Normally, I am the queen of the kitchen, but recently my sister and her best friend decided to treat me to a homemade dinner. Trish, my sister, is incredibly smart, so I wasn't surprised when she asked Chef Chris Behr, of San Francisco's SPQR, for an easy and delicious appetizer idea. He suggested making a thick white-bean puree for crostini. Trish took his advice and ran with it. The final appetizer was very quick to put together and shockingly good to eat. Who knew white beans mashed with garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil spread on grilled bread would taste so good? It's simple, it's rustic, it's fabulous. I highly recommend you make it the next time you need a rapid hors d'oeuvre. For an instant party, serve it with cheese, olives, and charcuterie. To look at the recipe,

read more

.

White Bean Puree
Original recipe by Patricia SweeneyWhite Bean Puree

Ingredients

1 (14 ounce) can of white cannelloni beans
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Grilled bread or crostini for serving

Directions

  1. Put the beans, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  2. With clean hands, mash the beans combining the ingredients until thick and paste like. If necessary, thin to desired consistency with more oil and lemon juice.
  3. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy immediately with grilled bread or crostini.

Serves 4-6.

Print recipe with images | without images