NEW RECIPES FOR 2009

STEWED GREEN BEANS  adapted from Everyday Food, M. Stewart

4 Tbsp. Butter
½ medium onion, diced
2 celery stalks, halved lengthwise & thinly sliced
Coarse salt & ground black pepper
¾# green beans, topped & trimmed
1 14.5 oz. Diced tomatoes in juice

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp. Butter over medium heat. Add onion & celery; season with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 5-6 minutes. Add green beans & tomatoes (with juice); cook, stirring occasionally until beans are very tender, about 15 minutes. Serve with pork chops & smashed potatoes.

GREEN BEANS WITH TOASTED PECANS  Everyday Food, M. Stewart
Serves 4, Total time: 15 minutes

½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
¾ lb. Green beans, stem ends removed
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
Coarse salt & ground black pepper

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until fragrant, 6-7 minutes. Meanwhile, set a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Fill with enough water to come just below the basket; bring to a simmer. Place green beans in basket & steam until tender, 5-7 minutes. Transfer beans to a serving platter; drizzle with oil, and season with salt & pepper. Serve topped with pecans.

Sautéed Green Beans and Red Onion ( Boomette at RecipeZaar.com)
 Serves 4; Prep time: 10 minutes; Total time: 25 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound green beans, trimmed and halved
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

In a large skillet, bring 1 cup water, oil, salt, and pepper to a simmer over medium heat.
Add green beans and onion. Cover, and cook until beans are crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Uncover, and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until water has evaporated, beans are tender, and onions are beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes more. Stir in vinegar and serve.

CHICKEN, GREEN BEAN AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD (Bon Appétit)
Components of this salad can be prepared one day ahead, then tossed together at the last minute. 
Serves 10.

10 large chicken breast halves (about 9 pounds)
1/8 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/8 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

1.5 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise

1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or 2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots or onions
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or thyme

1.5 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (about 12 ounces)
Salt
Red& green leaf lettuces
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Additional minced fresh basil or thyme (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange chicken breasts in single layer in baking pans. Brush both sides with soy sauce and olive oil. Sprinkle both sides with pepper. Arrange skin side up. Roast until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Skin and bone chicken; reserve drippings in pans. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Return to pans and turn to coat with drippings. Cool. Transfer chicken meat and drippings to large bowl. Set aside.

Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Refresh with cold water. Drain well. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover chicken and beans separately and refrigerate.)

Combine mustard and vinegar in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Add shallots and 2 tablespoons herbs. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store dressing at room temperature.)

PARMESAN GREEN BEANS (gardencityharvest.com)
Serves 4.

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 lb. fresh green beans, washed & ends removed
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add green beans, and cook until tender, 5-8 minutes. Drain and return to pot.  Add butter, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with remaining Parmesan.

green beans with garlic, lemon, and parsley (Bon Appétit | March 2005) 
Makes 6 servings

1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Place beans in bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well.

Potato Green Bean Gratin 
In this recipe, parboiling keeps the potatoes from falling apart and the green beans slightly crunchy.  This gratin is also great eaten at room temperature.

2 lbs. new potatoes
1/2 lb. green beans
4 slices bacon
2 onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary or thyme leaves
1 cup tomatoes, diced
Gruyere or Fontina Cheese

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Wash 2 lbs. new potatoes and trim 1/2 lb. green beans.  Cook the green beans for just 2-3 minutes, until they turn bright green or the water returns to a boil.  Remove with a spatula and rinse with cool water.  Add the potatoes and cook until just barely tender when pierced with a knife.  Drain in a colander.  Thinly slice the potatoes across their widest point.
Meanwhile, chop 4 slices of bacon and cook in a skillet over medium heat. (If you skip the bacon, you of course need to add olive oil)  Slice 2 onions and add to the pan when the bacon begins to brown.  When the onions begin to caramelize, add 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 T. fresh rosemary or thyme, then cook for another 5 minutes.
Spread the onion mixture in the bottom of a gratin dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper (repeat this step for every layer).  Make a layer of potato slices, then cover with the green beans and 1 C. diced fresh or canned tomatoes.  Make a second layer of potato slices.  Cover the gratin with grated Gruyere or Fontina cheese.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until it is bubbly and the top is lightly browned.

