6 ways to use green beans

Braised green beans with garlic and lemon

Sometimes when I'm snapping off the ends of beans it triggers flashbacks to childhood, when my sister and I would be faced with mounds and mounds of beans to snap before our mother brought in another load from the garden. We passed the time by making up the characters of Blanche and Henrietta, who led very soap-operish lives. At this point I can't recall which of us was which, but I remember one of them was married to Harvey Wallbanger, who drowned in the bathtub, and the other was married to someone who died of a stroke -- of good luck. 

Luckily, these days I don't plant so many beans that I'm forced to dream up alternate existences while snapping them, but I am forced to dream up alternative ways of cooking them so we don't get too bored. Here are six ways to mix it up:

Braised green beans with garlic and lemon

From Martha Stewart Living Everyday Food July/Aug. 2012

Ingredients

4 cups green beans, trimmed

5 peeled whole garlic cloves

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Olive oil, salt, pepper

1 sliced lemon

Method

Put broth and garlic in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Add beans and thyme and simmer until done, about 10 minutes or so (longer if you’re doubling). Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve topped with lemon slices.

Rating: Very nice. Repeatable. Works in larger quantities as well. I’d use a large skillet if you’re doing it in quantity so the beans get done evenly.

Yellow tomato braised beans

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Aug. 2014

Ingredients

2 medium yellow tomatoes or the equivalent in yellow cherry tomatoes, chopped small

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 minced garlic cloves

4 cups green beans, trimmed

1 tablespoon fresh lemon thyme leaves

1 tablespoon white wine

1 tablespoon butter

Method

Heat oil in medium saucepan. Saute onion until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and beans. Stir together. Bring to a simmer and cook covered about 20 minutes or until nearly tender. Add thyme and wine and cook until tender. Add butter and cook uncovered until it thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Rating: OK. Not as good as the other braising method, but passable. If I hadn’t just tried the other kind, I’d probably be more impressed.

Many-bean salad

Adapted from 1,000 Lowfat Recipes, a cookbook on my sister’s shelf

Ingredients

1 cup each of cooked, rinsed and drained chickpeas, white beans such as navy, darker beans such as red kidneys, black beans or pintos (so a total of 3 cups of 3 varieties of beans to suit yourself)

2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and steamed until tender crisp

½ cup thinly sliced red onions

2 green onions, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 small garlic clove, minced

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Method

Combine beans, onions and parsley. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over salad. This seems to taste better if it’s had a morning to marinate, and be sure to stir it up again before serving.

Rating: A really quite nice version of three-bean salad. The steamed beans will stay bright green for a few days, but after that they’ll look like you used canned and won’t be as crisp.

Previous recipes I've posted that make good use of green beans:

Green beans with garlic vinaigrette. Fast, easy, tasty

Green bean tuna salad. Very fresh tasting lunch

Green beans gremolata. The Barefoot Contessa comes through again.