Whole Grain Crostini With Beans And Greens Recipes

BRAISED WHITE BEANS AND GREENS WITH PARMESAN

Steps:

• In a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the fennel, onion and rosemary, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Begin adding handfuls of the greens, cooking and stirring until leaves wilt.
• Add the white beans, broth and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer, mashing some of the beans with a wooden spoon, until the liquid has reduced and thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, then the mozzarella, if using, and Pecorino Romano. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide among shallow bowls and top with more Pecorino Romano. Serve with toasted bread and a dish of red-pepper flakes on the side.

WHOLE-GRAIN CROSTINI WITH BEANS AND GREENS

Steps:

• Prepare a grill or heat an oven to 400 degrees. Use about half the oil to lightly brush each slice of bread. Grill until grill marks appear or bake until golden and slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. (Turning is unnecessary but doesn't hurt.)
• Put remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Add beans and spinach, and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach wilts, about 5 minutes more.
• Add sage and, if necessary, enough reserved bean liquid to keep mixture moist. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. (You can prepare and refrigerate all of this before assembling crostini; warm gently before proceeding.)
• Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon on top of crostini, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately

ROASTED WHOLE GARLIC CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Slice 1/2-inch off the pointed end of the garlic bulb to expose each clove. Place garlic on aluminum foil. Pour 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the top of each bulb and let it sink into the cloves.
• Wrap foil around garlic bulbs and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until exposed cloves are golden brown.
• In a dry saute pan over medium-high heat, toast pine nuts for approximately 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Toast baguette slices in oven or toaster oven.
• To serve, place garlic, cheese, pine nuts and parsley on a serving plate along side crostinis. Instruct guests to extract individual garlic cloves from bulb with a small fork, spread on toast, and top with goat cheese, pine nuts and parsley leaves.

WHITE BEANS AND ROSEMARY CROSTINI

Steps:

• Heat a fireplace to medium heat. Adjust the grill racks over the flame and heat a heavy Dutch oven over the rack. Alternatively, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Once hot, add the oil to the saucepan. Add the pancetta and render some of its fat. Add the rosemary and garlic, and saute until fragrant. Stir in the beans, lemon juice and some salt and pepper. Mash the beans with the back of a wooden spoon. Don't mash them all smooth, you want some texture.
• Toast the baguette slices. Serve the beans on top of the toasted baguette. Drizzle with olive oil if desired.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA CROSTINI

Steps:

• Place a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the onion, and sauté until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Wash skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and allow to heat until shimmering. Working in batches if necessary, add a single layer of eggplant, and toss to coat in oil. Fry, stirring frequently, until tender and evenly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Wash skillet and return to medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and tomatoes. Sauté until tomatoes are tender but have not lost their shape, and almost all the liquid has evaporated.
• In a large bowl, combine eggplant, onion mixture, tomatoes, raisins and capers. Toss gently to mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• To serve, toast the sliced bread, and top with a large spoonful of the caponata mixture. Sprinkle with a few drops of vinegar, and garnish with the basil chiffonade, and a few grains of flaky sea salt.

SMASHED CANNELLINI BEAN CROSTINI

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a shallow saucepan over a low-medium heat and scatter in the sage leaves, if using. Fry for 2 mins until crisp, lift onto a plate using a slotted spoon. Tip the onion into the pan and cook for 3 mins until soft, then add the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Sprinkle in the pepper and toast for 1 min, then stir in the beans. Turn off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice.
• Season the mixture with salt, then tip into a food processor or mini chopper with the remaining oil. Blitz everything together to your desired consistency - it can be a smooth or a rough paste. Will keep covered in the fridge for two days. Bring to room temperature 1 hour before serving.
• Serve the dip as is with crostini or breadsticks, or drizzle with a little extra olive oil and top with the crispy sage leaves, if using.

WHITE BEAN CROSTINI

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the beans, 1/4 cup oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and process until smooth. Add olives and thyme; process until blended. , Place bread on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with remaining oil. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly. Spread each slice with 1 tablespoon bean mixture. Garnish with olives and thyme if desired.

GREEK BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Toast the bread and set aside, or dry it in a very low oven (a pilot light provides sufficient heat, if you have one) for 8 to 10 hours. Sprinkle rusks with a little water to reconstitute.
• Place the onion in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Allow to sit for five minutes, drain, rinse and dry on paper towels. Cut the tomatoes in half at the equator, and grate on the large holes of a box grater set in a wide bowl. Combine the grated tomatoes with the vinegar, capers, garlic, onion and dill or parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over each of the toasted bread slices or rusks. Top with the tomato mixture. Sprinkle on the cheese and oregano, drizzle on the remaining olive oil and serve.

GORGONZOLA WALNUT CROSTINI WITH PEAR SALAD

Steps:

• Make the vinaigrette: Put the shallot in a small bowl with the vinegar and a good pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Let macerate for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the mustard, then whisk in the oils. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Make the crostini: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and brown, turning frequently. When it begins to soften, season generously with salt and pepper; reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until nicely caramelized. Add the rosemary and transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the bread in the toaster until lightly browned, then lay the slices on a baking sheet. Spread about 1/2 ounce Gorgonzola on each toast, then top with the onion mixture and 3 or 4 walnut halves.
• Bake on the top shelf of the oven until bubbling and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Cut into wedges if desired.
• Assemble the salad: Put the greens and chopped celery in a low wide salad bowl. Just before serving, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper, then toss with half the vinaigrette, just coating the leaves. Peel, core and slice the pears. Dress the slices with the rest of the vinaigrette in a separate bowl, spoon the pears over the salad, and serve with the warm crostini on the side.