Green Bean Salad with Feta and Preserved Lemons

Need some more ideas for how to use your green beans!  Here's a good one.

Ingredients

2 bunches green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
2/3 of a preserved lemon (see instructions below)
1 tablespoon each lemon thyme and lemon verbena leaves (optional)
Handful of fresh, chopped parsley
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

Steam the green beans in a small amount of water on the stove for approx. 10 min. (or to your desired softness).  Drain beans and rinse in cold water to stop cooking process.

Rinse preserved lemon. Cut off about 2/3 of the lemon, scraping flesh from the rind. Finely chop the rind; save flesh for another purpose.
Remove the leaves from lemon thyme and lemon verbena stems, if using. Mince leaves.

In a large bowl, place minced preserved lemon rind, minced lemon thyme, lemon verbena, and chopped parsley. Add cooled green beans, along with olive oil. Toss until ingredients are incorporated.  Add lemon juice and black pepper. Toss again. Finally, sprinkle crumbled feta over the top.

To Make Preserved Lemons

All you need are washed and preferably organic lemons (either Eurekas or Meyers), kosher salt, and a glass jar with a tight lid that has been sterilized by running it through the dishwasher. Meyer lemons (which are a cross between a lemon and a tangerine or orange) have a floral, complex, and less puckery taste than regular lemons.

Make two cuts in each lemon so that the quarters created remain attached. Stuff kosher salt into the crevices of the lemons, then place salted lemons tightly into the glass jar. If you have one or two leftover lemons, you may squeeze the juice into the jar before closing it, but you don’t have to. This just gives the lemons a little bit of a head start.

Place the jar on a countertop, and then just watch and wait. Over the next few days, more and more juice will exude from the lemons, filling the jar. You can give it a shake now and then — or not — to keep the salt blended well in the liquid. In about three weeks, the lemons will get very soft, and the brining liquid thick and cloudy. Once that happens, you can store the jar in the refrigerator. As long as the brine covers the lemons, they’ll keep for about a year refrigerated.

To use, pick a lemon or part of one out of the jar with a clean fork. Give the lemon a quick rinse. Remove any seeds. Then, use the peel however you like -- chopped or sliced in thin slivers. Some people discard the flesh, but you can add some of the chopped flesh in with the rind in whatever you're making.

Use preserved lemons in your favorite Moroccan chicken tagine recipes. Or stir it into tuna salad for sandwiches, pasta salad, bean salad, vinaigrettes, marinades for fish or Cornish game hens, or in couscous or quinoa topped with toasted pine nuts.

With their bright, salty-citrus taste and jammy texture, you’ll find that preserved lemons add complexity and depth to so many dishes.

Of course, there are faster ways to make preserved lemons. Some people boil the lemons in the jar in a water bath, thereby cooking the lemons, and making them ready to use the very next day. Others freeze the lemons first, so they start to break down.

Total Servings: 4

Adapted from:
The Food Gal

WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

Red Chili Corn Salad with Limas & Tomatoes

Here's a quick and nourishing salad with a gentle spicy kick from chili powder or hot smoked paprika. It makes good work of essential Latin American favorites like corn, tomatoes, cilantro, and lima beans. I like to set them on a bed of baby spinach to supply that green element for a well-rounded entree.

Serves 4 as a side or starter.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh corn kernels (frozen is OK in a pinch)
1 1/2 cups cooked white lima beans, if canned drain and rinse well
1/2 lb. red ripe tomatoes (cherry tomatoes work well)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder or hot smoked paprika
2 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
2 teaspoons agave nectar (or pure maple syrup)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Steam fresh corn on cob for 8-10 min. and remove kernels from cobs when finished.  Or, cut kernels off from cob and steam separately, drain corn into a colander, and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process. Shake the corn to rid of excess water or let drain for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the salad. Place corn in a large mixing bowl and add rinsed lima beans. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add to corn and limas. Stir in finely chopped onion and cilantro.

In a large mixing cup whisk together lime juice, chili powder or paprika, olive oil, agave nectar, dried oregano and salt until combined (my Magic Bullet works great to emulsify dressings). Pour over corn and bean mixture and toss. Sprinkle with cracked pepper to taste. Cover and chill salad for 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Adapted from:  The No Meat Athlete WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

Herb-marinated Grilled Vegetables

Makes 6 to 8 serving.

3/4 c olive oil

1/4 c red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp chopped fresh basil

1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

3 zucchini (and/or yellow squash)

2 large onions

1 eggplant

Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl.

