White Bean Provencal with Pork Chop and Pasta

Last weekend I was sitting around, flipping channels and stopped on Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network.  It was a brand new episode where she makes a huge delicious 4-hour lamb roast and Provencal white beans — It was an episode on French cooking.  Sure the beans made me hungry, but that lamb made my mouth water.  However, because I wasn’t having a dinner party, which is what that lamb would have been good for, I decided that the beans were the way to go.

The vegetarian and I go through a lot of white beans, cooking them in a variety of ways.  Ideally, this recipe calls for dry beans, that you soak overnight and then cook, until tender, in chicken stock.  I had canned beans, so I switched it up a bit and made my own version.  I served the vegetarian the beans over pasta, and for me, on the side of my boneless pork chop.

White Bean Provencal – inspired by Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
Serves 2

1 can white/great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
~1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons oilve oil
2-3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
kosher or sea salt

In a large pan, heat the olive oil, then add the onions, diced carrots, and celery, and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until soft and tender.

Add the parsley, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and cook an additional minute. Add the beans and chicken stock. Cook for 15 minutes until the stock reduces to a little sauce. Finish with the Parmesan cheese. Serve with a garnish of chopped parsley.

Pork Chop
Serves 1 (but can easily be increased with more chops and doubling recipe)

1 boneless pork chop
~ 1/4 cup chicken stock (just under 1/4 cup)
~1/4 cup white wine (just under 1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon butter
1 sprig rosemary
2-3 sprigs thyme
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable (or other) oil

Preheat oven to 375.  In a small saute pan, heat oil over medium heat.  While heating, dry pork chop completely and season with salt and pepper.  Add to pan and sear on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side, depending on thickness.  Add remaining ingredients and baste pork chop with sauce to keep moist.  Cook an additional 5-10 minutes in the oven, removing once or twice to baste, until chop is tender.

Serve with above white bean or any other accompaniment.

About Evan

I like to eat. I like to cook. I like to eat what I cook. Now, I will share with you what I like to cook. My wife and I may be a vegetarian and a carnivore, but it doesn’t mean we can’t cook a nice meal with both, without compromising taste. I will share my creative meals of the Carnivore and the Vegetarian.
This entry was posted in beans, main course, pork, vegetarian. Bookmark the permalink.

4 Responses to White Bean Provencal with Pork Chop and Pasta

  1. After following this blog for a few months, I've concluded that it is simply a shabby pretense to convince Anna – through cooking – to give up her vegetarian ways.

    How could anyone resist what you've prepared!

    Sorry I won't be able to see you guys next month! All the best friend!

  2. haha, thanks. That is the goal (wink wink). She did try bacon…i'm getting there.

    Hope to see you when you come back or make it up to NYC.

  3. DailyChef says:

    Another wonderful recipe! Really enjoy all your posts!

  4. Angela says:

    This looks so great, although I probably would have made the lamb roast anyway and just had tons of leftovers. And I know that if I'm craving a great white bean recipe, I can always come here and find one.

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