Blue Cheese-Walnut Green Beans

From Eating Well: May/June

Ingredients:

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed 
• 1/4 cup water 
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 
• 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese 
• 1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts 

Tip: To toast chopped or sliced nuts, stir constantly in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Preparation:

Bring green beans and water to a boil in a large skillet. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the beans are just tender, 3 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes more. Add oil, salt and pepper to the pan and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Transfer the beans to a large bowl and toss with blue cheese until well coated. Sprinkle each serving with toasted chopped walnuts.

Feisty Beans

 adapted from 101cookbooks.com Prep time: 30 min - Cook time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1 pound green beans sliced diagonally
1/2 cup / 2.5 oz / 70g golden raisins
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 bay leaves
1/3 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
scant 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1/4 cup or 3/4 oz sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup - one handful of finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste


Preparation:

Cook the green beans in a pot of well-salted boiling water for about a minute or two, just long enough that they lose their raw edge. Drain and dunk in ice-cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again and set aside.

In a small bowl cover the raisins with scalding hot water for five minutes, drain and set aside.

Heat your largest skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil, garlic, onion, and bay leaves. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions and garlic start to brown just a bit. Add the wine and cook until it has mostly evaporated. Carefully remove the bay leaves. Stir in the paprika, cumin, coriander, curry powder, salt, crushed red pepper flakes. Stir in the tofu and raisins and cook until heated through, a minute or so. Add the butter and green beans and stir until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the crème fraiche, then most of the almonds and most of the cilantro. Taste and add more salt and some pepper if you like.

Serve topped with any remaining almonds and cilantro.

Serves 4 to 6.

Summer Vegetable Stew with Basil Purée

 Cooking Light JULY 2000

Ingredients

Basil Purée :

• 3/4-1 cup basil leaves 
• 1 garlic clove 
• 3 tablespoons water 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 

 Stew :

•  1 tablespoon olive oil 
•  2 bay leaves 
•  2 onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges 
•  3 garlic cloves, halved 
•  2 thyme sprigs 
•  1 cup (2-inch-thick) sliced carrot 
•  1 Quart small red potatoes, if large halved
•  1/2 teaspoon salt 
•  1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
•  2 cubed summer squash (aprox 3/4 pound) 
•  1 bell pepper (cut into strips)
•  1 cup green beans (cut into 2 inch pieces) 
•  1 tomato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 
•  2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese 

Preparation

To prepare basil purée, combine basil and 1 garlic clove in a blender; process until smooth. Add water, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; process until blended. Set aside.

To prepare vegetables, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over low heat. Add bay leaves; cook 1 minute. Add onion, 3 garlic cloves, and thyme; cover and cook 10 minutes. Add carrot, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper; cover and cook 20 minutes. Add squash and bell pepper; cover and cook 15 minutes. Add the green beans and tomatoes; cover and cook 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves and thyme. Spoon stew into individual bowls; drizzle with the basil purée, and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Nutritional Information /per serving Calories: 240 Calories from fat: 36%, Fat: 9.7g, Saturated fat: 1.7g, Monounsaturated fat: 6.3g, Polyunsaturated fat: 1.1g, Protein: 6.8g, Carbohydrate: 35.4g, Fiber: 7.5g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Iron: 3.3mg, Sodium: 373mg, Calcium: 123mg.

Kale Sauté

 (Serves 6)

12 oz kale
Olive Oil

1 Clove of Garlic 

Several Seasonal vegetables

Rinse & Pat dry Kale; tear leaves into about 1-inch pieces, discarding tough ribs and veins. 

Put Olive oil and Sliced Garlic into deep Frying Pan. Cook on low until the garlic smells fragrant.  Add Kale and cook 5 minutes. 

Add other vegetables like, onions, peppers, Swiss chard, Summer squash, and drizzle more olive oil over all to keep from sticking to pan. Cook for 15 minutes together. If using green beans add them during the last 5 minutes to keep crisp and colorful. 

Serve over pasta or with grilled chicken or with grilled pork kabobs for a complete meal.

Quinoa and Green Bean Tabbouleh

by Rebecca Wood

Quinoa tabbouleh affords more flavor nutrition and vitality because it's a whole - rather than a refined - grain. Pecans heighten quinoa's nutty flavor and their crunch nicely complements the juicy beans. Light and refreshing - yet substantial - tabbouleh is an ideal summer salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup green beans, trimmed and chopped into 1/4" pieces
• 2 cups Quinoa
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 2 TB fresh mint, chopped
• 3 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 TB lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 red lettuce leaves

Add green beans to a quart of rapidly boiling, salted water and boil for 2 minutes or just until they're tender but still crunchy and their color is still bright. Rise under cold water, drain and pat dry. Combine the beans, quinoa, pecans, parsley, scallions and mint. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss to blend. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve on individual salad plates on a lettuce leaf at room temperature. Serves 2 to 3 as a main dish.

Marinated Green Beans

Make this recipe a day ahead so beans can absorb the flavor of the marinade

3 lbs of green beans ( also great using all three colors in your basket this week!)
¼ Cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 ½ teas salt
½ teas ground black pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large tomatoes (peeled cored, seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces)
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
2-3 TBL fresh lemon juice

Cook beans, covered in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water over high heat until crisp tender. Quickly rinse beans in cold water (to enhance the deep green color) drain beans well.

Place dill garlic, salt and pepper in a large glass bowl and add beans to this dill mixture. Add olive oil and toss well. Add tomato and onion, and toss gently. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hrs.

Remove beans from refrigerator and let stand, covered at room temperature 1 hour. Add 2 TBL lemon juice and toss gently. Taste for seasoning and add remaining lemon juice, if desired.

Thank you, Susie May from Underhill

Green Beans and Almonds

2 1/2 cups Green Beans
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp butter
Salt & Pepper
1/4 cup toasted almonds*

Trim ends off green beans. Place in microwave safe dish, add water, cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Allow to stand a few minutes. Drain, add butter and toss until butter melts. Season and scatter with toasted almonds. Serves 4.

*You can buy raw almonds and toast them in a dry frying pan until they turn golden.