Christmas Limas with Chestnuts and Brussels Sprouts

A lovely celebration dish for the holidays, filled with sweet chestnuts and hearty Christmas Lima Beans. Christmas Limas are also called Chestnut Limas, because they have the nutty flavor and potato-ey texture of a chestnut. They are lovely, large beans with white and burgundy swirls that you can still see after the beans are cooked.

These Brussels sprouts are finely shredded and almost disappear into the dish -- a nice way to be sneaky with them if you or your family don't normally like them.

serves 6

1 cup dried Christmas Lima Beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 fresh Brussels sprouts, cleaned, ends removed, and leaves finely shredded
One 7 oz. package vacuum packed chestnuts or 20 fresh chestnuts, roasted and peeled
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Soak the lima beans overnight in water to cover. Drain, rinse, and place in a medium saucepan with fresh water to cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat; simmer until the beans are tender, about 40 minutes to 1 hour. Drain, reserving some of the bean broth.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shredded Brussels sprouts leaves and cook, stirring, until the greens are tender and beginning to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add the beans, chestnuts, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and a ½ cup of bean broth. Stir together and simmer until the liquid has cooked away and everything is heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.