Navy Beans, Butternut Squash, Broccoli + Bulgur in a Honey Dijon Sauce
Another KERF Creation! I LOVE Navy beans and decided that I wanted to cook a bag of dry beans from scratch this week. We soaked them in a big pot in the laundry room for a day and half (probably more than we needed but we didn’t know when we wanted to cook them) and slow-simmered them for about 2 hours this afternoon. (You could easily use canned beans for this so you don’t have to do the soaking!).
So I knew I needed to have a recipe on the menu this week with the beans as a base (we have TONS leftover too!). I also found butternut squash on sale ($.79/lb) at TJ’s, so I put the two together with a grain and a veggie: bulgur and broccoli.
The only thing we needed was a binder to pull the ingredients together, and we came up with a honey dijon sauce with about 1.5 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp cider vinegar and red pepper flakes whipped together.
We basically just cooked all ingredients separately and then tossed together in the dressing.
Each portion had 1 serving of bulgur (1/4 cup dry), 1/2 cup cooked beans, about 1.5 cups of steamed broccoli, and 1 cup of squash cubes sauteed in a little Smart Balance for about 10 minutes. (The husband got a little more than I did). Calories were about 400 per serving. I made an extra smaller serving to take in my lunch on Thursday!
All mixed up (so you can see the bulgur). I LOVED the bulgur and it will be making an appearance tomorrow!
I also had a 4 oz glass of the leftover white wine from last night’s pasta while we cooked –
From above –
And lastly, I had 2 handfuls of Kashi Heart to Heart while I was packing my lunch. They were in my mouth way too quickly to take a photo!
I’m looking forward to my workout tomorrow – I’ve got a Real Simple ready to go! It’s my long day at Winthrop with Chem lab ( 👿 ) but we’re doing a repeat of last week’s lab with a different chemical, so it shouldn’t be as evil as normal because we know what to do.
See you for breakfast!
Tina says
Very creative dinner! I should give navy beans a try. I’m not even sure if I have had them, but I’m sure I would like them. I like everything! Good night!
VeggieGirl says
Navy beans, butternut squash, broccoli, AND bulgur? Kath, once again, you’re a culinary genius – you’ve managed to incorporate so many succulent ingredients (that complement each other well) into one hearty meal!! love it!!
Good luck with your Chem Lab – I know you’ll get through it!! :0)
SawSaw says
How do you cook bulgur?
hk says
b to the 4th power! love it, can’t wait to make this one, too!! I’ve got a huge list running 🙂
Stacey says
Please, tell us how to cook Bulgur! I tried once and followed the instructions on the bag and needless to say it didn’t go well… and I’m pretty sure it scared my husband!
Ala says
What’s a Real Simple?
hk says
Real Simple is an awesome magezine….think Martha Stewert meets Domino Mag, meets Body + Soul
it’s got a little bit over everything for the “modern day woman”…..hahah that’s my attempt to fit it into a category. check it out!
Rachie says
Hey Kath,
What’s the advantages of using beans you soak rather than from a can? Does it make a big difference in taste?
Katherine says
Kath, I was under the impression that we are supposed to eat something after working out. Do you not think that’s necessary since you did not today? thanks for your opinion + all your hard work 🙂
p.s. if you ever do poorly on a test your prof. is going to have a lot of angry blog readers to answer to!
Annie says
Hey Kath, I finally grabbed some ground flax at the store today, and was just wondering how to store it. Can I put it all in the freezer, and just take it directly out of the freezer into oatmeal or yogurt, or does that not work. I just know I wont go through it very fast, so Im hoping that freezing the whole container will work. Thanks!
Kiala says
This is exactly what we had for dinner last night. Except without the bulgur. And without the beans. And with sweet potatoes. And onions. And beets. And asparagus. And we roasted them and had some plain yogurt and an unholy amount of sriracha all over it.
So yes, JUST EXACTLY THE SAME.
Laura says
Kath,
I know you LOVE Kashi crackers, and so do I, and I was just wondering what flavor you typically buy? I LOVE the honey sesame!
Ashlie says
Hi Kath!
kinda random question – when you make a turkey sandwich for lunch, how many ounces of turkey do you generally use? My package of turkey says 2 oz but usually I would choose to have 4-5 oz of lean protein in a meal.
Thanks for coming up with inspiring recipes day and night!
Ashlie
Lauren says
Hey guys and Kath:
on eat like me she said the the 4g of saturated fat in the balance bar is high? that doesn’t seem high to me? I know its saturated but I eat a lot of cheese and am not overweight or anything.
