Warm butter beans with rosemary & garlic

warm butter beans with rosemary & garlic

serves 4 as a starter

You can either serve this as bruschetta with the beans dished up on toast that has been rubbed with the cut side of a clove of garlic. Alternatively, serve the beans in the middle of the table with bread on the side so your guests can help themselves.

I've made this with cannellini beans and butter beans and I have a slight preference for the slightly larger, firmer butter beans. Borlotti beans would also work well as would chickpeas.

1 can butter beans (400g /14oz), drained
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled  & finely  sliced
2 small sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
pinch chilli flakes, optional

Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and stir fry beans until they are golden and warmed through.

Season well and serve with a drizzle of peppery extra virgin olive oil.

Beer Cheese Soup

 Beer Cheese Soup  

Yields: 2-4 Servings

Ingredients
1 cup butter
3 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chives
1 cup flour
16 ounces Cheez Whiz
6 ounces beer or non-alcoholic beer
1 cups cream

Instructions
Melt butter. Add broth and add small amount of broth to flour; mix, then add to butter mixture. Remove from heat, beat with wire whip. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on LOW in slow cooker 4 hours or all day. Top with popcorn.

Corn soup with shrimp

Corn soup with shrimp

2 tbsp. butter
1 med. chopped onion
1 med. finely chopped pepper
2 c. corn kernels – frozen
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. half & half
1 c. corn kernels
3/4 lb. med. shrimp – peeled, deveined & cut into
-3/4 inch pieces
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. fresh cilantro leaves – chopped

In a large, heavy skillet, melt butter.  When it has foamed, stir in onion and let soften 3 to 4 minutes.  Add green pepper and continue cooking another 3 to 4 minutes.   Puree 2 cups corn in food processor, scrape into skillet.  Stir in stock and half and half and let simmer 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in remaining corn, shrimp, salt, pepper until shrimp are just cooked through.  Taste for seasonings, then ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra cilantro leaves.