Lean, Mean Green Beans

A friend gave me several bags of green beans from her freezer the other day- the produce of her bountiful allotment. I joked that she could guess what the next blog would be about. We laughed- but then I reflected that that maybe wasn't such a bad idea.

So, this month's post is dedicated to phaseolus vulgaris- the humble green bean.





When fresh and in season (July/August), these lovely legumes can be treated just like asparagus- stir fried with a little garlic and salt

Simple stir fried beans

then topped with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds

or lightly steamed to accompany soft boiled eggs

Asparagus and beans to dip

or even with a quick holllandaise sauce to dip them into whole

Lemon and chive mayo hollandaise
http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/hollandaise

When cooking from frozen - either cook them quickly like in this quick Spring Stir Fry

Stir fry beans, radishes, peppers and spring onions

With beansprouts, noodles and soy sauce in a Spring Stir Fry

or slow cook them with peppers, onion, olive oil, white wine and garlic then cool them to make marinaded slow cooked veg- delicious with salads or quiches.

Slow cooked marinaded vegetables

If they are leftover from a meal, put them in a minestrone to give them another lease of life.

Minestrone

And mix them into your Salade Nicoise

Salade Nicoise

Or why not add them to a Chicken Printanier- a dish of chicken with beans, asparagus and peas in a white wine, mustard and cream sauce?

Chicken Printanier
https://witness.theguardian.com/assignment/5385b5f1e4b0bc2e60e1816f/1004099

Believe me, if I could make a pudding out of them I would- and a quick trawl of the internet revealed that many people have done!

Green Bean Cake

Maybe I'll think about that next time.