Tag: green beans
Tamarind Chicken with Green Beans
One of my favorite ingredients to have in my pantry is tamarind. I have the regular dried tamarind that I get from the Indian store but I also have the tamarind concentrate which is available at most grocery stores like Whole Foods. The concentrate is always in my fridge and I use for a lot of things including dressings, sauces, etc. It is easy to use and a little goes a long way. I love the earthy, tangy flavor it imparts to all the dishes- especially when it is paired with honey or sugar.
In this dish, I wanted to make a quick stir fry and wanted to use the tamarind concentrate to replicate a few Thai dishes I enjoy at Khun Thai– one of our favorite restaurants. I love the mixture of flavors in my mouth- sweet, sour, spicy and savory- my mouth waters as I write….
I marinated the chicken pieces and mixed up a quick sauce for the stir fry. I had green beans in my fridge and I thought it would be a great combination with the chicken and the tangy sauce. I made brown rice on the side and it was a perfectly balanced and delicious meal.
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Fresh Tomato Ravioli with Pesto Green Beans
I made this meal on a Monday- the beginning of the week is extremely busy for me. I have lots of chores and my daughter has piano and ballet back to back. By the time we get home it is six o’clock and she is famished and wants dinner right away. I try to have something ready for her as we enter the house. I mostly make something ahead of time and heat it up as we walk in.
I bought fresh raviolis and green beans from the super market and I already had fresh tomato sauce in the fridge. I decided to cook the raviolis simply in the tomato sauce and serve them with the green beans sauteed in basil pesto- yes I had pesto in the fridge as well.
It was an easy and fast meal. I sauteed the beans in a little olive oil and cooked them till they were tender with a crunch. I then added the pesto and turned the heat off. It was a simple side dish with a lot of flavor.
I cooked the raviolis in lots of salted water (fresh pasta takes all of a few minutes to cook) and transferred them over to the simmering tomato sauce- thats it.. dinner was ready.
I love taking help from the store when it comes to fresh pasta. It is great to make it at home but obviously it is a bit time consuming and definitely not conducive for a weeknight meal.
It was a quick dinner followed by bedtime for my daughter and a glass of wine for me once she was down.
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An Easy Indian Recipe: Chicken with Green Beans
My Mom has been making this chicken dish for a very long time. She usually cuts up a whole chicken and uses all the parts- which is the right way to make a chicken curry of any sort… all the pieces in there are from the same chicken- what a concept?? We don’t do that any more… I end up buying a pack of chicken thighs or chicken breast to use for me daily cooking. I am not happy with the idea of using a bunch of different chickens in one dish- I guess I will start buying whole chickens – soon…
I had a pack of chicken thighs which I decided to cook with green beans. Its a one pot meal concept which I like so much. I started off with whole, skinless, boneless thighs which I shredded after they were cooked. I am not really sure why I did that- somehow it seemed like a good idea at the time. I guess my point is that you can do it either way- serve the thighs or breasts whole or shred them.
If you are using breast- I would suggest browning them in the beginning of the cooking process and then removing them to the side till the beans are almost done. Add the breast pieces at the very end and cook them for a few minutes and they will be perfectly tender.
This was a delicious meal with fresh, homemade rotis- yum! Nothing else was needed- thats right we didn’t have any wine with this meal. I had a small serving of a very spicy chili pickle- delicious!
This is a great dish to make for a crowd as well, enjoy!
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ pound green beans, chopped into an inch pieces
- Salt
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 inch piece ginger, roughly chopped
- ½ cup cilantro
Process the onion, garlic, ginger and cilantro into a smooth paste.
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3-4 cloves
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Salt
- 1 cup chicken broth
In a wide saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces, sprinkle with salt. Brown the pieces on both sides for 5-6 minutes each on high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add the cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick. Saute for a minute and add the processed onion mixture. Saute on medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and cover with lid. Lower the heat and cook for 13-15 minutes or till chicken pieces are cooked. Take the lid off and add the green beans. Place the lid back on the saucepan and cook for another 7-8 minutes, till beans are tender. Take the lid off and increase the heat. Cook the chicken and beans on high till the excess water has evaporated, about 3-4 minutes. Check for seasonings and serve.
Vegetable Pulao with Paneer
This is a one-pot meal. I love when I am able to come up with something that has everything. This rice dish can be served as an entree as well as a side dish. Ideally it should be served with a delicious bowl of lentils and some raita– perfect!
It also can be served with a roast chicken or fish – really anything. It is extremely versatile.
Preparing it is a cinch. The mixed vegetables can be fresh, if you have time to chop and prep, or they can be frozen. I always have packaged paneer in my freezer and am able to thaw and cook with it in no time. If you don’t have access to paneer (it is available in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods), shredded chicken or any other meat can be substituted.
We had it for lunch on Sunday with a big bowl of yogurt. It was delicious and very satisfying. The spice level can be adjusted according to taste. We tend to keep things mild so Sia can eat as well. I like things spicy and end up pairing a green chili pickle with the rice dish- yum!
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A Delectable Vegetarian Recipe: Green Beans and Potatoes
We made this dish for a cooking class I just taught last night. It was a birthday celebration and the ladies wanted to learn some South Indian style dishes. We cooked the coconut chicken curry and the potatoes and green beans.
