Lemony beans salad

All ingredients can be eye balled and everything can be adjusted according to taste.

1/2 lb of green string beans

2 tsp of lemon zest

1 tbsp olive oil

Rock salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1. Steam beans until done. Don't oversteam them, they need to be a bit crunchy.
2. In a serving bowl, add olive oil, salt and pepper to the beans and stir well to mix.
3. Finish with lemon zest and pine nuts. Serve.

Masaledar sem (Spicy beans)

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian cooking

Serves 4
2 cups of string beans, ends removed
1 cup of frozen veggie mix, in this case it was a mix of carrots, red pepper and broccoli
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp roasted and ground cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, minced
1 can of diced tomatoes
crushed red pepper
1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil and add ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper. Add tomatoes and turmeric and cook until most of the water is cooked off. Add beans, veggie mix and a little water with salt to taste. Lower the heat, cover and cook until veggies are done, about 5-7 mins. Add lemon juice, roasted ground cumin and a generous amount of ground black pepper and cook uncovered over high heat until most of the liquid has been cooked off. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve.

Green bean rava uppuma

Uppuma is one of those go-to dishes I make when I don't feel like cooking. So it has to be simple and easy. Serves 4

1 cup semolina
1 large onion finely chopped
1 in. of ginger finely chopped
3 green chillis chopped
1 1/2 cup green beans chopped in 1 inch pieces
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
Salt to taste
3 cups of water
2 tsp tamarind concentrate or juice of 1 lemon
1 small bunch of coriander, chopped
3 tbsp ghee
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black gram dal (urad dal)
1 tsp bengal gram dal (chana dal)
1/2 tsp asafoetida
2 dried chillies
6-7 curry leaves

Dry roast semolina in a pan for about 10 mins. Keep stirring while roasting so the semolina doesn't burn. Heat ghee and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, asafoetida powder, dried red chillis and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds splutter, add onions, ginger, green chillies and salt. Saute for 2-3 mins until onions are translucent and cooked. Add green beans and turmeric. Saute for a minute or so. Add 3 cups of water, tamarind concentrate (if using), cover and simmer until green beans are tender.

Gradually add semolina and stir constantly to prevent lumps. Cover, turn off flame and let sit for a 5 mins until all semolina has absorbed all the water. Stir in lemon juice (if using) and garnish with coriander.

Quick and easy green beans

Place green string beans in a baking dish. Drizzle olive oil and season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Bake in a 425 deg oven until beans are a little crispy - about 15 to 20 mins. In a bowl big enough to hold the beans whisk 2-3 tbsps of balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp of honey and 1 tsp of dijon mustard together. Toss the beans in the mixture and serve as a side or a snack.

Source: Blue Kitchen