Szechuan Green Bean Recipe

These beans are "dry-fried," a Szechuan cooking technique that makes them extra tender. The recipe calls for Chinese longbeans, but you can use haricots verts, green beans or runner beans. The recipe normally calls for chili peppers, but I've used chili paste - feel free to substitute dried red chilis if desired. Serves 4.

Ingredients:1 pound Chinese longbeans (also called yardlong beans or just longbeans)1 tablespoon garlic, chopped1 tablespoon ginger, chopped2 scallions (spring onions, green onions), white parts only1/2 teaspoon chili paste1 tablespoon dark soy sauce1/2 teaspoon sugar1/4 teaspoon salt, or to tastePepper to taste, optional2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil for stir-frying, or as needed

Preparation:

Wash the longbeans, drain thoroughly, and trim the tops and bottoms.Cut the longbeans on the diagonal into slices approximately 2 inches long.Chop the garlic, ginger and white part of the scallions.Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the longbeans and stir-fry until they start to shrivel or "pucker" and turn brown (5 - 7 minutes). Remove the long beans and drain in a colander or on paper towels.Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the wok on high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and scallions. Stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the chili paste and stir-fry for a few more seconds until aromatic. Add the longbeans and the remaining ingredients. Mix together and serve.Serving suggestion: Szechuan Green Beans would make an excellent side dish to accompany Mapo Tofu.

Green Bean Salad

Green Bean Salad with Feta

"This super-green salad has lots of antioxidants, including lutein, beta carotene and vitamin C, and it's a delicious way to help you rack up the seven to nine daily servings of fruits and vegetables recommended for adults."

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition) 4 cups mixed baby salad greens1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed, cooked al dente and cut in half2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar1 tablespoon orange juice1/2 teaspoon fennel seedsSalt and pepper, to taste1/3 cup dried cranberries (optional)

DIRECTIONS In a medium-size bowl, combine greens, beans and cheese. Add oil, vinegar, juice, fennel seeds, salt and pepper; toss. Sprinkle with dried cranberries, if desired.

Green Bean and Stuffed Olive Salad

"Cool marinated summer salad for olive lovers. Easy and pretty enough for a party."

INGREDIENTS: (Nutrition) 1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained1 medium red onion, thinly sliced1 (7 ounce) jar stuffed green olives, with liquid1 head leaf lettuce, torn1/4 cup bacon bits (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Place the green beans and onion in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour in the olives and liquid. Seal bag, and marinate at least 1 hour, turning occasionally. Serve over lettuce leaves, and sprinkle with bacon bits.

Deconstructed Green Bean Casserole

Deconstructed Green Bean Casserole

Serves 8

Fried Onions2 Medium Onions, sliced thinly

2+ Cups Soymik (or your favorite non-dairy milk)

All-Purpose Flour (or your fav. gluten-free blend!)

Oil for frying

Salt

Mushroom Celery Gravy

1 Tbs Olive Oil

Cups Sliced Mushrooms

2 Ribs Celery,

diced1 pinch Salt

4 Tbs Earth Balance Margarine

4 Tbs Flour

1 to 1 1/2 Cups Soymilk*

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp ThymeBlack Pepper
1lb Fresh Green BeansScallions,

for tyingPepper, for garnish
*I thought it would be really smart to use the soymilk I soaked the onions in to make the gravy. It wasn’t. It gave the gravy an overwhelmingly raw-onion taste, and ruined it for me. Unless you really, really like onions, I suggest using fresh soymilk for the gravy.

Fried Onions Begin by making the fried onions. Cut the ends off the onions, peel them, and slice them in half lengthwise. Slice them thinly into half-moons. Try to keep your slices all the same width so that the onions cook evenly.

Soak the onions in 2+ cups soymilk for at least 10 minutes. Heat oil over medium heat in a wok or other pot to a depth of 1-2 inches. I’ve found that I can use less oil to fry in a wok; since the sides are curved the oil pools in the middle.
Grab a handful of onions from the soymilk, shake them off a little, and place them in a bowl. Coat with flour completely, tossing with two forks to keep your hands clean. Use enough flour so that they’re not soggy.

Test the oil by putting one onion in, if it bubbles up, it’s ready. Guard against the oil being too hot - it should take 7-9 minutes before the onions start to turn golden brown!
Fry for 7-9 minutes a batch, turning occasionally, until the onions are very crispy and caramelized. The onions themselves should be a very rich golden brown, beautifully caramelized, and the breading a light golden brown. Drain on a paper towel or cloth, and sprinkle with salt to season.

If making ahead, store in an airtight container until ready for use.
Green BeansNext, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Blanch the green beans for 1-2 minutes, or until tender crisp but still bright green. Shock in an ice bath to stop the cooking, drain and set aside.

GravyIn a skillet, saute sliced mushrooms and celery in 1 Tbs of oilve oil until tender and fragrant. Season with a pinch of salt. Remove to a bowl and add earth balance margarine to the same pan over low heat (don’t bother to clean it out!). Once melted, add flour and whisk well to create a roux. Slowly add in the soymilk while whisking, turn the heat up, and whisk while it thickens to form a smooth sauce. Add thyme and salt to taste, adjusting the thickness by adding more soymilk if needed. Stir the mushrooms and celery in.
ServingSlice the chives in half, lengthwise, and use them to tie up little bundles of green beans. You can reheat the green beans before serving by placing in a low oven or quickly steaming.

green bean and cherry tomato salad

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato SaladAdapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables
Serves 6
1 pound green beans, though if you can find a mix of green and yellow beans, it will be all the prettier

1 pound cherry tomatoes

1 large shallot

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oilBasil or other herb (optional)

Prepare the vegetables:

Top and tail the beans and cut them into large segments. Parboil the beans in salted water until just tender, about four to five minutes. Drain and immediately spread them out to cool. Stem the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.

Make the vinaigrette:

Peel and mince the shallot and put it in a bowl with the vinegar and salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust the balance with more vinegar, oil, or salt, as needed. Toss the cherry tomatoes in with the vinaigrette; this can sit for a while. Do not add the green beans until just before serving or they will discolor from the acid in the vinaigrette. For variety, the salad can be garnished with basil or some other fresh herb such as parsley, chervil or hyssop.

Do ahead: Beans and vegetables can be prepared ahead of time. Simply toss with the dressing only at the last minute, as it can discolor the green beans after several hours.