Thursday, March 06, 2008

Green Beans without cream of mushroom soup

Here is the recipe for Green Beans with Crunchy Peanut-Lemon Coating (from "The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without" by Mollie Katzen.
1 to 1 1/2 cups peanuts (unsalted or lightly salted)
2 Tablespoons canola or peanut oil
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt (more if peanuts are unsalted)
1 pound fresh green beans, rimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1) Place peanuts in a blender and grind briefly until they form a coarse meal. Set aside.

2) Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add 1 Tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the ginger and saute for a few minutes, then add the crushed peanuts, plus the lemon zest and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the peanuts are lightly toasted. Transfer this mixture to a medium-large bowl, and if the peanuts are unsalted, stir in some salt to taste. Set aside.

3) Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, then return it to the stove over medium heat. Wait about a minute, then add another Tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Turn up the heat, add the green beans, and stir-fry over high heat for about 5 minutes. Somewhere along the way, sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon salt and a big pinch of red pepper flakes.

4) Stir-fry just a few minutes longer, or until the beans are divinely tender-crisp. Add the peanut mixture and the lemon juice, tossing everything together. Taste to adjust the salt and red pepper flakes, if necessary, and serve right away.

2 comments:

~moe~ said...

Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!!! I'm so excited!! I can't wait to try this out!

Backwoods Rev said...

I just got the cookbook from the library. I can hardly wait to try these yummy looking dishes!