Every week grocery stores have sales on select items like these: whole chickens for 99 cents per pound, 8 ears corn for $2, 3 8-ounce cans tomato sauce for $1. Shopping these sales can save you considerable money over time. But some stores quietly offer daily sales of perishables—meat and fish, fresh fruit and vegetables and bakery items—if you know where to look. They’re usually hidden in some obscure corner at the back of the store. If the expiration date is close at hand, you can pick up items at half-price or less, although you will need to cook or freeze them within 24 hours.
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Like you I just bought several cans of beans on sale. I went hog wild stocking up on black beans, garbanzo beans, white beans. The next day, my doctor told me to lay off the beans. He said the best beans for me were green beans -- so help! Do you have any good recipes for green beans?
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that most beans are off-limits, but here's one of my favorite green bean recipes, which is adapted from my book "HELP! My Apartment Has a Dining Room."
DeleteGugerati Beans - serves 4
1 pound fresh green beans
1 teaspoon bottled fresh garlic
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
Half-fill a medium pot with water, cover and begin heating.
Wash the beans and trim the ends. Cut the beans into 1/2-inch lengths. When the water boils, add the beans and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the beans have just begun to soften but are still slightly crisp. Drain them, rinse in cold water and drain again. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, sugar, red pepper flakes and black pepper and cook for about 20 seconds, or until the garlic begins to sizzle. Add the mustard seeds and stir for about 15 seconds. As soon as they get hot and start popping out of the pan, add the beans. Cook for 1 minute, continually stirring, until the beans are heated through and coated with the spices. Serve immediately or reheat when needed.