Turn Green Beans into an Athenian Delicacy

Years ago I spent a summer in Greece as a high school exchange student and learned a lot about Greek cooking.  I didn’t put it into practice, though, until I finished college and moved into my own apartment.

My first attempt was making Spanakopita, which are small pastries stuffed with spinach and cheese. I liked eating them, but making them was a disaster because I had no clue how to handle phyllo dough.  I still can’t do it well, so I order them at a restaurant.

There are other Greek dishes I like that are much easier to prepare, including Roasted Leg of Lamb and Greek Salad.  I also make Athenian Green Beans, which are basically green beans cooked in an onion, garlic and tomato sauce until the beans are very soft.  That usually takes about an hour.  At the end of cooking, these beans don’t look fancy.  They look messy, but that’s part of their charm.  The taste makes up for it.

Athenian Green Beans – serves 3-4 (adapted from "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen!") 

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 6-oz can tomato sauce + 1 can water + more water if needed
1/2 pound (8 oz.) fresh green beans, stem end trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

Begin heating the oil in a heavy-duty frying pan or medium-size pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute stirring frequently.  Be careful not to burn the garlic. 

Add the tomato sauce and water and stir until well combined.  Add the beans, salt and black pepper and stir again. 

Turn down the heat to very low and cook, covered, for about 1 hour, or until the beans are very soft.  Stir occasionally to make sure the beans don’t burn. If the mixture gets too thick, add a few tablespoons water.  Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate until needed.

                    For easy recipes, order "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen!"