Did you say "cassoulet?"

I did say cassoulet!

I must admit, I had no idea what the heck cassoulet was until I started culinary school. It is a bean stew that originated in France. It traditionally is made with the addition of duck and is topped with pork cracklings and bread crumbs. Obviously, a vegetarian and gluten-free version would look a little different. Instead of being loaded with duck, sausage and pork, mine is packed with winter vegetables and stewed to bring our their natural sweetness. It is also topped with chestnut crumbs (ground chestnuts), which add a wonderful nuttiness to the dish. Check out the creation below:

Winter White Bean Cassoulet: Yields 4-6 Servings
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 leeks, white and light green parts chopped
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 t dried rosemary
1 t dried thyme
1/4 t crushed red pepper flake
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups shredded cabbage
6 oz sun dried tomatoes, julliened
2 cans Cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
2 T capers, drained
1 cup white wine
2 cups vegetable stock (plus additional, if necessary)
5 oz peeled and cooked chestnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and leeks. Sweat until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in cabbage, sun dried tomatoes, beans, capers, wine and stock. Re-season with salt and pepper.
2. Bring mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, adding additional stock or water, if necessary, to keep the mixture moist. Readjust seasonings.
3. Meanwhile, pulse chestnuts in the bowl of a food processor until coarsely ground. If using, mix with Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Uncover and either top entire cassoulet with chestnut crumbs, or portion out and top with crumbs.
This dish will get better as it sits. The leftovers are my favorite part!


Hope this meal hits the spot for you!

As for the cake I mentioned making for the Cake Pageant - I baked it, I assembled it, and I didn't bring it. There were a couple of hiccups along the way (such as the cake was much denser than I expected and I way over-filled it like a glossy-eyed school girl) that caused me to not enter it into the competition. Visually, it was fun but not up to Cake Pageant standards. The taste and texture turned out great though! Because I used a different cake recipe than my test cake, I didn't know exactly what to expect. It ended up being much firmer and a little less citrusy, but still delicious. Check back later for recipes from the "experiment."