happy. It's true.

Recently I've been making mini versions of most sweet and dessert recipes; it is a great way to stretch a recipe. Small portions are stingy, but mini are cute and just what you want of something rich and sweet. For these brownies, you melt half a cup of butter, and stir in 3/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, and two eggs mixed with 1 tsp of vanilla. Then stir in 3/4 cup of flour mixed with one teaspoon of baking powder , 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and half a cup of toasted walnuts (optional). Spoon into two dozen mini muffin pans and bake at 180 deg C for twelve minutes, or until just a little soft in the middle. The recipe is enough for an 8*8 pan, if you don't have mini muffin tins. You will have to cook them a few minutes more.

If you want icing, melt 100g good chocolate and stir in icing sugar, starting with 1/2 cup and adding tablespoons, until spreadable. (I didn't measure the sugar). Can top with leftover toasted walnuts, shown, or coconut if desired.

Fresh Soybean Dip

This is a thick, spreadable dip with a great mild colour and flavour. It is very good with chips, bread, vegetables, and crackers. I used to make a version with feta, but feta is really expensive here and I thought I would try a similar recipe using cream cheese.

Bring 1 1/2 cups fresh shelled soybeans to a boil with 3 cloves garlic. Boil together til mostly tender and pour drained soybeans and garlic into a blender with 1/2 cup cream cheese, 2 tsp salt, and the juice of one lemon. Blend very smooth; you might want to add some bean cooking water to thin it out. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

Spring VI: Watercress Sandwiches

In the E.B. White novel Trumpet of the Swan, a swan named Louis stays at the Ritz hotel and orders watercress sandwiches. He eats them without the bread, but since reading that book I've always associated watercress sandwiches with luxury even though it is as affordable as any other green this time of year. Somehow I got talked into buying an enormous bunch of watercress today at the market, and the first thing I made was watercress sandwiches. It might be hard to tell from the picture, but the bread is from a mini loaf (labeled 'Children's Bread'); this sandwich is a bit smaller than palm size.

Spread one slice of fluffy white bread with mayonnaise and another with butter. You can use either, but I like the combination of both. Pile very fresh, crisp, dry watercress leaves between the slices and enjoy.

Spring V: Tatsoi Salad with Ketchup and Mustard Dressing

Tatsoi is a fantastic vegetable to eat raw. It has a strong flavour without being bitter, tough, stringy, or tooth-coating like spinach. Mixing up a salad dressing from whatever is in the cupboard is a great way to enjoy spring greens, and I wanted something a spicy and a little sweet - something that could stand up to the tatsoi.

I tried using Chinese tahini in the dressing, but it seized up every time I added another ingredient. I later learned this is completely normal, I had just never run into it before because every time I've used tahini it was in a blender recipe. Cooking 'unplugged' definitely helps you develop a deeper feel for ingredients.

A creamy dressing of mayonnaise mixed with ginger juice and a little sugar tasted fine, but too much dressing clung to the leaves and made the salad soggy. (Everyone has food quirks - I happen to hate leafy salads that are too wet. The greens have to be bone dry before I will dress them. I even use a hair dryer.) This vinaigrette worked much better - 1/2 tbs olive oil, 1/2 tsp prepared mustard, 1 tsp ketchup, 1/2 tbs white wine vinegar, and a pinch of sugar, just enough for one bowlful of leaves.