Roasted Mexican String Beans

I was lucky enough to see yellow string beans at the farm this week and just knew I had to try them!  Sure green beans are everywhere, but I had never cooked with YELLOW beans before!  I pretty much always cook my string beans in a skillet, but I wanted to try something new this week.  Sometimes the skillet takes too much time, or the rest of the meal is taking up the entire stove top.  I wanted to see if roasting would be a nice alternative.  You know what?  It worked!  This simple recipe compliments any Mexican meal and is a great way to add an unexpected veggie to the mix!  

Ingredients

1 pound string beans, trimmed

5 larger garlic cloves, finely chopped

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander seed

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the beans in a large rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with oil and toss to coat and spread into a single layer.
3. Evenly sprinkle garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper over the beans.  
4. Bake until lightly browned and shriveled, about 20-25 minutes, turning once while cooking.  

Adapted from Food Fitness Fresh Air

Easy Italian Green Beans

My local farm grows the best green beans.  They are always perfect, filled with flavor, and easy to cook.  I had been looking for a simple way to incorporate green beans into an Italian meal for some time.  This recipe is so easy I can't even believe it!  My 3 year old loved them as well as the adults in the family.  If you want a great way to incorporate green beans into your family's diet, give this recipe a try.  It's a winner for taste and ease!

Ingredients

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
dash of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Steam the beans until they are crisp tender, about 3-5 minutes.  Place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.  Drain and set aside.
2. In a fry pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Saute for 1 minute.  
3. Add green beans.  Toss to evenly coat the oil and seasonings.  Cook an additional 5 minutes.  Serve hot.

Adapted from Sandra Lee

Pot Pie Pizza

OK.  This may be the coolest thing ever.  If you haven't guessed, I love pizza.  It is, hands down, my favorite food.  I love that you can make so many different variations, and as a vegetarian, one of the foods I miss is chicken pot pie.  It has such great flavors and is just so comforting.  Now, I have found a way to enjoy that same experience in a PIZZA!!  This was so much fun!

If you wanted to make it super simple, you could use a bag of frozen mixed veggies, but since my local organic farm had all but the peas available, I decided to use their fresh veggies.  I prepped them and steamed them to make my own veggie medley for this pizza and it was really easy - and don't they look beautiful?  :)  And what a great way to get kids to eat more veggies!

Instead of pizza sauce, you make a simple broth thickened with a basic roux.  If you are not a vegetarian, feel free to use chicken broth, but if you are a vegetarian I would really suggest using Imagine No Chicken Broth.  Vegetable broth would work, but the No Chicken broth takes it to the next level.  It truly tastes like chicken pot pie!!  I thought about adding cooked and shredded Gardein chicken, but opted against it this time.  Next time I think I will give it a try.  It's so good, it might be a part of my next vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner!  :)

Ingredients (makes 1 pizza)

3/4 C finely chopped carrots
3/4 C peas
1/2 C green beans, trimmed and chopped into 1/2 inch lengths
1/2 cob of corn, kernels removed
1 pizza crust
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
2/3 C Imagine No-Chicken Broth
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 oz shredded mozzarella
1/3 C freshly grated parmesan

Directions

1. Using a steamer, steam the green beans for about 1 min, then add the carrots and peas and steam until crisp tender (about 5 mins).
2. Set aside to cool and add the corn kernels to the veggie mixture.
3. Heat the oven to 475 degrees with the pizza stone inside.
4. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the flour and whisk until smooth.  Cook for 1 minute.  Add the broth and whisk constantly for 2 minutes until it thickens and begins to bubble.  Whisk in thyme, sage, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute more.  Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
5. Prepare the pizza crust.  Spread the sauce evenly over the crust leaving a 1 inch border.  Top with mozzarella.  Layer the mixed vegetables evenly over the pizza.  Sprinkle with parmesan.
6. Bake until crust is golden and cheese just starts to brown (about 15 minutes).  Let cool about 5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!!

Adapted from - Family Fun September 2012

Chinese-Style Green Beans

Growing up, the only green beans I remember eating came steamed in that bland vegetable medley.  Not very exciting or tasty.  However, when I started dating my future husband, he opened my eyes to sauteed green beans at Chinese restaurants.  They were so delicious!  

However, after becoming a vegetarian, those were often off-limits because they usually came with pork in them or they were cooked with oyster sauce.  I was so disappointed.  But then my husband decided to find a way to cook a vegetarian version at home - and boy did he ever!  The caramelized onions and garlic really make this dish unique, and the green beans are cooked to perfection!

Ingredients
1 pound green onions, ends trimmed
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic oil
3-4 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat oils in a large skillet over high heat.
2. Add the green beans and stir to coat.  Cook the beans for about 5 mins.  
3. Turn heat down to medium-high, add water to pan (be careful it will pop!), cover, and let steam for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add onions and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Allow to cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the onions have caramelized and the beans are tender and slightly wrinkled (about 15 minutes).
5. Turn off heat.  Drizzle soy sauce into pan while stirring constantly.  Serve immediately.