Nutrition, recipe, Vegetables

Not so mean green beans

My favorite way to prepare green beans! The best part is Andrew, my husband, ate every last bite of his! Y’all, this is an accomplishment in itself. Andrew is the outdoorsman type. He doesn’t like to eat anything green…or orange for that matter. It’s a struggle in the Robinson house some nights. He does love salad, though, so that’s good.

Be careful when choosing green beans to cook. The key thing to remember about canned goods is that they are going to be loaded with sodium to help prolong shelf life. When planning your weekly meal preps, purchase what you need then. This way you can buy fresh and it’ll get eaten. This will help avoid loading shelves with tons of canned goods you think look pretty good then, two years later find them on the back of your shelf.

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The ingredient list doesn’t look too bad! Not too many ingredients and none you can’t pronounce. However! Check out the sodium level. Now, I’ve mentioned before I’m a bit of a stickler when it comes to sodium. What do you think is going to happen to those beans when they’re heated and out on the dinner table? More salt will be added. Sodium isn’t always bad, but only in moderation. It’s tough to keep the sodium levels under daily recommendation because it’s in EVERYTHING! This is why I hardly use salt (sea salt actually). When I do, it’s typically on a natural product so I can control how much I’m consuming.

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It’s hard to make out, but can you see the ingredient list in the top pic? Very bottom, written in black. I know, not very good marketing, but the ingredient list says “French beans”. That’s it. Just the beans. That’s perfect. Now check out the second photo. See the sodium level? ZERO!! Woohoo, I love it!

When preparing these, I boiled them in water (no salt) for a few minutes which is also something I don’t typically like to do. ‘Ever notice how after boiling vegetables like beans, carrots, potatoes, etc that the water turns the color of the veggie? The vegetable loses some nutrients when cooked. As I mentioned before, my husband has told me he does not like green beans, not at all, won’t touch them, not interested, period. I accepted this challenge and was willing to cook them to a way he would like them. Hey, it’s better than him eating macaroni as a side item.

So anyway, I boiled the beans for only a few minutes then sautéed them in olive oil with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. This is one of those instances I’d add my own salt in small amounts.

 

Ingredients:

  • green beans
  • 1/3 c freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbs olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. boil green beans in pot of water for 3-5 minutes then, strain beans.
  2. over medium-high heat, add olive oil to pan and add minced garlic. Sauté garlic to release flavor and aroma. Do not let garlic brown, it will happen fast.
  3. Add your green beans and salt & pepper, making sure to cover all beans.
  4. Add parmesan cheese and turn off heat. Be sure to cover beans in all ingredients.

Mmmmm yum! Now, time to enjoy. Comment and let me know how much you love them.