GREEK STYLE GREEN BEANS

Haricots Verts, Greek Style

1 lb. haricots verts, Trader Joe's

1 large onion, minced

1 regular can tomato puree, ground tomatoes or crushed

2-3 c. water  (judge what is enough to cook beans well) without

    being watery

4 tbsps. finely minced parsley

1 tbsps. ground mint

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (according to preference)

(1 c. shredded carrots, optional)

Saute onion in pot until soft and transparent

Add some tomato and saute with onions

Add  beans and ground tomatoes and cook until tender

Add salt and oil at this point

Add parsley and mint

Continue cooking until juice is of a nice consistency, not watery

GREEK BEAN SOUP - FASOULADA

GREEK FASOULADA.....A HEARTY BEAN SOUP


2 c. great northern beans
6 c. water or homemade clear stock
1 c. cut carrots
1 c. coarsely diced celery
1 regular can diced tomatoes or 1 fresh tomato, cut into med.
     pieces
1 regular can ground or crushed tomatoes


2 tsps. salt                                
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
These two ingredients are added only after beans are cooked to
a soft consistency

Cook first 5 ingredients until beans are soft
Add last two ingredients and cook until broth is opaque and
thickened.

YEMISTA (GREEK STUFFED PEPPERS)

YEMISTA

Greek Stuffed Peppers

Yields:  12 Servings

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lbs. lean ground meat

2 1/2 C. Uncle Ben's Converted Rice only

1/4 C. olive oil  (more if needed)

1 large onion, chopped finely

6-7 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsps. salt

1 tsp. pepper

4 Tbsps. finely chopped parsley

1 Tbsps. finely chopped mint

I large can crushed tomatoes  or tomato puree

Method:

Saute  onions and garlic in olive oil

Add ground meat and brown a little

Add rice and stir well

Add salt and pepper.  Mix well

Add 1 C. tomato mixed with about 1/4 C. water or so to meat mixture.  Stir

Cook on very low heat until rice begins to become tender.  Do not cook completely, but rice should be somewhat soft.  Cook for about 5 minutes or so and remove from heat.

Add parsley and mint.  Mix well

Add mixture to prepared peppers, which have had tops removed and inside seeds removed.  Cap with tops and brush pepper with oil.

Bake at 375 degrees until peppers test soft and ready to eat.

TIPS:

Mixture can be made and frozen until ready to use.

Pepper can be cleaned and frozen.  Cut when still partially frozen, stuff and bake.  This takes less time to cook.

If you do much cooking, Grind parsley in small mixer, put into jars and freeze.  Ready to use and smell is great.

Cut scallions into size you usually use and freeze.  Use as you need some.

Chop onions and mince garlic.  Put in airtight container and either keep in refrigerator or freeze if too long a time.  Sautee beautifully like that too.

Wrap a bunch of fresh dill very well in aluminum foil and freeze.  Dill does not last long in refrigerator. When you use it, just roll back the top of foil and snip what you need with a scissors, into your food.  It smells as fresh as the day you bought it.

If you have all these prepared, it cuts you prep time 75% when you want to do something like stuffed peppers, etc.

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