Roasted Lima Beans with Italian Herbs

Wow! Marenka (my new proof-reader!) noticed that the turkey meatloaf recipe from back in February was missing the onion from the list of ingredients! That has now been amended and I'll repost the recipe for tonight, since we'll be thawing out leftovers of the one M. made for us when she was visiting to eat for dinner. This will coincide with her eating the meatloaf she just made completely on her own in her (soon to be well stocked) S.F. kitchen. Very cool!!
I'm trying out a new side dish tonight that uses frozen lima beans. I can honestly say that I'd never purchased lima beans before this. The recipe comes from Whole Foods website which has provided us with a couple good ones so far.
I'm making a big spinach salad round things out.
Just thinking...this blog must be a kid's worst nightmare. Brussels sprouts and lima beans on back to back nights! :-)


Herb-and-veggie Meatloaf: (adapted from a Cooking Light magazine recipe)

This our favorite meatloaf recipe so far. I started making this recipe when I couldn't eat wheat, or milk and from the first taste, I knew it was a keeper. You could make it with beef, but try it with the turkey first. It's really moist, you get the benefit of all the extra veggies, and it uses whole oats instead of breadcrumbs. I like to keep pasta sauce in the freezer in 1/2 cup measures just for this recipe.

1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
1 cup shredded carrots (I shred organic baby carrots in my food processor, but you can buy pre-shredded, or use a box grater)
1/2 cup pasta sauce (I used primavera sauce)
2 lbs. lean ground turkey (I used 93/7)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup uncooked regular oats
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Olive oil
homemade ketchup (The Heinz has high fructose corn syrup in it and the Annie's Organics brand, although sweetened with evap. cane juice, is way too sweet for my taste.)

Sauté onion and garlic in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes. Add carrots, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is tender; cool slightly.

Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup pasta sauce, turkey, and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl until blended. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet coated lightly with a little olive oil and shape mixture into a 10- x 5-inch loaf.

Spread ketchup over loaf and bake at 350° for 55 min-1 hour, or until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers ~170°. Cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with additional ketchup, if desired.

Calories 203 (25% from fat); Fat 5.6g (sat 1.5g, mono 1g, poly 0.6g); Protein 26g; Carb 12g; Fiber 3.3g; Chol 82mg; Iron 2.4mg; Sodium 884mg; Calc 83mg.

Makes 8 servings


Roasted Lima Beans with Italian Herbs:
From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook

"Lima beans have been cultivated in Lima, Peru since about 5000 BC — hence the name. Lima beans can be found fresh, frozen, and dried. Fordhooks (also called butter beans) and baby limas are the two most common varieties. Frozen limas work best in this simple dish. This is an unusual recipe because the legumes are herb roasted, which really enhances the delicate bean flavor. It also crisps the surface of the bean, which steams the inside, making the texture more fluffy than boiling."

Serves 4–6

1 pound frozen lima beans (I used baby limas)
2 teaspoons olive oil (I use more)
2 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1/4 cup pitted, chopped green olives
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (I add a handful of fresh before roasting then add more fresh when it comes out of the oven...I ain't got no time for dried basil)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (I use ~1/4 Greek oregano)
1/4 teaspoon dried sage (I have have a sage plant so use about 1 Tbs, minced fresh sage, it's sooo good)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup jarred diced roasted red peppers, well drained

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cook the lima beans in enough boiling salted water to cover them until firm-tender, ~10-12 minutes. Drain the beans well, and dry them on paper towels. Place the lima beans in a medium mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic, olives, basil, oregano, sage, and pepper. Toss well.

Place the bean mixture in single layer in a baking pan, spreading thinly and evenly.

Roast until the beans are softened and golden brown, 10 (said 10-15...but don't let them dry out) minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the baking pan and place in a medium serving bowl. Mix in the roasted red peppers.

Nutrition Info
Per Serving: calories 110; calories from fat 25; calories from saturated fat 0; protein 6g; carbohydrates 17g; total fat 2.5g; saturated fat 0g; cholesterol 0 mg; sodium 170 mg; 23% calories from fat