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“Are you going to eat those?” I’d ask. It was obvious he wasn’t and I was more than happy to do it for him. Most kids dream of having a sister like me, if only for this reason. Yet, I thought I was the lucky one.
Oh Succotash, where have you been all my life?! I’m probably one of the few people in this world that LOVES lima beans and could never understand why my brother or anyone, for that matter, wouldn’t want to eat them. Yet, I only recently discovered Succotash, an entire dish that’s built around lima beans; a true lima bean extravaganza! It’s gluten-free and it’s only 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle Smart Points per serving!
It’s no surprise my brother hated lima beans. In fact, lima beans happen to rank above green beans, peas and most other legumes in Huff Post’s list of Foods People Hate. I seriously don’t get it…. Not only are they colorful and delicious, they are super healthy (you can read more about their health benefits HERE .)
But although I love lima beans, truth be told, I had never heard of the dish Succotash until a couple of years ago when I received Anthony Bourdain’s “Appetites” cookbook as a birthday present from my husband. Until then, my beloved Sylvester the cat’s (a cartoon character from my childhood) lispy “Suffering Succotash,” an expression of annoyance and surprise, was my only exposure to succotash.
And according to Anthony Bourdain….
Frozen Lima Beans only exist for Succotash:
He went so far as to claim that Succostash is, “A completely acceptable vehicle for frozen lima beans, and perhaps the only reason they ought to exist and endure.”
Anthony Bourdain passed away a couple of weeks ago. His raw honesty and eloquence will be missed. I have never actually shed tears over a celebrity before, but he was different. I guess when you read every book written by a person and watch them on TV, you sort of feel like you know them. He wasn’t a movie star playing some character – he was real person; he was himself.
I was and will always be a HUGE fan of Anthony Bourdain. His books are some of the few foodie books I’ve ever read and enjoyed. He made no apologies and that’s what I loved about him. Although, funny enough, he probably wouldn’t have liked me very much, given his disdain for food bloggers.
He was an important figure in the cooking world and a huge influence on many cooks and food writers. And he was a huge influence on me. And as far as I’m concerned, he was the best food writer of our time.
Our daughters are also the same age. He became a Dad at 51. And in the intro to his cookbook he said, “….Fatherhood has been an enormous relief (in reference to his self-proclaimed narcissism) as I am now genetically, instinctually compelled to care more about someone other than myself. I like being a father. No, I love being a father. Everything about it. ”
My heart aches for his little girl. RIP Anthony Bourdain.
Appetites Cookbook:
The way I honor those that have passed on is by cooking their food. And although I don’t cook from a lot of cookbooks these days, as I always seem to be developing my own new recipes, I decided one way I could pay homage to Anthony Bourdain was by sharing a recipe from his cookbook on this blog. And that recipe is Succotash. I guess it’s kind of an odd recipe to choose, as it’s not like he was known for his Succotash or anything. But he’d probably approve of that, given his appreciation for the obscure.
If you like Anthony Bourdain’s recipes check out The Most Intriguing Recipes from Anthony Bourdain’s Appetites Cookbook. Sadly, Succotash is not listed there.
Succotash is a common American Thanksgiving dish in some parts of the United States, but in Canada, it’s not well-known, nor is it something you would see at the Thanksgiving table. And if you don’t like lima beans, like the majority of the population, then you definitely wouldn’t know about it.
My kids loved this corn succotash recipe! And the fact that it had lima beans in it didn’t even register. In other words: I don’t have lima bean haters on my hands. And I guess I should feel lucky for that. Though I have to admit, I’d feel a whole lot luckier if I got to eat the lima beans they picked out!
Would you have loved having a sister like me? One that would gladly eat your lima beans? LEAVE ME A COMMENT!
And if you’re looking for more delicious, healthy, vegetarian, gluten-free and Weight Watchers Friendly side dishes, give this recipe a try:
Buy this book!
Corn Succotash
This Gluten-free Corn Succotash is made with frozen lima beans and fresh tomatoes, red pepper, thyme, oregano and parsley. It's also Weight Watchers friendly at only 4 freestyle smart points per serving!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1 onion, small, peeled and finely diced
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic * or eqau
- 2 ripe Roma tomatoes finely chopped
- 2 cups frozen lima beans thawed
- 1 cup gluten-free vegetable soup stock
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme finely chopped
- 2 tbsps fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 cups canned corn drained
Garnish:
- fresh parsley
Instructions
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Heat the butter over medium heat in a medium pot. Add onion and red pepper; cook and stir until the onion is softened.
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Add and the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add tomatoes and stir in the lima beans, vegetable stock and fresh herbs.
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Sautee over medium- low heat for about 15 minutes, then add in the corn and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper as desired. Serve warm
Recipe Notes
This recipe is part of The Country Cook’s Weekend Potluck!
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