Green Bean recipes

[Cindy]

I'm looking for some new, interesting green bean recipes, suitable for company. We recently went to a dinner party and they served green beans in a reddish sauce with bacon - which everyone really liked (although I never would have thought so!). If anyone has a good one, please post...thanks.

[Peggy]

Cindy,

Here is my favorite CL green bean recipe. It does have bacon in it and it has a balsamic based dressing. I have made it for company several times and it has gotten rave reviews. Unlike the recipe, I usually steam the green beans in a vegetable steamer for about 5 minutes and I have also had luck substituting walnuts for the almonds. Hope you like it!

Peggy


Green Beans with Bacon-Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 lbs green beans
2 bacon slices
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 T coarsely chopped almonds
2 T brown sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Cook green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain green beans well, set aside.

Cook bacon in a small skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet. Crumble and set aside. Add shallots to bacon fat in skillet and saute 1 minute. Add almonds, and saute 1 minute. Add sugar and vinegar; stir until sugar dissolves. Add crumbled bacon to green bean mixture. Pour vinaigrette over beans, tossing gently to coat. Yield: 8 servings.

[Susan]

Here are 2 previous threads on green beans that may yield a recipe that appeals to you:
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Archives/Archive-000002/HTML/20000717-1-000155.html
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/000619.html

(oops...I corrected the links...I think!)
~~Susan~~

[This message has been edited by Susan (edited 09-23-2000).]

[RobinC]

I made this at Thanksgiving and got rave reviews.

Green Beans with Portobello Mushrooms and Bacon

1 1/2 pounds green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
4 large portobello mushrooms (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
4 ounces sliced smoked bacon (usually 1 slice equals 1 ounce)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper

bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and return to the boil. Cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. (The green beans can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Pat the green beans dry with paper towels. Roll up the green beans in a double thickness of of more paper towels, place in a large self-sealing plastic bag, and refrigerate.)

Cut off the stem from eash mushroom and slice crosswise into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Using a teaspoon, scrape out the dark brown gills from the underside of each mushroom cap and cut the caps into 1/4 inch thick strips.

In a 12 inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablesppons of the oil over medium heat. Add the mushroom stems and caps and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until the shalots soften, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. (The mushrooms can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead, covered, and kept at room temperature.)

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and tilt to coat the pan. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat, turning occassionally, until the bacon is crisp and brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, transfer to paper towels to drain. Leave the bacon drippings in the skillet. When the bacon is cool, coarsley chop and set aside. (The bacon can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead, covered, and kept at room temperature.)

Place the skillet over medium heat and heat until the bacon drippings sizzle. Add the green beans and mushrooms, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bacon and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve immediately.

This is how the recipe appears. I found it to be a tad on the greasy side with the extra tablespoon of oil and all of the bacon drippings. When I made it a second time, I omitted the 1 tablespoon of oil when cooking the bacon and also reduced by about half the amount of bacon drippings. The reduction of oil & bacon drippings earned rave reviews.

[SandyDee]

I can give you a main course green bean dish that I have served to guests and they love it. It is a Mediterranean dish.

2 lbs. green beans
1 1/2 lbs lamb (or stew beef)
1 onion, diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice, 1/8 tsp pepper
1 can tomato sauce (or paste with water added as necessary)
pinch of cinnamon

Cut the lamb in pieces (about the size of stew beef)
Brown the meat lightly
Add the diced onions to the meat and simmer
Add the green beans, salt and spices.
Add a little water and steam for about 20 minutes (longer if needed) on a very low heat stirring occasionally.
Add tomato sauce (or paste) and water as needed. The sauce should be of the same consistency of spaghetti sauce (not too thick but not watery). Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender.

Serve over rice.

** if you want to lighten it up you can leave out the meat. We often make this dish meatless and it is still very satisfying.



[This message has been edited by SandyDee (edited 09-23-2000).]

[lindrusso]

Here's a recipe that I love, but when I want to keep things simple, I just sautee some beans with a little olive oil and garlic and then I'll toss in some balsamic vinegar and/or Parmesan cheese - this combo even gets my green bean-hating-husband to enjoy them!

Haricots Verts
(from none other than the she-devil herself, Martha http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif)

1 1/2 pounds haricots verts, or green beans, stem ends trimmed
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup hazelnuts, preferably blanched
5 large shallots, peeled

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add beans and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until just tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain and plunge into an icewater bath to chill. Drain and set aside. This can be done up to a day in advance.

2. In a medium skillet, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add shallots, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, turning until shallots start to brown on all sides, 2-3 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, turning frequently, until shallots are well-browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut into slivers.

3. Meanwhile, place hazelnuts (blanched or with skins) in a baking pan; toast in oven until they darken, 5-7 minutes. If using hazelnuts with skin, remove as much as possible by rubbing them quickly and vigorously with a dishtowel. Crush roughly with flat side of knife.

4. In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add beans, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add shallots and hazelnuts; cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.

[Cindy]

Thank you all! I'm psyched to try these.

[mightyh]

Here's a recipe for dilled green beans that is served cold. It's really good--my husband hates green beans and this is the only way he'll eat them.

Dilled Green Beans

Boil the following until thickened, stirring constantly:
2 c. sugar
1 c. wine vinegar
4 Tbsp. oil
1/2 Tbsp. onion flakes
1/2 Tbsp. dill seed
1/2 Tbsp. dill weed

Pour over 5 cups whole cooked green beans (you can use canned green beans if you want) and refirgerate overnight. Garnish with rings of sliced red onion.