Green Beans with Savory and Tomatoes  (The Good Herb, Judith Benn Hurley)
Savory embellishes the flavor of vegetables. Here, fresh green beans are featured, but be sure to try the recipe with zucchini and yellow summer squash. Slice them into coins and steam for 3 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
1 pound green beans, washed, topped and tailed
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, mashed through a press
2 medium Italian plum tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced fresh savory

Steam beans over boiling water, covered, until bright green, and just tender, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Pour in the oil. Add garlic & tomatoes, and sauté until fragrant and saucy, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and savory to the tomatoes, tossing well. Serve as a side dish with polenta, or an herb and cheese omelette. The beans are also tasty slightly chilled and served as a side to risotto.

BABY BEETS AND GREEN BEANS WITH GOAT CHEESE
(Low Carb High Flavor Rcipes Made Easy - Fiona Carns) Submitted by member Jaydee Sullivan
Serves 4 Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes

Steam or microwave beets til just cooked, 5 minutes. Quarter baby beets or slice larger beets into 8 wedges. Heat olive oil in pan medium to high heat. Add onion, cook till transparent. Add beans. Cook 5 minutes. Add beets, tossing well, cook 5 minutes. Place vegetables in bowl, crumble with goat cheese and drizzle a little olive oil over top. Season with salt and pepper. Serve either warm or cold.
VARIATIONS: Add a handful of chopped cilantro.
Add a cup of roasted sweet potato or pumpkin cut into 3/4-inch cubes.
Use feta, ricotta or plain yogurt as an alternative to goat cheese.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:

1. Green beans are a classic ingredient in Salad Nicoise, a French cold salad dish that combines steamed green beans with tuna fish and potatoes.
2. Healthy sauté green beans with shiitake mushrooms.
3. Prepare the perennial favorite, green beans almandine, by sprinkling slivered almonds on healthy sautéed beans.
4. Roast green beans, red peppers and garlic, and combine with olive oil and seasonings to make a delicious salad.
5. Add chopped green beans to breakfast frittatas.

NEW RECIPES FOR 2009

GREEN BEANS AND PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM SAUTE
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
4 servings

1 1/4 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut in half
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
2 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry sherry

Simmer green beans in salted boiling water 5 minutes. Drain green beans and return skillet to moderate heat. Add oil and butter to the pan. Add onions and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms 3 to 5 minutes with onions, add green beans back to the pan. Heat green beans through and add sherry. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer green beans and mushrooms to a serving plate.

BEST EVER GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown , Food Network
 4 to 6 servings

For the topping:

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Nonstick cooking spray

For beans and sauce:

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees F. While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside. Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

GREEN BEANS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND ALMONDS
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence , Food Network
3 to 4 servings

Kosher salt
1.5 pounds green beans, trimmed of stem end
1/4 cup skin on sliced almonds
1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

Fill a large high sided skillet with some water, adding enough to be just shy of the rim of the pan by about 1 inch. Place over high heat and bring up to boil; add a big pinch of salt and the green beans. Cook for about 5 minutes, the beans should still be crisp. Drain the beans and then run them under some cold water to stop them from cooking. Reserve the beans while you start the onions.
Return the skillet you cooked the beans in to the cook top over medium heat. Add the almonds and toast stirring every now and then until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the almonds from the skillet and reserve. Return the skillet to the heat and add the butter and olive oil and heat until the butter has melted. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook stirring frequently until the onions caramelize, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the thyme, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the cooked cooled green beans and almonds, and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

GRILLED SAUSAGE WITH POTATOES AND GREEN BEANS  allrecipes.com
Serves 4
"Sausage and vegetables are grilled together in a foil packet. This recipe is easy and delicious, and perfect for a quick holiday meal or camping!"

3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
1/2 pound red potatoes, quartered
1 large onion, sliced
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon butter
1/3 cup water