Recipes for August 11, 2007:

Green Beans: in an oven, on the grill, in a skillet, or raw in salad

Roasted Green Beans

People say these taste like sweet french fries. This is adapted from a recipe on the internet that received a five star rating from over 89 people!

1-2 lbs green beans
1-2 tablespoon olive oil (you will use just enough to lightly coat beans)
Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Wash, dry well, and trim green beans.
Drizzle with olive oil in a bowl. Not too much oil, avoid dripping. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat.
Spread them out into 1 layer on a baking pan.
Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until beans are fairly brown in spots and somewhat shriveled.
Serve hot or at room temperature.

GRILLED GREEN BEANS

2 c. fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1/3 c. butter
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped green onions
1/4 tsp. salt
1 chopped garlic clove
Lemon wedges

Place ingredients except lemon, mixed, on a large square of foil. Fold foil into a closed packet. Place on grill, over medium heat, about 30 minutes, or until beans are done. Serve with lemon wedges.

Farmers' Market Bean Salad
Make it on Sunday and eat it all week!

1 lb. green beans, raw, ends trimmed & cut into bite size pieces
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1-2 cobs corn kernels, raw and cut off the cob
1 red onion, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can chick peas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, corn, and red onion.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and black pepper. Season to taste with hot sauce and chili powder.
Pour dressing over vegetables; mix well. Chill at least an hour, and serve cold.

Experiment: Feel free to subsititute or add your favorite hot peppers, different canned beans, different types of onions, etc.

Garlic Green beans
This describes a good basic way to cook green beans in a skillet. You can squirt the finished beans with lemon, or sprinkle parm cheese, or drizzle with balsamic, or top with toasted almonds...

2 lbs. green beans, washed & ends trimmed
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium head garlic - peeled and sliced
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil; add garlic, and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently.

Stir in green beans, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until beans are tender, about 10 minutes.