garlic green beans

with all of the recipes i’ve already posted here, i have yet to include one that utilizes beets or green beans.  ironic, i know.  so i decided when i finally did one, i had to do it up right.

if you fry green beans raw, they shrivel on the outside but are still under cooked on the inside.  i prefer to lightly steam the green beans first, then saute with with some garlic, lemon juice and liquid aminos.  that way the beans are soft and fully cooked, but the skin is still tender.

this makes for a really simple side dish, or would be a great entree served over rice.

garlic green beans
about 2 c green beans
1 c water
1 tsp rosemary
1 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp liquid aminos (or soy sauce/tamari)
4 cloves garlic

begin by cleaning your green beans and snapping off the stems. boil the cup of water in a large sauce pan over medium heat and add the green beans. you need so little water because the beans just need to steam, not boil. cook for 5-7 minutes until bright green.

toss the contents of the pan into a colander and quickly rinse with cold water. this is called blanching – the cold water stops the beans from cooking any longer, it keeps them bright green and not mushy.

finely mince the garlic and chop the rosemary of you are using the fresh herb. if you are using dried rosemary grind it up a bit so there aren’t any large pieces.

heat the oil over medium heat in the same large sauce pan. once hot add the remainder of the ingredients and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until all of the liquid has cooked off.

serve right away, while still warm.

yields 2 servings