Favorite Green Beans
As the title states, this is one of my favorite ways to cook and eat fresh green beans. It is quick, easy, and most of the ingredients are probably already in your fridge. I love making it when I'm grilling because it can be going on the stove unattended during the flipping, basting, and removal parts of the grilling process. All it needs is stirred and seasoned on occasion. I eat these for breakfast with a scrambled egg on the side, for lunch with meat, or cold, straight out of the fridge, when I want a snack and no one is looking. Beans are in season now--which means they are crisp, flavorful, and inexpensive. One note, this is a well-cooked bean recipe. You won't find this to be a very satisfactory side if you don't cook the beans until they are almost completely tender throughout. But, you aren't going to cook the life out of them. They'll still hold up a bit, they just aren't going to be crisp (or as nutritionally dense) anymore.
The first step is chopping up a small onion or two. You want to have 1/4-1/2-inch pieces so they maintain their shape during the cooking process and don't just fall through to the bottom of the pan when you are attempting to serve this dish. I used to slice the onions into thin rounds. I'd end up with all beans and no onions the first few servings and then all onions and hardly any beans the last serving. So, chopped into squares is the best way to do it! Set this aside.
Now, you need to stem and possibly string your beans. If you want, you can line them all up on a cutting board and chop off the tops. I, however, have found getting them all lined up takes about as much time as just snapping off the tops as I take a bean or two from the colander. Other than that, keep them whole. Do not snap them in half or anything like that. I use about one and a half pounds of beans since that is what fits best in my lidded, straight edged frying pan.
When you are about half done removing the stems from the beans, get a big frying pan (preferably one with a lid so the beans cook faster) hot on the stove. Add some butter or margarine for flavor, and then add in olive oil. You want enough oil/fat to easily coat the bottom of the pan. Usually this is about a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil. Once that is hot, add in your chopped onions. Stir them around a bit, and then add a small splash of low-sodium soy sauce (less than a teaspoon). Add some fresh ground pepper. Stir. And let cook for a few minutes while you continue snapping the stems of the beans.
Once the onions are starting to get tender, dump in the beans. Add another tablespoon of butter to the top of them, lightly drizzle soy sauce one turn around the pan. Put the lid on, turn the heat to medium. Let this cook/steam for 3-5 minutes until the beans are a bright green. At this point, stir them, coating with the sauce forming on the bottom of the pan. Grind some more pepper over them. The reason we wait to stir and season them until they are partially cooked is so the seasonings actually stick.
Put the lid back on and cook until almost to the desired consistency (another 5 minutes or so). Remove the lid so the sauce reduces, stirring occasionally. Taste. Add more soy sauce or salt and maybe some more pepper if desired. When the beans reach the consistency you want, shut off the heat, add a small splash of toasted sesame oil, and stir to coat. The sesame oil is optional, but I really like the flavor it adds.
For an extra touch, toast some almond slices and stir into the beans right before serving.
Enjoy!
A picture is coming. My latest batch didn't turn out so pretty, so a picture will have to wait until next time.
Favorite Green Beans
1 1/2 pounds of fresh green beans, stems removed
1-2 small onions, chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter (divided)
Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Fresh Ground Pepper
Toasted Sesame Seed Oil (optional)
Small handful of toasted almond slices (optional)
1.) Melt 1 Tbsp butter and heat the oil in a large, lidded frying pan over medium heat. Coat the bottom of the pan.
2.) Add the onions to the pan, and a scant teaspoon (small splash) of soy sauce. Add freshly ground black pepper. Stir.
3.) Once the onions begin to soften, add the beans. Put the remaining tablespoon of butter on top of them. Add about a quarter cup of soy sauce to the pan (one turn of the pan). Put the lid on, and let cook for 3-5 minutes until the beans are vibrant green.
4.) Remove lid and stir to coat with the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add some black pepper. Cover, and cook for another 5 minutes until the beans almost reach the desired doneness (tender, but with some bite left in them).
5.) Remove lid again. Stir. Let sauce reduce for about a minute. Taste and add more soy sauce or salt, maybe a bit more pepper if necessary. Remove from heat.
6.) (optional) Stir in a small amount (start with a teaspoon or two) of sesame seed oil. Add toasted almonds before serving.
The first step is chopping up a small onion or two. You want to have 1/4-1/2-inch pieces so they maintain their shape during the cooking process and don't just fall through to the bottom of the pan when you are attempting to serve this dish. I used to slice the onions into thin rounds. I'd end up with all beans and no onions the first few servings and then all onions and hardly any beans the last serving. So, chopped into squares is the best way to do it! Set this aside.
Now, you need to stem and possibly string your beans. If you want, you can line them all up on a cutting board and chop off the tops. I, however, have found getting them all lined up takes about as much time as just snapping off the tops as I take a bean or two from the colander. Other than that, keep them whole. Do not snap them in half or anything like that. I use about one and a half pounds of beans since that is what fits best in my lidded, straight edged frying pan.
When you are about half done removing the stems from the beans, get a big frying pan (preferably one with a lid so the beans cook faster) hot on the stove. Add some butter or margarine for flavor, and then add in olive oil. You want enough oil/fat to easily coat the bottom of the pan. Usually this is about a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil. Once that is hot, add in your chopped onions. Stir them around a bit, and then add a small splash of low-sodium soy sauce (less than a teaspoon). Add some fresh ground pepper. Stir. And let cook for a few minutes while you continue snapping the stems of the beans.
Once the onions are starting to get tender, dump in the beans. Add another tablespoon of butter to the top of them, lightly drizzle soy sauce one turn around the pan. Put the lid on, turn the heat to medium. Let this cook/steam for 3-5 minutes until the beans are a bright green. At this point, stir them, coating with the sauce forming on the bottom of the pan. Grind some more pepper over them. The reason we wait to stir and season them until they are partially cooked is so the seasonings actually stick.
Put the lid back on and cook until almost to the desired consistency (another 5 minutes or so). Remove the lid so the sauce reduces, stirring occasionally. Taste. Add more soy sauce or salt and maybe some more pepper if desired. When the beans reach the consistency you want, shut off the heat, add a small splash of toasted sesame oil, and stir to coat. The sesame oil is optional, but I really like the flavor it adds.
For an extra touch, toast some almond slices and stir into the beans right before serving.
Enjoy!
A picture is coming. My latest batch didn't turn out so pretty, so a picture will have to wait until next time.
Favorite Green Beans
1 1/2 pounds of fresh green beans, stems removed
1-2 small onions, chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter (divided)
Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Fresh Ground Pepper
Toasted Sesame Seed Oil (optional)
Small handful of toasted almond slices (optional)
1.) Melt 1 Tbsp butter and heat the oil in a large, lidded frying pan over medium heat. Coat the bottom of the pan.
2.) Add the onions to the pan, and a scant teaspoon (small splash) of soy sauce. Add freshly ground black pepper. Stir.
3.) Once the onions begin to soften, add the beans. Put the remaining tablespoon of butter on top of them. Add about a quarter cup of soy sauce to the pan (one turn of the pan). Put the lid on, and let cook for 3-5 minutes until the beans are vibrant green.
4.) Remove lid and stir to coat with the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add some black pepper. Cover, and cook for another 5 minutes until the beans almost reach the desired doneness (tender, but with some bite left in them).
5.) Remove lid again. Stir. Let sauce reduce for about a minute. Taste and add more soy sauce or salt, maybe a bit more pepper if necessary. Remove from heat.
6.) (optional) Stir in a small amount (start with a teaspoon or two) of sesame seed oil. Add toasted almonds before serving.
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