Green Beans with Garlic

This recipe illustrates the technique of steaming to pre-cook and then a quick sauté to heat and add flavor. Make this once and you can start thinking about substitutions: olive oil instead of butter; shallots or ginger along with or instead of the garlic; parsley or another fresh herb sprinkled on top; and finally - use any vegetable or combination of them you like.

Try this method for preparing broccoli and spinach, using olive oil in place of the butter.

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1 pound green beans

2 tablespoons butter

A clove of garlic, minced

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Instructions:

▪ Trim off both ends of the beans and rinse them under cool water. Insert a steaming rack in a saucepan with a tightly fitting cover. Add water just up to the bottom of the steaming rack, add the beans, cover, and set on high heat.

▪ Check after 5 minutes by grabbing a bean with some tongs, running cold water on it to cool it, and biting into it. You want it to be a little crunchy but past the raw stage, and when they are at this point remove them from the stove, drain off the hot water and run cold water over them to stop them from cooking further. Drain them and set them aside. You can do this ahead of time, and if it is hours ahead of serving time, refrigerate them.

▪ About 10 minutes before you are ready to eat, put the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes until it softens. Add the beans and cook them, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until they are warm enough to serve. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl.