Flageolet and Lemony Celery Tartines

Serves 4

Creamy and mild, French flageolet beans are favored for slow-cooked dishes such as cassoulets and stews, because the beans keep their shape but still have a meltingly smooth texture. Here, flageolets hold their own alongside briny olives and crunchy celery. (If you can’t find flageolets, substitute white navy beans or cannellini beans.)

• 2 cups cooked Flageolet beans
• ⅓ cup pitted oil-cured black olives, chopped, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
• 2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
• 4½ tsp. lemon juice, divided
• 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced (⅓ cup)
• ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
• 4 slices whole-grain bread, toasted

1 | Mix beans, half of olives, garlic, and thyme in large bowl. Fold in 1 Tbs. oil, 21/2 tsp. lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
2 | Place celery and green onions in small bowl. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, remaining 2 tsp. lemon juice, remaining olives, and red pepper flakes.
3 | Spoon 1/2 cup bean mixture and 1/2 cup celery mixture over toasted bread slices.

Chickpea Salad with Curried Yogurt Dressing

Serves 4

30 minutes or fewer

Ready in minutes, this lunch salad can be dressed up with a little cranberry sauce or chutney to give it some holiday flavor. Serve over a bed of greens, in lettuce wraps, or in a pita or sprouted-bread sandwich. The dressing works well on other sandwiches too, so you might want to double the recipe to have some on hand.

Dressing

• 1 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1½ tsp. curry powder, or more to taste
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, optional

Salad

• 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 red apple, diced (1 cup)
• 2 stalks celery, diced (½ cup)
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• ⅓ cup raisins
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (¼ cup)
• ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 lemon wedges, for serving

1 | To make Dressing: whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, curry powder, and cayenne (if using) in small bowl.
2 | To make Salad: Toss together chickpeas, apple, celery, parsley, raisins, green onions, and walnuts in large bowl. Gently fold in Dressing. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with lemon wedges.

Maple Pecan Spread

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Use this sweet, nutty combination as a spread for dinner rolls at the holidays, or whip up a batch for hors d’oeuvres, and serve as a dip for apple or pear slices.

• 2 cups pecan halves
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 3 Tbs. freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3 Tbs. pecan or olive oil
• 4 tsp. chopped fresh sage

1 | Cover pecan halves with filtered water in medium bowl. Let soak 24 hours in refrigerator. Drain, and shake dry.
2 | Process all ingredients with 2 Tbs. water in food processor 1 to 2 minutes ,or until smooth. Season with sea salt, if desired. Transfer to bowl to serve.

Good Mother Stallard Beans with Poached Eggs and Salsa Verde

Serves 4

30 minutes or fewer

Plump Good Mother Stallard beans look a little like cranberry beans, but Good Mother Stallards’ rounder, oval shape give them an intriguing texture.

• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
• 2 Tbs. drained capers
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 1 large red onion, chopped (2 cups)
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 sweet potato, finely diced (2 cups)
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups cooked Good Mother Stallard beans
• 4 large eggs

1 | Combine parsley, 1 Tbs. oil, capers, lemon juice, and garlic in small bowl.
2 | Heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and paprika; sauté 5 minutes. Add sweet potato and broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in beans, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Keep warm.
3 | Poach eggs 4 minutes in large skillet filled with several inches of simmering water, spooning hot water over yolks.
4 | Spoon 1 cup sweet potato mixture into bowl, and top with poached egg. Garnish with 2 Tbs. parsley mixture.

Caramelized Onion–Cranberry Sauce

Makes 2 cups

Slow-cooked onions lend extra sweetness to a sauce made with dried cranberries. The sauce itself is less jelly-like than traditional cranberry sauces, but it still delivers that bright, tart taste.

• 1 cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup red wine, such as Pinot Noir
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 large sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 | Combine dried cranberries and wine in glass measuring cup or other non-reactive container. Cover, and let soak 8 hours, or overnight, at room temperature.
2 | Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook onions 20 to 25 minutes, or until caramelized. Add 1 Tbs. hot water, if necessary, to prevent onions from sticking.
3 | Stir in rosemary, and cook 30 seconds. Add soaked cranberries, wine, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool in pan 5 minutes.
4 | Transfer mixture to blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. Add more hot water for a smoother sauce. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

A Perfect Pot of Beans

Makes 5 cups

Use this basic recipe to prepare beans for the recipes here. Adding aromatics (such as onion, garlic, and herbs) will flavor the beans and their broth, but leave a neutral flavor for any type of recipe. Kombu (dried kelp) helps reduce beans’ gas-producing properties.

• 2 cups dried heirloom beans, pre-soaked, if desired
• ½ onion, peeled, optional
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed, optional
• 1 bay leaf, optional
• 1 strip kombu, optional
• Sprigs of fresh or dried herbs, optional

Place beans, optional aromatics, and 8 to 10 cups water in large pot or saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer pre-soaked beans for 30 minutes; dried beans for 2 hours, or until beans are tender and creamy, adding more water if necessary. Remove aromatics before serving or using beans.

Pear Almond Cake

Serves 8

30 minutes or fewer

This light-and-luscious cake is the perfect ending to any holiday meal. It stores well for a couple of days in the fridge—just be sure to bring it to room temperature before serving.

• 1¼ cups almond meal
• ¼ cup gluten-free oat flour, sifted
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbs. melted extra virgin coconut oil or vegetable oil, plus more to grease pan
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp. almond extract
• ¼ tsp. sea salt
• 1½ lb. ripe Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and sliced lengthwise into ½-inch-thick slices

1 | Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil 9-inch tart pan or 14- x 4-inch pan with removable bottom, and set aside.
2 | Stir together almond meal, oat flour, and baking powder in medium bowl.
3 | Whisk together maple syrup, oil,egg, vanilla and almond extracts, and salt in medium bowl. Stir syrup mixture into almond meal mixture, and transfer to prepared pan.
4 | Arrange pears in circle or line over cake surface, and bake 22 to 25 minutes or until edges are golden.