Fava Beans with Manchego Cheese

Fava Beans and Manchego Cheese

Another sure sign of Spring, aside from those little rolls you’re beginning to find creeping over your pants just as you realize swimsuit season is only 2  months away, is finding fava beans at the farmer’s market.

Fava beans are a simple bean, that when cooked, have a light fresh flavor and a buttery texture.  Of course, that’s after you prepare the beans.  Half way through the prep process of this dish you’ll swear all the work isn’t worth it…trust me…it is.  The beans don’t look like much when their still in their pods.  In fact, they kind of look like old soggy beans.  They have a thick outer covering that needs to be cooked. Once cooked, the beans need to be shelled from their pod then the skin covering the bean itself needs to be removed. Phew!

Eating this simple recipe will make you feel very light (a plus for helping to reduce the nightmare that is pre-bathing suit season) and possibly a bit Italian.  Fava beans have been a favorite dish in Italy for a very long time.

Relationship Advice

While we, women, focus in on our physical shortcomings (our muffin top, jiggly upper arms, that little bit of cellulite on the back of our thighs, or our butt) men don’t zero in so much on the minutia of our bodies.  When they look at us, naked, they’re taking in the whole picture….top to bottom.  If your guy is a boob or a butt man, well then he’s only really focusing on that part.  So stop panicking about the little details.  And if you want to get in shape and lose those jiggly bits, then make sure you’re doing it for yourself and not anyone else.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Directions

Shave Manchego Cheese into thin strips using a vegetable peeler ans set aside.

Add fava beans to a large pot of boiling water.  Blanch for 3-4 minutes.

Remove beans from boiling water and immediately place them into a bowl of ice water.

Leave beans in ice water until they cool enough to be handled.

Break open pods and remove individual beans.

Slip the thick opaque skins off of the beans and place skinned beans into a small bowl.

In a small dish mix olive oil, lemon juice and black pepper together.  Pour over shelled beans and stir to combine.

Divide beans into 4 dishes and top with coarse sea salt and shaved cheese.

Technorati Tags: Appetizer Recipes, clean detox recipes, Easy Cooking, Easy Recipe, Easy Recipes, fava bean recipes, fava beans, gluten free recipe, Healthy Cooking, swimsuit season, vegetable recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

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