BEAN RECIPES: Duck Breasts on White Beans . . . Walnut-Crusted Steak and Tomato and White Bean Salad

Duck Breasts on White Beans

WHITE BEANS:

¼ pound fresh garlic sausage, crumbled

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 carrot, diced

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound dried white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern

6 cups water, plus more if necessary

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch dandelion greens (about ¾ pound)

1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook garlic sausage in olive oil in bottom of Dutch oven over medium heat on stove top until sausage has browned, about 7 minutes. Add carrot. Cook until it begins to soften. Add onion. Cook, stirring constantly to scrape up any browned sausage bits sticking to bottom of pan, until it begins to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic. Cook until fragrant.

Add dried beans, water, bay leaf. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover tightly. Bake in oven for 1 hour. Add salt, stir. Continue cooking, covered, until beans are tender. Beans should be fairly dry, but if necessary, add more water, ¼ cup at a time. Remove bay leaf and discard. Season to taste with more salt if necessary, and freshly ground black pepper.

When almost ready to serve, chop dandelion greens in 1-inch sections down to where you’re getting almost all stem. You should have 3 to 4 cups.

While duck breasts are cooking (below), reheat beans, adding a little more water if necessary to create slightly flowing, risotto-like texture. Add dandelion greens. Cook, covered, until greens soften, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if necessary, and red wine vinegar to taste.

DUCK BREAST AND ASSEMBLY:

2 tablespoons kosher salt

6 whole cloves

1½ teaspoons whole black peppercorns

6 duck breasts (4 to 6 ounces each)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

White beans

Grind together salt, cloves, peppercorns to fine powder. Use sharp knife to cut shallow, cross-hatching on skin side of duck breasts, through skin but not to meat.

Season breasts with spice mixture, concentrating on skin side, and place on plate. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Heat oil in large, heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Pat dry skin side of duck breasts with paper towel. Place breasts skin-side down in hot pan. Sear until skin side is deep golden brown. Depending on size of skillet, breasts probably will need to be cooked in batches. Press down on breasts from time to time with spatula to press out any rendered fat. Reduce heat to medium. Turn breasts. Cook until they are medium-rare in center.

Remove duck breasts to carving board. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing on bias.

Spoon generous ¾ to 1 cup of white beans onto center of plate. Arrange sliced breasts on top. Repeat, using all of meat; you will have some white beans left over.

Note: This can be made without duck by increasing the sausage to ¾ pound or more.

Yield: Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 515 calories, 44 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams fiber, 20 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 158 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams sugar, 781 milligrams sodium.

Walnut-Crusted Steak

Olive oil spray

¾ pound strip steak, about ¾-inch thick, fat removed

2 tablespoons hot pepper jam or jelly

2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high. Spray with olive oil spray. Add steak. Cook 5 minutes. Turn. Spread hot pepper jelly over cooked side. Press walnuts into steak. Cook 5 minutes more for rare, 7 minutes for medium-rare. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 311 calories, 31 percent of calories from fat, 10.8 grams fat (2.4 grams saturated), 96 milligrams cholesterol, 40.5 grams protein, 14.1 grams carbohydrates, 0.6 grams fiber, 106 milligrams sodium.

Tomato and White Bean Salad

2 medium-size ripe tomatoes, cut into large cubes (about 2 cups)

1 cup drained and rinsed canned Great Northern or other small white beans

2 tablespoons reduced-fat Italian salad dressing

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Place tomatoes, beans in bowl. Add dressing. Toss well. Add salt, pepper to taste. Mix again. Sprinkle parsley on top.

Yield: Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 194 calories, 9 percent of calories from fat, 1.9 grams fat (0.3 grams saturated), 1 milligrams cholesterol, 11.4 grams protein, 35.5 grams carbohydrates, 8.7 grams fiber, 219 milligrams sodium.

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