Green Beans with Cashews

INGREDIENTS

1    pound green beans, trimmed, cut to 1 ½ inch pieces

2    tablespoons butter

1    teaspoon ground cumin

1    teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1    teaspoon smoked paprika

½   cup chopped cashews

METHOD

Bring a sauce pan of water to a boil and add the green beans. Cook for 4 minutes and drain the beans.  In a large skillet over medium heat, add and melt the butter. Add the spices and whisk to mix. Add the chopped cashews and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the green beans and stir to coat with the spices. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Serve immediately.

Based on a recipe in Cooking Light  magazine

Sesame Green Beans

INGREDIENTS

1    tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1    teaspoon ginger powder

2    teaspoons low sodium soy sauce

2    tablespoon water

1    tablespoon lime juice

1    tablespoon sesame oil

1    pound green beans

METHOD

In a medium bowl, combine the sesame seeds, ginger, tahini, soy sauce, water and lime juice. Stir well to combine and set aside.

Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat and add the sesame oil. Add the beans and cook, stirring occasionally,  until they are tender enough but before they brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the liquid mixture, toss to coat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the liquid evaporates. Remove from the heat and serve.

Based on a recipe in Cooking Light magazine.

Green Bean Casserole

 INGREDIENTS
2   pounds green beans, trimmed
2    tablespoons butter
1    pound white mushrooms
3    cloves garlic, minced
3    tablespoons all-purpose flour
1    cup low-sodium chicken broth
1    cup half-and-half

1    cup canned fried onions for topping
¼   cup Parmesan cheese for topping

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cut the green beans to about 2 inches in length. In a large sauce pan, bring 3-4 cups of water to a boil and add the beans. Boil for 5 to 6 minutes until they are crisp-tender and bright green. Drain the beans and run cold water over them to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet or sauce pan, add and melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to release their moisture. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Slowly add the flour, stirring constantly. Add the broth and mix thoroughly. Add the half-and-half and mix it in. Lower the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Add the beans to the sauce and mix to coat all the beans. Pour into a 3 quart baking dish and arrange into a flat layer. Sprinkle the fried onions over the top and sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese. Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Serve immediately.

Based on a recipe from Cooks Illustrated

Tuscan Green Beans

Fagiolini Di Sant’ Anna (Saint Anna Beans)

INGREDIENTS
3    tablespoons olive oil
3    cloves garlic, minced
2    pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, diced
2    tablespoons dry white table wine
1    teaspoon dried marjoram
1    teaspoon dried oregano
2    pounds green beans, trimmed, cut to 2 inches

METHOD

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil and add the garlic. Fry the garlic for about 3 minutes, but do not let it brown. If it browns, throw it all away and start all over. Add the tomatoes, wine and spices. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the green beans and stir to combine.

Cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes until the beans are tender-crisp. Remove from the heat and serve immediately

Green Beans with Toasted Nuts

INGREDIENTS
1    pound green beans, ends snipped, cut to 2 inches
½   cup pine nuts, cashews or peanuts (unsalted)
2    tablespoons sesame seeds
2    tablespoons sesame oil
3    large cloves garlic, minced
1    teaspoon soy sauce
1    teaspoon lemon juice
1    tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese. (optional)

METHOD

Place 1 inch of water in a vegetable steamer and bring to a boil. Add the beans, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process, and set aside.

In a small skillet, add the nuts and toast over low heat until they are just beginning to brown. Remove and set aside. Add the sesame seeds and toast them to a golden brown. Remove to the dish with the nuts. To the skillet, add the sesame oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until the garlic just begins to turn golden. Strain the oil in to a large skillet and discard the garlic.

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce and lemon juice. Set aside. For the large skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high and add the green beans. Cook the beans, stirring, for about 8 to 10 minutes until the beans are bright green and tender-crisp. Pour the soy-lemon juice over the beans and toss to coat. Remove to a serving dish and sprinkle with the nuts and sesame seeds. Dust with the Parmesan cheese and serve.

 

Many Bean Salad

Here is a new take on the old favorite – bean salad, but with a different dressing and four beans instead of three. A great dish for brunch and easy to put together.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 pound green string beans, ends clipped, cut to 1 inch length (2 cups)

1 can Cannellini beans (14 ounce) drained and rinsed

1 can Garbanzo beans (14 ounce) drained and rinsed

1 can red kidney beans (14 ounce) drained and rinsed

1 cup green onions, cut to ½ inch, white and pale green parts only

3 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves

METHOD

In a small skillet, add the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic begins to turn golden. Take off the heat, cool and add the lemon juice, whisking them together. Set aside.

Place 4 cups of water into a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add the green beans and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes until they become bright green. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Place into a large salad bowl, add the other beans (Cannellini, Garbanzo and red kidney) , green onions and tarragon and mix well. Dress with the olive oil and lemon dressing, stir again and serve. Will serve 6 to 8.

Green Beans with Nuts

Use what ever nuts you wish with this recipe, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, etc. While I haven't tried them all, I'm sure they all will work and taste great.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound green beans, washed, trimmed and cut to 2 to 3 inches
4 strips of lean bacon, cut into small strips
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small white onion, chopped small
1/2 cup dry roasted, salt free peanuts or slivered almonds
1/4 cup chicken stock salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
In a large sauce pan, steam the green beans for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and cover with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and reserve.

 In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain and reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings in the skillet. (Do not pour the remainder of the drippings down the sink - dispose of in the garbage.) Pour the olive oil into the skillet and add the chopped onions. Saute over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes until translucent.

 Add the nuts, the reserved green beans and the chicken stock. Reduced the heat to medium low and continue to cook until the chicken stock is absorbed, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat into a serving dish. Crush the bacon to small bits and use to garnish the beans in the serving dish. Serve hot. Serves 4 to 6