Cut bell peppers into large pieces, discarding seeds and membranes. Cut zucchini and onions into large pieces. Slice eggplant into 1/2-inch slices. Add vegetables to marinade; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

Remove vegetables from marinade, reserving marinade. Grill, uncovered, over medium-high heat (350º to 400º) 10 to 12 minutes or until just tender, basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Coastal Living, MAY 2003

Carrot, Dill, & White Bean Salad Recipe

Serves 6 - 8 as a side  

1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp fine grain salt

1/2 c thinly sliced shallots

more olive oil (or ghee) for cooking

2 c sliced carrots, cut 1/4-inch thick on deep bias

3 c cooked white beans

Scant 1/4 c chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey)

1/3 c sliced almonds, toasted

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and shallots in a small bowl. Stir and set aside.

In your largest skillet over medium high heat, toss the carrots with a splash of olive oil or a spoonful of ghee. Let them cook in a single layer - they'll give off a bit of water at first. Keep cooking, tossing gently every three or four minutes until the carrots are deeply browned. All told, about twelve minutes.

Add the beans and dill to the skillet and cook for another five minutes, or until the beans are well heated through. If you are using beans that weren't canned, you can allow them to brown a bit as well (just cook a bit longer, and stir less frequently) - they can handle this in a way that most canned beans can't. If you need to add a bit more olive oil to the pan - do so.

Place the contents of the skillet in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the brown sugar and pour the 3/4 of the lemon-olive oil mixture over the top. Toss gently. Let sit for ten minutes. Toss gently once again, taste and adjust with more salt or sugar or lemon juice if needed to balance the flavors.

Roasted Beet and Grapefruit Salad

Prep Time: 10 min

Inactive Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min

Serves: 6 servings

6 small beets

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1 med ruby red grapefruit

2 oz alfalfa sprouts, trimmed

Salad dressing:

1/3 c extra-virgin olive oil

1 med shallot, minced

3 pinches salt

10 grinds black pepper

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Thyme leaves from 10 delicate sprigs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Toss whole beets in olive oil and roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until fork tender. Remove beets from oven and let cool 5 minutes before peeling. Slice the beets into eighths.

Remove the peel of the grapefruit with a sharp knife, cutting all the way down to the grapefruit flesh. Then cut the individual grapefruit segments out from their skin, using the supreme technique. Place the grapefruit segments in a bowl. Take the inner grapefruit remains and squeeze whatever juice you can out of it over the top of the grapefruit segments in the bowl.

Make the dressing by mixing together all the dressing ingredients along with all the juice that you can strain from the bowl of grapefruit.

Make a little heap of alfalfa in the middle of the plate. Scatter the cut beets around the plate. Pinch off pieces of the grapefruit segments and scatter them around the plate. Drizzle generously with dressing; top with a couple more grinds black pepper and serve.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/roasted-beet-and-grapefruit-salad-recipe/index.html

Savory Petite Green Beans

¼ c sliced almonds

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 c whole green beans

Dressing:

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 large garlic clove, pressed

1 tsp peeled fresh ginger, minced

3 Tbsp thinly sliced green onions

2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Place almonds in small nonstick skillet.  Stir over medium heat until almonds are lightly toasted, about 3-5 minutes.  Do not take your eye off of the almonds (they are so easy to burn).  Increase heat to medium-high, add 1 tsp olive oil and minced garlic, stir until garlic is lightly browned, about 1 minute.  Set aside and cool.

Steam green beans to bright green and crisp tender (approx. 10 min., depending on amount).  Remove from heat, drain in a colander and immediately plunge beans into ice cold water to stop the cooking.  Drain and set aside.

Whisk rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and soy sauce in large bowl to blend.  Add beans and toss to coat.  Add green onions and almond/garlic mix.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Wilted Garlic Chard Recipe

1 large bunch chard (or kale)
2 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 c parmigiano reggiano, grated (opt)
crushed red pepper flakes

De-stem chard, chop stems, and leaves to desired bite sizes. Saute garlic in olive oil in hot pan for 30 seconds, add chopped stems, and saute for 2-3 min. Add leaves and saute for 2-3 min., until bright green and fork tender. Remove from heat and top with grated cheese, red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Rosemary Beets Recipe

5 large beets, peeled & quartered
1-2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1-2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

Toss and roast in shallow baking dish at 400 degrees F for 30 min. covered and 30 min. uncovered (or until fork tender).