A Few of My Favourite Things

I have done several columns on fruits. Today, I am going to share some recipes about one of my favorite vegetables. These nutrient packed beans are a great addition to just about any meal and have so many benefits even if you don’t like them you should add at least a few to your plate. These beans are great for your eyes and bones and help with digestion. They reduce the risk of heart disease and colon cancer. They boost the immune system and help control diabetes. I love buying fresh green beans and using them to supplement our dinner. Green beans are a popular part of diets around the world. There are slight variations in the shape in different areas of cultivation and green beans may be called by different names, including French beans, fine beans, string beans, or even squeaky beans, depending on where you are eating them. There are approximately 150 varieties of green beans throughout the world that come in all shapes and colors, even purple! Despite the variable appearance of the beans, their nutritional content and health benefits remain similar. Green beans can help reduce the risk of heart diseases due to their high levels of flavonoids. Flavonoids are antioxidants commonly found in fruits and vegetables. These antioxidants have certain anti-inflammatory properties. High flavonoid levels can actually prevent blood clots in the arteries and veins. Cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, and strokes are commonly caused by blood clots, which means a healthy volume of green beans in a diet can help prevent some of these conditions. These power-packed legumes have been shown to help manage and regulate diabetes symptoms in many patients. Certain studies have shown a definitive influence on patients with diabetes. Diabetes is a condition that requires constant maintenance of blood sugar levels at a normal level so the body can perform necessary tasks. Natural regulators of diabetes are rare, and the connection of beans and similar plants to the control or early prevention of diabetes is great news for many people. The presence of various immune system-boosting antioxidants in green beans is well known, but as more research on their benefits is done, it is becoming clear there are far more antioxidant properties than the ones widely known. Antioxidants are beneficial compounds in our body that seek out dangerous free radicals and eliminate them from our system before they can cause illness or tissue damage. Certain specific carotenoids that are found in green beans can prevent macular degeneration, which is a decrease in vision and eye function. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are focused at the yellow on the eye near the center of the retina, and play a key role in preventing any stress to the inner workings of the eye. Ensuring that these carotenoid levels stay strong to prevent vision deterioration is one of the many benefits of including green beans in your balanced diet. Calcium, found in green beans is integral in preventing bone deterioration and osteoporosis. These beans also contain vitamin K, A, and silicon. Deficiencies in many of these compounds have been connected to increased bone loss, strength, and durability. Silicon is not the most common mineral to hear about, and significant amounts are relatively rare in most foods. However, green beans are a great source of silicon, which is a key element in bone regeneration and overall bone health. One word of caution. This legume is not something you can eat raw. Raw green beans contain a high content of lectins which can be harmful for human health. Even as few as four have been known to cause vomiting and other gastrointestinal issues. High temperature (during cooking) destroys these lectins. Green beans must be cooked before consumption. Pick up some green beans this weekend and meet me in the kitchen to prepare this delicious side dish.

Buttery Garlic Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped in half 3 Tbsps. unsalted sweet cream butter 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 pinches lemon pepper ¼ cup shredded parmesan, more or less to taste Salt to taste Place green beans in a large skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans start to soften, about 5 minutes. Drain water. Add butter, garlic and parmesan to green beans and cook and stir until butter is melted and garlic is tender and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with lemon pepper and salt.

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Barbecue Green Beans

8 slices thick cut bacon 1 medium onion, chopped ½ cup packed light brown sugar 1 cup BBQ sauce (you can also use half ketchup, half BBQ if you prefer) 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce Dash of salt 1 tsp black pepper, more or less to taste ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 4 14.5oz cans green beans, drained Cook bacon in nonstick pan. Remove bacon, crumble pieces and set aside. Save 2 Tbsps. bacon grease and discard the rest. Add onion to bacon grease left in pan and cook until soft. Place crock pot liner in slow cooker. Place barbecue, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper in slow cooker and stir to combine. To slow cooker, add green beans, onion and any remaining bacon grease in the pan. Stir to mix. Sprinkle bacon over top. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.

Recipe from spicysouthernkitchen.com .

Green Bean Bundles

This will depend on how much you need to make and how many you are feeding. I usually run out of bacon before I run out of green beans. 2-4lbs fresh or frozen green beans, trimmed 1-2lbs bacon, cut in half ½ cup unsalted sweet cream butter, melted 1 cup brown sugar 1-2 tsp garlic pepper, more or less to taste Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Wrap 5-7 green beans with bacon and place in baking dish. Repeat, lining the bundles next to each other in a single layer, until you have as many bundles as you need or you run out of ingredients. Combine butter and brown sugar. Pour over green beans and sprinkle with garlic pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. If you want your bacon to be crispier, broil in the oven for about 5 minutes on each side or pan fry until desired crispness is reached. Note: I have doubled the recipe for the bacon and green beans, but not the rest. One cup of brown sugar is a lot and these will be sweet. If you are going to make 1-2lbs of green beans, you can easily cut the brown sugar down to ¾ or even a ½ cup depending on your own tastes.

Pickled Green Beans

1 ¾ lbs fresh green beans, trimmed 1 tsp cayenne pepper 4 garlic cloves, peeled 4 tsps. dill seed 2 ½ cups water 2 ½ cups white vinegar ¼ cup canning salt Pack beans into four hot 1-pint jars to within 1/2 inch of the top. Add cayenne, garlic and dill seed to jars. In a large saucepan, bring water, vinegar and salt to a boil. Carefully ladle hot liquid over beans, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars and screw on bands until fingertip tight. Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Note: due to the acid content in the vinegar, this recipe is ok using a water bath to seal the jars. Otherwise, green beans usually need a pressure cooker to ensure they are sealed and preserved properly. Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.

Green Beans with Honey Pecan Butter and Cranberries

1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans, ends trimmed 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 shallot, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced For Butter 2 Tbsps. pecan halves about 12 pecan halves 2 Tbsps. unsalted sweet cream butter, melted 2 Tbsps. honey, more or less to taste 2 tsps. Dijon mustard 2 tsps. balsamic vinegar 1/8 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper Garnish 1/3 cup dried cranberries Feta to taste optional Blanch green beans in a large stock pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and transfer beans to a large bowl of ice water. Set aside. Add pecans to food processor and process until finely ground (or crush in a plastic bag). Add remaining Pecan Honey Butter ingredients and pulse until well combined. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add shallots and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add beans and Pecan Honey Butter and continue to sauté until beans are evenly coated in the butter and beans are cooked to desired crisp-tenderness. Stir in dried cranberries. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with feta if desired.

Recipe adapted from realhousemoms.com .

Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

I am not a huge fan of this traditional dish, but with a few changes, it becomes something I enjoy. 6 15oz cans of French cut green beans 1 32oz loaf of Velveeta 1 6oz can of French onion rings ½ cup milk, more or less as needed to get to desired consistency Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain green beans well & place into casserole dish. If your casserole dish isn’t deep enough for 6 cans of green beans, just adjust accordingly. Cut Velveeta into cubes. In medium saucepan, melt Velveeta over medium heat, mixing in milk gradually. This will be to taste. If you don’t want it really cheesy cut back to half of the Velveeta. We like it in my house so I use the whole loaf. Once Velveeta is thoroughly melted, pour over green beans. Sprinkle the top with French onion rings. Place dish in oven for 10-12 minutes or until onion rings get crispy and dish is heated through.

Recipe adapted from loveoffamilyandhome.net .