What To Do With Green Beans 

If you grow green beans in your garden, chances are that you have an abundance of them and your family may not be all that excited about eating them as a regular dinner additions! Not unless you can get creative with what you do with them.

Here are a few creative recipes that will make your green beans a sure hit! To speed up weeknight meals,you can cook the beans ahead and refrigerate them to use cold in salads, ir reheat them later for hot side dishes. All of the following recipes are great whether you use green or yellow beans and a mix of both!

First – How to Cook Green Beans:

• Count on 1 lb. of beans to serve four people
• Trim stem ends off green or yellow beans. Leave the rest whole or cut into smaller pieces
• In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cover and cook the beans until tender-crisp – that will take about 3-6 minutes. Drain well. You can also place the beans on a rack or into a steamer above the boiling water in large saucepan, cover and steam until tender-crisp.
• If you are making your beans ahead for later use, drain cooked beans and chill them slightly under cold water until cooled and drain well. Wrap in paper towel and place in plastic bag; refrigerate up to 48 hours.

Recipes for Green Beans:

Green Bean Salad with Dill Vinaigrette:

¼ cup of pine nuts or slivered almonds

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar

½ teaspoon of grated orange rind

1 tablespoon of orange juice

1 clove of garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon of each salt and pepper

1 lb. of green beans, cooked

In a skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts or almonds, shaking pan occasionally, until golden (about 3 minutes) Let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil dill, vinegar, orange rind and juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Aff beans, turn to coat. Sprinkle with nuts.

Green Beans Salads:

Green Bean Composed Salad: Arranged, rather than tossed, this salad will make an attractive eay to serve beans. It combines hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes and black olives that surround the dressed green beans. (Add link)

Green Beans and Feta Salad with Tomato Dressing: Refreshing, crunchy green beans pair well with a sharp, salty flavour of feta cheese. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the tasty dressing.(Add link)

Quick Pickled Beans with Hot Peppers: The refrigerated pickles make a refreshing accompaniment to grilled meat, a crunchy garnish for Bloody Marys or Ceasars or a great addition to pickle tray. (Add link)

Green beans with Yellow Pepper and Tomato: A quick sauté of yellow pepper with tomato, garlic and oregano adds colour and tasty crunch to beans (add link)

Green beans with Prosciutto and Garlic: Salty, crisp strips of thick-cut prosciutto partner with garlic in this simple side dish (Add link)

Balsamic green Beans: A vinegar sauce sounds like it could be too tart for beans, but because balsamic vinegar is naturally sweeter, it adds a caramel note and a glossy glaze to the beans. (Add link)

Bean and Potato Pockets: What better way to minimize your grill time and skip doing extra dishes, than to cook a vegetable side dish while grilling the main course? (Add link)

Ginger Sesame Green Beans: Cooking the beans right in the skillet with the sauce not only saves a pan but also infuses the beans with the wonderful zing of ginger. (add link)

Bonus Tips – Quick green bean Tosses:

These ultrafast, ultraeasy tosses offer even more delicious ways to serve beans.

Toss 1 lb. of cooked green beans – still hot – with 1 tablespoon of butter, melted, or extra virgin olive oil; pinch of each salt and pepper and one of the following:

• 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme
• ¼ cup of finely chopped red peppers
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1 chopped green onion
• ¼ cup of finely chopped walnuts and 1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons of chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Hope you enjoy these recipes – remember that your comments, suggestions and experiences are always welcomed!