Lauren says
Sorry, I have another question. But why do you add dry white wine to your pasta dish last night? I am new to cooking, what does wine add to the dish that just tomatoes would not? and why dry wine- I am not sure what that is. Could it be done with dry red wine?
kay says
Kath, do you ever study while working out (light workout) like reading your textbook or cards istead of a magazine? I read that studying while walking could help with memory retention.
Could you add some of your recent KERF creations to the recipe section? They all look wonderful!!
JennK. says
Just wanted to say I bought the Hempmilk @ Whole Foods today…and it definitely lived up to all the buzz it’s been getting! Kath you have inspired me to try so many new things and I just want to say thank you for opening my mind to the idea of variety in one’s diet! 🙂
Liz says
I always study at the gym! I find it is the time when I can concentrate the most on what I’m reading…it’s not like you can get distracted and walk-off to do somthing else when your speeding on the stationary bike (or whatever machine you’re on) Though magazines are always my favorite!
Kath says
Rachie,
When you soak the beans yourself you don’t have the added sodium of the canned beans (you can rinse them but there’s still lots absorbed into the beans) and they are much cheaper dry than canned. I think our bag made like 10 cups as was .$79 and that would be at least 3-4 cans at $1 each (unless you find that on sale too).
Katherine,
I was headed right to Winthrop to lunch when I got home and showered and didn’t want to spoil my appetite with a snack. If I had had a longer wait until my next meal I would have definitely had a snack.
Annie,
We keep about a cup in the fridge and store the rest in the freezer when we buy the pre-ground. That way it’s easily accessible but the bulk is frozen and “safer” from oxidation.
Laura,
7 Grain is my absolute favorite, but I buy the HOney Sesame too and love that as well. But I don’t think I’d like the Ranch (actually haven’t tried it but I don’t like seasonings like that) and/or the Herb.
Ashlie,
I usually have 1.5 – 2 oz of turkey. That’s all I need. There’s no reason you couldn’t have a little more though. Just be sure you have one that’s not too high in sodium and balance out your lunch with other food groups so it’s not all turkey.
Lauren,
You should aim to keep saturated fat at 10% of your daily calories or less, so 4 grams would be almost 25% of your daily requirement for a 2,000 kcal diet. For a bar, that’s kind of high, but for a complete meal wouldn’t be a problem.
Lauren,
We added the wine for the FLAVOR!!! I don’t think red wine would have gone well with this delicate dish, but we use it in tomato sauces and chillis on occasion.
Kay,
I used to study and workout in college, but I don’t do that now. I like to keep my workouts for “me time” and studying would feel like too much mental energy in combo with my physical energy. But I won’t rule it out if I have a huge test!
Kath
Annie says
Hi Matt, I was wonderng if there was anything that you can sub bread flour with. We just got a huge snow storm, and wanted to bake today, but am stuck in the house with only whole wheat flour and AP flour. Any tips?? Thanks!
Sarah says
Don’t you just LOVE bulgar! 🙂 I like it cooked with apple juice, and adding walnuts, raisins and cinnamon for a comforting breakfast. Makes for a nice oatmeal change once in a while…:)
goalie30 says
Lauren/ re: saturated fats
Saturated fats are worrisome and should be kept to a minimum when possible in the diet, because these are the types of fats that increase cholesterol and LDL and triglyceride levels which eventually can clog arteries and may even lead to a heart attack down the road. So, yes you should have some fat in your diet each day, but you should try to make it more of the “healthy fats” like unsaturated, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats because these are typically plant or nut based and actually are good for the heart. Saturated fats tend to come from fatty meats, fried foods, and desserts/baked goods/candy bars, etc. This is why Christin wasn’t happy about the saturated fat content in the balance bar…
the husband says
Annie,
You’ll be fine with the AP flour. Just know that the main difference is that AP has less protein in it. This means 1) the gluten will be slightly slower to develop 2) the gluten won’t be quuuuite as strong and 3) the flour will absorb less water.
Bread flour has a protein content of 12-15% while AP is 9-11% so it’s not like it’s some horrible substitute. I’ve had just the same problem before and it worked fine. I guess one recommendation: if you’re making a recipe that calls for bread flour and WW, use a little less WW and a little more AP. Also cut back a little on the water content until the dough comes together, then asses if you need more.
In conclusion: you’ll be just fine.
Scott @ One Food Guy says
I love navy beans, and broccoli, and butternut squash, and the honey dijon sauce sounds pretty darn easy. I also love Kashi heart to heart, might be my favorite cereal, that and PB Puffins!
Lisa says
What is gluten?? I just tried searching for it online but the explanation was confusing!
Elizabeth says
Lisa,
Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It is what makes the texture of bread made from wheat, rye, or barley flour chewy and soft (not crumbly).
I imagine most of the info you got when you searched for gluten was directed towards people with Celiac disease or gluten-intolerance.