Cranberry Beans with Spinach, Red Watercress and Citrus

My dad would laugh if he knew how often I eat beans these days. Growing up I loathed the thought of the little legumes. My chili had to be solely meat-based. I didn't care how much bacon was in those baked beans, and don't even get me started on limas. They just weren't my thing. 

My dad is the undisputed "Bean King" of the family. When visiting me in Paris, we shared long conversations on pintos, kidneys, and navies over a few bottles of red. He would lecture my broke ass on how buying beans instead of steak could save me enough money for retirement. He even wants to write a book about them. He harmlessly jokes about David's background... but I think we all know who the true "Beaner" really is here.

At the start of 2012, David and I challenged ourselves to become dietary vegans - meaning no animal products whatsoever, for one month. The goal was not to just mindlessly substitute our meat and dairy products with "veganized" alternatives, but to focus on eating real food. This posed as an all around food challenge. Finding various sources of our daily nutrients meant... crap... eating beans. The 30-day (ok, I lasted as a true vegan for about 3 weeks) vegan kick completely changed the way I saw food. We ate a lot of beans that month. Chickpeas so far have been my favorite, feeling the least "beany" out of them all. Plus, I can't get enough of Yotam Ottolenghi's hummus recipe in his new book, Plenty. I've truly come to appreciate the nuttiness of azduki, and the versatility of the common pinto.

Attempting to eliminate our canned food intake completely, David and I have abstained from using pre-cooked canned beans. One problem. I become easily frustrated with cooking dried beans. A lot of time and planning is involved in the process. First the beans must be soaked (usually the night before), then cooked for what seems like forever (depending on the bean, of course), and if you don't cook them at just the right temperature, you're left with a super mushy bean with a toothy skin. 

Crispy Yellowtail Snapper with Red Watercress and Citrus

I'm a Florida girl at the core. I love blindingly sunny weather and wearing flip-flops all year round. I pledge to live out the second half of my life somewhere along a beach, and when I die, hope to be sprinkled across the sea.

I adore great seafood.

I also adore great citrus... and good Lord, Floridians know great citrus.

I can't put into words the deliciousness of a blooming lemon tree... or how perfect life feels when a grapefruit is sweeter than an orange... or the joy I get from puckering my lips at the thought of key lime tarts.

Living in Atlanta means I'm too far away to pick the oranges right off the tree, but close enough to get some real Florida citrus from my local farmer's market. I've been looking forward to those early spring months when Mother Nature tells us it's time to boost our immune systems with vitamin C. The powdery blanket of pollen which has turned all the cars in the parking lot a pale shade of yellow let's me know that time is finally here.

Tartine Tuesday: Éric Kayser's Pain Aux Noix, Magret Fumé et Orange Tartines

Due to watching From Paris with Love (which was pretty bad ass) at 3am this morning... I woke up with today with little sunlight left in the day (whoops... hehe). 

So this Tartine Tuesday, which I ate for dinner, is a quick and easy one. 

I'm not actually going to post the recipe here (although it's quite simple, and obvious), because one, it's not my recipe, and two, I'd rather you go out and buy the book. I'm using a recipe from Éric Kayser's, Tartinez Gourmand. Thinly sliced magret fumé, or smoked duck, is laid over toasted and buttered pain aux noix (nut bread) and topped with juicy orange segments and freshly cracked black pepper. Simple and delicious.

If you've never segmented citrus before, here's a quick video from Rouxbe, the Online Video Cooking School to show you how:

Rouxbe Online Cooking School & Video Recipes

Note: I am a Rouxbe Cooking School affiliate partner. As part of their affiliate program, I have the power to give you a free, full-access, no-videos-barred, 14-day pass to their site. All you have to do is go to the Rouxbe Online Cooking School and redeem the 14-day Gift Membership. After the trial, you can join for as little as $15 per month; however, there is no obligation. This site is unlike any other cooking site I've seen. It gives you clear, step-by-step demonstrations as you would receive in a cooking class. I've already learned so much, and hope to improve my cooking skills via Rouxbe. It's awesome! Check it out!

It's a great way to get the most out of your oranges and grapefruits, and once you get the hang of it, segmenting citrus can be kind of fun... or maybe it's just me. I always love when my mom makes a huge bowl of segmented citrus. The only problem is that it never lasts very long. I can eat an entire bowl in one sitting. Thankfully, it's not nearly as bad as eating an entire bowl of potato chips... or fried chicken. Not that I've ever done that... ;)

Anyways, back to the tartine... 

The orange really helps to balance the richness of the magret, and the nuttiness of the bread compliments the smokiness of the magret nicely. Finding magret fumé might be a little difficult for some of you back in the States, but some of the fancier grocery stores, like Whole Foods or specialty food shops might be a good place to look. If you can't find it, bacon might be a good substitute... just make sure to cook the bacon first. 

Bon Apétit!