Celery, Chicken, Chive & Bean Salad

Celery, Chicken, Chive & Bean Salad

For the longest time I didn’t think I liked bean salads, and then I tried one made with soft navy and edamame beans. Now I love them, and I think you’ll love this lemony, colourful version, too. The chicken breast is brined overnight, so begin a day ahead; otherwise it’s all very easy, super-satisfying stuff that can be eaten as a main. If you have chives growing in your yard, use the flowers as a tasty garnish.

Ingredients:

1½ cups (375 mL) buttermilk

½ white onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp (5 mL) celery salt

½ tsp (2 mL) coarsely ground black pepper

4 stalks celery, divided

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 lb. (500g) total weight

⅓ cup (80 mL) olive oil

¼ cup (60 mL) lemon juice

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1 can (398 mL) navy beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups (500 mL) shelled soy beans (edamame), cooked according to package directions

½ cup (125 mL) finely chopped chives, about 1 bunch

Chive flowers to garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a medium resealable bag, combine buttermilk, onion, celery salt and pepper. Thinly slice 1 stalk of celery and add to bag along with chicken breasts. Seal and massage contents briefly to dissolve salt and coat chicken thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat barbecue to medium and oil grill. Remove chicken from brine, pat dry and cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side, until juices run clear or internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove to a board and let rest while preparing remaining ingredients.

In a large serving bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and salt. Cut remaining 3 stalks of celery in half lengthwise and thinly slice on the bias; add to bowl along with navy and soy beans. Sprinkle chives over. Slice chicken into bite-sized pieces, add to salad and gently toss to combine.

If using chive flowers, separate individual flowers from 4 or 5 ball-shaped heads and sprinkle over salad before serving.  Serves 4

Celery, Chicken. Chive, and Bean Salad

Celery, Chicken, Chive & Bean Salad

For the longest time I didn’t think I liked bean salads, and then I tried one made with soft navy and soy beans. Now I love them, and I think you’ll love this lemony, colourful version, too. The chicken breast is brined overnight, so begin a day ahead; otherwise it’s all very easy, super-satisfying stuff that can be eaten as a main. If you have chives growing in your yard, use the flowers as a tasty garnish.
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1½ cups (375 mL) buttermilk
½ white onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp (5 mL) celery salt
½ tsp (2 mL) coarsely ground black pepper
4 stalks celery, divided
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 lb (500 g) total weight
⅓ cup (80 mL) olive oil
¼ cup (60 mL) lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1 can (398 mL) navy beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups (500 mL) shelled soy beans, cooked according to package directions
½ cup (125 mL) finely chopped chives, about 1 bunch
Chive flowers to garnish (optional)

Directions:
In a medium resealable bag, combine buttermilk, onion, celery salt and pepper. Thinly slice 1 stalk of celery and add to bag along with chicken breasts. Seal and massage contents briefly to dissolve salt and coat chicken thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat barbecue to medium and oil grill. Remove chicken from brine, pat dry and cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side, until juices run clear or internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove to a board and let rest while preparing remaining ingredients.

In a large serving bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and salt. Cut remaining 3 stalks of celery in half lengthwise and thinly slice on the bias; add to bowl along with navy and soy beans. Sprinkle chives over. Slice chicken into bite-sized pieces, add to salad and gently toss to combine.

If using chive flowers, separate individual flowers from 4 or 5 ball-shaped heads and sprinkle over salad before serving.





Serves 4

Boston Baked Beans

Boston Baked Beans 

James Beard Style

The trick to good baked beans is cooking them very slowly with indirect heat. James Beard's recipe calls for baking them in a tightly sealed casserole in an oven barely hot enough to toast bread. As the hours pass, the beans drink up a broth flavored with brown sugar (or molasses), mustard and pepper. The gentle cooking prevents the beans from breaking up and becoming mushy. By the time they're done, the pork is falling off its bones and the beans are the classic rusty brown. Be sure to season them amply with salt so the sweetness has a sturdy counterpart.

Beard's recipe calls for dark brown sugar. The alternative is to use molasses, which will render a final flavor and color more familiar to canned-bean devotees. The recipe itself requires no great cooking skills -- if you can peel an onion and boil water, you're all set -- but it will easily take up an afternoon. Plan it for a day when you're at home.

My experience is to use the molasses.  Dk. Brown Sugar makes them too sweet and lacking flavor.

Ingredients:
Boston Baked Beans
2 cups of white pea beans (navy beans)
1 scant teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 medium onion, peeled
4 pork spareribs, or 8 baby-back ribs
1/3 cup dark brown sugar or molasses
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground black pepper.

Directions:
In a large bowl, soak the beans in 2 quarts of water for 6 hours. Drain the beans and put them in a large pot. Add the salt and enough cool water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just barely tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain well.


Bring another pot of water to a boil. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. In the bottom of a large casserole with a tight-fitting lid, place the peeled onion -- yes, whole -- and spareribs (or baby-back ribs). Spread the beans on top. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar (or molasses), mustard and black pepper and add this to the beans and pork. Pour in just enough boiling water to cover the beans, put the lid on and bake, occasionally adding more boiling water to keep the beans covered, until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 5 hours. 

Remove the casserole from the oven. Season the beans with salt. Pull the meat from the ribs. Discard the bones and excess fat and stir the meat back into the beans. With the lid off, return the casserole to the oven and let the beans finish cooking, uncovered and without additional water, until the sauce has thickened and is nicely caramelized on top, about 45 minutes more. Serves 6. 

Adapted from "The James Beard Cookbook," by James Beard.

Celery Chicken Chive And Bean Salad

Celery Chicken Chive And Bean Salad

Ingredients:

Brine:

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 white onion, sliced thin

1 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 stalk celery, cut into half and thinly sliced

2 boneless chicken breasts, (1 lb.)

Dressing:

Whisk together in a large bowl:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

Salad:

1 13oz. can navy beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups shelled edaname beans

1/2 cup finely chopped chives

3 stalks celery cut into halves and sliced thin

Chicken Breasts, sliced into thin strips

chive flowers for garnish

Directions:  

In a resealable bag mix brine ingredients together and add chicken breasts.  Place in refrigerator overnight.

The next day, remove chicken from brine and pat dry.  Cook 6 to 7 minutes per side until juices run clear.  Remove to board to cool, slice into thin strips.

In a large bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients.  Add salad ingredients and sliced chicken.

Sprinkle on chive flowers that have been separated for garnish.

Baked Beans

Baked Beans

Ingredients:

2 cups navy beans
Salt
½ pound slab bacon, cut into cubes
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
⅓ cup molasses
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

*

Directions:
Soak beans in a large bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put them in a large oven-safe pot with a heavy bottom and a tightfitting lid. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough cool water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and remove beans.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil on the stove. Return the heavy-bottomed pot to the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the bacon in the bottom of the pot until it begins to brown, then turn off the heat and add the chopped onion and, on top of it, the beans. Mix together molasses, mustard and black pepper, and add the mixture to the pot. Pour in enough boiling water to cover beans, put the lid on and bake, occasionally adding more water to keep beans covered, until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.

Remove beans from oven, uncover, stir and season with salt. With the lid off, return pot to oven and let beans finish cooking, uncovered and without additional water, until the sauce has thickened and the top is deeply crusty, about 45 minutes more.