I am from North India and anything cooked in mustard seeds and curry leaves reminds me of a South Indian dish- so when I was trying to come up with a menu I thought of the potatoes and green beans simply cooked in mustard seeds and curry leaves. The dominant flavors come from these spices and the lemon juice enhanced it even more.
The dish took all of half an hour to make and results were wonderful. Everyone enjoyed the dinner. This vegetable dish complemented the chicken really well. They both have similar flavors but yet tasted very different.
This dish is perfect to cook with a roast chicken or even for Thanksgiving. It’s that time of year and the big feast is already on my mind. This would be ideal for the big dinner, especially since it is so easy to make. It is very versatile and will go with any kind of cuisine. Definitely a keeper.
Well, I think the ladies really enjoyed all the dishes including the carrot pudding… it was a successful class and a fun evening.
- 2 cups green beans, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 3 large red potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch squares
- 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
- 7-8 curry leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cayenne pepper
- Juice of half a lemon
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
In a wide frying pan, add the olive oil. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute on medium high heat till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the green beans and potatoes- mix well and sauté high heat. Add the coriander powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Mix well and lower the heat and cover with the lid. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes or till the potatoes are tender. Take the lid off and check for seasonings. Add the lemon juice and cilantro, mix well and serve.
Ground Turkey and Green Beans Stir Fry
I bought green beans with the eggplants the other day at the farmer’s market. They had been sitting in my fridge and I wasn’t sure what to do with them. Usually pasta comes to mind but I was trying to cook different cuisines since we had quite a lot of pasta in Italy- not that there is anything wrong with that.
I thought about making a stir fry with tofu and green beans. I haven’t cooked with tofu in a while and we all love it. I was feeling quite lazy to prepare the tofu- I take the excess water out, cut it up and then saute it in a non-stick pan. I decided to scrap the tofu and use ground turkey instead. There is a dish my husband really enjoys called ma po tofu that has ground meat and is cooked in a black bean sauce. It is quite tasty and I have made it a few times but I didn’t have black bean sauce at home- oh well. I made my own sauce and sauteed the turkey meat with ginger and garlic. I then added the green beans and the sauce.
It was a quick and easy dish. I made healthy brown rice with it. I saute the rice in a little olive oil and butter and then cook it in chicken broth- it is absolutely delicious! You don’t miss white rice at all. I also buy the Indian basmati brown rice from Trader Joes, so it has a longer grain and is closer in terms of looks to white rice.
My daughter really enjoyed it and surprisingly said nothing about the green beans- I guess she likes them now. She even took leftovers to school the next day. I refrained from drinking any wine as I have indulged a bit too much on my trip and over the summer. Just plain water was good enough with the delicious meal!
- 1 pound ground turkey breast
- ½ pound green beans, trimmed
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons tamari
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
Mix all the ingredients and keep aside.
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons water
Mix the corn starch and water and keep aside.
In a large wok, heat the olive oil. Add the ground turkey meat and cook over high heat, separating the meat while stirring constantly for about 5 mintues. Add the garlic and ginger. Saute for 2-3 minutes on high heat. Add the green beans and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add the sauce and the corn starch mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes, mixing well. Cover the dish and cook on low heat for 5 minutes or till the beans are cooked. Serve with brown rice.
Quick and Easy Pesto Salad with Green Beans and Tomatoes
I love anything made out of pesto. It’s my favorite thing to have around and use in a pinch. Since it has all the yummy ingredients I would normally cook with, it’s easy to add a dollop of it on anything. My favorite way of eating pesto is making a shrimp pasta with lots of pesto and more fresh basil on top. Shrimp and pesto are a match made in heaven- really, you should try it. I always have shrimp in the freezer- and on days when I am all out of ideas and don’t have a lot of time to cook- the pesto and shrimp come out. A nice salad on the side and some garlic bread with a yummy bottle of red- what else do you want??
Last summer I tried making a big batch of pesto to freeze for the winter- but it was a disaster. I harvested the basil too late which made it extremely bitter. All my hard work went down the drain- I was not happy. I was off making pesto for a while and yes I was buying it from the store. The store bought versions are actually quite good. For people who are working all day and don’t have time to make their own pesto- store bought is a great option- I would highly recommend it. Having a container of pesto in the fridge is very handy- it makes a great condiment for sandwiches; a big dollop on a piece of fish with a salad is a great lunch; meatballs with pesto are delicious and easy; pasta with mushrooms and pesto is out of this world- this list goes on and on.
We were going out for dinner and I wanted to eat a light lunch at home. There was nothing made in the fridge and I decided to go outside to harvest my yummy looking tomatoes. While out there, I noticed the basil plants thriving. I decided to bring some inside and make a pesto- a small quantity, just enough for the meal. I cut the tomatoes in half and remembered the green beans in the crisper. I blanched and added them to the mix. I had frozen fresh pasta which I decided to use. The whole thing came together in just a few minutes. The pesto was absolutely delicious and so was the salad. There were a few pieces of leftover chicken from a restaurant which worked out very nicely with this dish.
I think this would be a great accompaniment to any barbecue or nice just by itself for a light lunch. Grilled shirmp or chicken would taste delicious in this dish as well- again sky is the limit- enjoy!