# ISO Simple green bean recipes



## elaine l (Nov 6, 2007)

Any suggestions for green beans?   I have a couple pounds fresh (well not sure how fresh!)  that I would like to serve as a side.  Something that won't compete with the main dish which is baked ziti with four cheese and tomato sauce.  Also meatballs and pork.  Can I just broil them with olive oil?  I think I have too many to saute on the burner.


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## pacanis (Nov 6, 2007)

I half boil, half steam them in a pot, then drain the water and add olive oil, butter and Italian seasoning and cook them with the lid off.... kind of "softly" frying them I guess   Works for me.

Although.... in a thread I have here on green beans someone suggested cooking them with bacon, onions, s&p.
Got 'em going right now for lunch


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## jennyema (Nov 6, 2007)

I wouldn't _broil_ green beans.  They'll burn up before they're cooked.

As an accompaniment to what you are making, you might consider _roasting_ them and then drizzling them with some good olive oil and a dusting of parm reg or romano cheese -- maybe a spritz of lemon, too.

Or boiling them/steaming them and tossing with some garlic butter and salt.

My standbys are onion and bacon and teriyaki stir fry, but neither of those seems particularly suited for your meal.


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## elaine l (Nov 6, 2007)

Oops I meant roast.  I have roasted other veggies with just olive oil s&p and wondered about green beans.  I think maybe just steaming or boiling them would be my best solution.


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## Uncle Bob (Nov 6, 2007)

You might try...simmering until crisp tender and drain. Warm some EVoo in a pan with sliced/diced garlic for a few minutes. Add the beans, and toss until hot. Sprinkle with a flake salt and......Enjoy!


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## T-roy (Nov 6, 2007)

Cooks illustrated had a good recipe for green beans in the oven, off the top of my head;

Preheat oven to 425°F
Arrange on a baking sheet
Drizzle with olive oil
Sprinkle ¼ tsp salt over beans
Bake approximately 8 to 12 min

It sounds odd but the beans will caramelize in spots & the baking seems to concentrate their flavors.


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## ChefJune (Nov 6, 2007)

Uncle Bob said:


> You might try...simmering until crisp tender and drain. Warm some EVoo in a pan with sliced/diced garlic for a few minutes. Add the beans, and toss until hot. Sprinkle with a flake salt and......Enjoy!


You beat me to it, Uncle Bob!    that's pretty much what I do.  Blanch them, shock in cold water, then when ready to serve, heat a pan, add evoo, the beans and slivers of garlic and toss so all the beans get coated with the evoo.  Put a lid on and let kind of steam for about 3 minutes so they cook through.


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## pacanis (Nov 6, 2007)

T-roy said:


> Cooks illustrated had a good recipe for green beans in the oven, off the top of my head;
> 
> Preheat oven to 425°F
> Arrange on a baking sheet
> ...


 
I do something similar with asparagus sometimes. It's a nice change.


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## GotGarlic (Nov 6, 2007)

T-roy said:


> Cooks illustrated had a good recipe for green beans in the oven, off the top of my head;
> 
> Preheat oven to 425°F
> Arrange on a baking sheet
> ...



That's roasting  It makes just about any veggie especially delicious.


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## DietitianInTraining (Feb 14, 2008)

I know this is an old threat, but I thought it'd be "better" for me to ask my question here, than start a whole new one.

I have some fresh green beans, and was thinking about serving them with my pulled pork tonight. The only way i've ever made fresh green beans is boiling them in water with s&p, and seasoned salt..

I like the idea of making them with the bacon, onions, and s&p..

I also like Uncle Bobs suggestion about tossing them with some garlic..

Which do you think would go best with my meal?


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## GotGarlic (Feb 14, 2008)

I think either one would work well. If you decide to go with the bacon recipe, I would cook the bacon by itself till crisp, remove from the pan and drain on paper towels, then cook the beans and onions in the bacon fat. When done, drain, put in a serving dish, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon and pepper.


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## DietitianInTraining (Feb 14, 2008)

Thanks GotGarlic.. That sounds perfect!


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 14, 2008)

I would go with Uncle Bob's  suggestion.


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## pacanis (Feb 14, 2008)

If I am having a main course, like pork roast, which I usually make potatoes with too, I like the green beans to be on the "lite" side. I put a lot of beans in a smallish pot with a lid so some boil but most steam, then drain the water, season with s&p and a little Italian seasoning and lightly fry in some EVOO. 
I save the bacon and onions when I want them to be a main part of the meal, like if I am reheating one pork chop for lunch and need something hearty to go along with it. Then I will cook them together with the bacon and onions in the bacon grease and also add EVOO. That can really clog you.... I mean _fill_ you up 
BTW, I found the prepackaged green beans. Greenlee (?) Haricot Verts, to be far superior to the ones you buy in bulk. Well worth the extra $.
Just my thoughts


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## DietitianInTraining (Feb 14, 2008)

Hm, that makes sense. I think I will go with the 'lighter' way this time. Thank you!


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## lyndalou (Feb 14, 2008)

Uncle Bob's suggestion works. I do it that way a lot to rave reviews.


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## Baketech (Feb 14, 2008)

Steam them til crispy tender, then blanch in cold water to set the color.

Put them in the fridge til dinner time.

