Gigantes! or Lima Bean Casserole for those of you who don’t speak Greek (unlike me)
I made this dish the other night. It’s an excellent dish to make on a Sunday afternoon and eat all week for lunches. It holds up well for several days, and reheats well too. (I made the mistake of trying to cook it on a Tuesday evening when I’m already pretty hungry, and then had to wait another 2+ hours for dinner, but that’s beside the point.) I took a bunch of photos to share with you all and show you how delicious this dish is, but every picture made it look like a big old unappetizing mess. I’m sure you are all pretty bored with me trying to convince you that the food I make is actually good despite my photographs, so I will spare you the visual this time. You will just have to use your amazing imagination to picture all of these ingredients mixed together in a warm bubbly concoction that is oh so yummy and good for you!
On to the recipe! It comes from the fanastic cookbook, The Greek Feast, put together by the Santa Barbara Greek Orthodox Church. Apparently this book is only available on eBay now, so if you like Greek cooking, bid already!
- 1 pound dried large lima beans, rinsed and nasty ones picked out
- 2 cups canned tomatoes with their juice (use fresh ones if you’re fancy)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced (you can use more if you want)
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- a whole lot of chopped fresh dill (the original recipe calls for something silly like 1 Tbsp, but no, you want lots, and by lots I mean like 3 Tbsp. Just so that you see and smell dill in every part of the dish)
- salt and pepper to taste
- freshly shredded or shaved parmesan cheese (recipe easily veganizable: leave off the cheese or find yourself an excellent vegan cheese. I will say you should find one with a parmy flavor though)
Put the limas in a large pot with at least 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and keep them boiling for about 45-50 minutes. Cook until the beans are tender but not total mush. Drain and reserve the beany liquid. Preheat your oven to 425. In a large casserole dish or dutch oven, mix the limas and all the remaining ingredients except the cheese. Add the reserved beany water until the mixture is just covered by liquid. Add water if you need more to achieve this. Cover the pot and cook for 1 hour.
After an hour, check on the tenderness of the beans. If they’re not done, add some more water (if it looks dry) and just keep cooking. Check them every 15-20 minutes for doneness. If they are an edible consistency, check the seasoning, add more water if the beans look like they are drying out, and cover the top with cheese. Bake uncovered for another 45 minutes (I told you: Sunday afternoon when you are just laying around). After 45 minutes you should have a delicious bubbling masterpiece with a layer of browned, slightly crispety, crust-like cheese on top. (While this recipe takes considerable time, it really doesn’t take very much work. Just work for your patience skills.)
This recipe involves delicious, fresh ingredients, and nothing really bad for you. Lima beans also pack a really healthy punch, so enjoy!
