Courses: Entree or Side Dish

bowl of beans and greens

Beans and Greens

Canned beans are a pantry staple in my house.  By adding a few ingredients to a can of beans, you can have a nutritious dinner ready in a snap.  Today’s post isn’t just about a low fat, high fiber recipe loaded with vitamins and proteins.   The story is also an illustration of how a well stocked pantry can help you to manage dinner even when you’re a couple of ingredients short. Today’s recipe has Italian roots.  Its Italian name is minestra.  It’s a simple dish that can be made with or without meat (usually Italian sausage or pancetta).  In addition, […]

Red Beans and Rice

My family didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up.  In spite of that, I never felt like I was deprived of anything.  One of the ways that my mother stretched her food dollars was to feed us inexpensive protein such as beans.  She once told me that a doctor told her mother that if she wanted her children to grow up strong and healthy, she should feed them beans at least twice a week.  My grandmother decided that if twice a week was good, four of five times a week would be better.  It seemed that […]