About 5-10 mins before plating, toss them in a skillet or saute with a splash of olive oil.

When the beans warm through, throw in some crumbled gorgonzola and toss to partially melt the cheese.

Plate immediately and garnish with chopped walnuts.


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## Ol-blue (Feb 14, 2008)

You can make individual pouches or one big pouch. You may have to adjust the time for cooking. My son likes to sprinkle fresh grated Parmesan cheese over his beans. Don't be shy with the garlic.This can be cooked in the oven also at 350 degrees.
Enjoy! Debbie

FOILED ITALIAN GREEN BEANS 





GREEN BEANS; Fresh.
ZESTY ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING MIX; Or Plain Italian.
ONION; Chopped, To Taste.
GARLIC; Minced, To Taste.
SALT; To Taste.
BLACK PEPPER; To Taste.
_____

Snap green beans to desired length.
Place beans on sheet of heavy duty foil.
Sprinkle chopped onions and garlic over beans.
Season beans with salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle a little Italian dressing over beans; you don't need a lot.
Fold foil over and seal edges to form packet.
Place on BBQ grill and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes or until tender crisp.
_____


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 14, 2008)

I have been reading these threads and noticed a lot of people seem to boil or steam first, then later saute in a pan.
We always just took a packet of fresh frozen green beans and threw them into a hot pan with some EVOO, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss em around in the pan for awhile, and then add some Carribean Jerk Sauce. Cook awhile longer then dump into the bowl and serve.
They always turned out good for us, and tasty, and still have good color. So why the extra step to steam first? Is it just because you are preparing it ahead of time? Or is there another reason?


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## DietitianInTraining (Feb 14, 2008)

The green beans turned out pretty good. Thanks everyone.

I would like to know about the boiling/steaming first, as well..


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## pacanis (Feb 15, 2008)

This is why I do it.
I _think_ they cook faster by boiling/steaming them first and I like soft veggies. The oil and seasoning is more for flavoring after they are cooked.
When I cook them with bacon and onions I will put the beans in the same pot raw because bacon takes a while anyway, so it works out well for me doing it that way. That pot/pan takes up a lot more room on my stovetop than the first method I use.
I didn't used to have a problem with space on my stovetop, but find myself thinking four burners aren't enough sometimes and you then get a couple large pieces of cookware on the stove and nothing gets centered over the burners...

Here they are shortly after starting. I use a wok type pan. This was lunch one day  The smokier the bacon the better.








Love the pouch and Italian dressing method, Debbie!


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## BreezyCooking (Feb 15, 2008)

Maverick - the reason you can sometimes get away with directly sauteeing frozen green beans is because they're always blanched first before freezing.  Thus they've essentially already gone thru a partial "steaming/boiling" process.


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## VeraBlue (Feb 15, 2008)

I like them roasted with a bit of sea salt, pepper and lemon zest.


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## *amy* (Feb 15, 2008)

Depends on my mood & what I'm serving them with. Steam em, just until crisp-tender, and sprinkle w lemon juice, s&p. Add-ins can be minced garlic, parsley or rosemary, toasted pine nuts or walnuts. Or - soy sauce & sesame oil, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. Other add-ins - halved cherry tomatoes, prosciutto, & grated parmesan.


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## GadgetGeek (Feb 15, 2008)

My way.... 

  Mike's Chinese Green Beans


  Ingredients:
  1 lb Absolutely Fresh Green Beans
  3 qt Boiling Water
  2 tb Dark Sesame Oil
  2 ts Sea Salt (fine grind)
  1 pn Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
  2 ts Toasted Sesame Seeds


Instructions:
  Tip and Tail the Absolutely snappy fresh green beans but leave whole. Immerse in Boiling water, wait until water reboils and set timer for 3 or 4 minutes depending on the slenderness of the green beans. Remove and drain beans at allotted time. Shock the beans immediately in Iced water to cool completely. Dry the beans by shaking them in a clean towel. Heat Sesame oil till 378 degrees in large Sauté pan or Wok and drop beans into pan. Stir Fry until beans are slightly scorched, adding the salt and the pinch of red pepper flakes as you stir fry. Add the optional toasted sesame seeds right before serving. DO NOT overcook beans in this last process. Serve beans either hot, warm or cold. Recipe and typing errors by GadgetGeek 08/21/1994

Serving Size: 6 Servings
.


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## BreezyCooking (Feb 16, 2008)

Thanks Mike! I have an entire document folder devoted to Asian-style green beans. This will make a nice addition & I can't wait to try it.


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## GadgetGeek (Feb 16, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> Thanks Mike! I have an entire document folder devoted to Asian-style green beans. This will make a nice addition & I can't wait to try it.



You are very welcome...   this and some of our/my other recipes are on the chefandthefatman webpage. Is your document folder on the web?

Unfortunately, right now the green beans I'm getting do NOT fall into the "snappy fresh" category. But summer will soon be here, and the small, organic farms around here will have plenty of them.

.


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 16, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> Maverick - the reason you can sometimes get away with directly sauteeing frozen green beans is because they're always blanched first before freezing.  Thus they've essentially already gone thru a partial "steaming/boiling" process.



Ahh, I see. Well I do like mine more crunchy and less soft, and they do turn out that way when I just saute them, so I think I will keep going in that direction for now.


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