Did you know that the recipe for spicy green beans came to our house, believe it or not… thanks to a television show? 😃
Now it makes me smile, but back then – really – I had no idea that green beans could be cooked with tomatoes. I had learned from my mom to cook them in the simplest way possible, which is boiled and then sautéed in a pan with oil and garlic, and until that moment that was the only way I thought green beans could be cooked.
After getting married, I had given up on green beans for a while because my husband didn’t like them. I did it to respect his tastes, but mostly for practical reasons, to avoid cooking two different side dishes for just two people. Yeah, little did I know how much I would have to adjust this practical sense of mine after the arrival of the kids and their aversions to vegetables! But that’s another story. 😂
The fact is, going back to the green beans, that day while watching that television show, which unfortunately I don’t remember the title of (it was definitely the time when TV recipes were much rarer than now), I made this fundamental discovery of the existence of spicy beans. I found it to be a fabulous idea and decided to immediately try it on my green bean-averse husband.
Having tried the recipe immediately in a spicy version, it turned out to be a great success, and from that day on (who would have thought?) we discovered it wasn’t true at all that he didn’t like green beans 😅 and the spicy green beans became my favorite way to cook them. Plus, my son also likes them, which, believe me, is quite miraculous.
Moral of the story: sometimes cooking shows are useful!
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Looking for more green bean recipes? 👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
No weights needed, this recipe works perfectly by eye, and the amount of tomato can vary each time.
- green beans
- tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
- hot peppers (or chili powder)
- garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- parsley (or basil or oregano)
Tools
- Pan non-stick
- Saucepan with high edges
How to Prepare Spicy Green Beans
Trim the ends off the green beans and wash them.
Cook the green beans for about 10 minutes in a saucepan with high edges and a closed lid (with a little water).
While the green beans are cooking, prepare a tomato sauce: chop the garlic, briefly sauté it in a pan with a little oil, then add the washed and chopped tomatoes (or the tomato sauce).
Add the parsley (or basil or oregano) and the chili, to taste.
Cook the sauce for about ten minutes.
Drain the green beans and pour them into the sauce.
Mix and cover with a lid.
Continue cooking on low heat for another 10 minutes or so, until the green beans are fully cooked.
Serve the spicy green beans piping hot.
VARIANT
Although I don’t (yet) have a photo to show you, here’s a suggestion: if the sauce turns out to be abundant, besides the obligatory bread for dipping, try cooking a couple of eggs in that sauce. You will achieve, with no effort, a customized version of eggs in purgatory, a delicious vegetarian second course, complete with a side of green beans, which with the addition of two slices of homemade bread becomes an excellent and healthy complete meal.
Salt-Free Tips
You probably don’t need me to tell you anymore because you already know: chili has the amazing ability to trick taste buds into simulating saltiness, so if you’re trying to cut down on salt take advantage of this opportunity and add a pinch of chili to your dishes, having removed all pinches of salt. 😉
You probably don’t need me to tell you anymore because you already know: chili has the amazing ability to trick taste buds into simulating saltiness, so if you’re trying to cut down on salt take advantage of this opportunity and add a pinch of chili to your dishes, having removed all pinches of salt. 😉
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
● Gradually decrease the salt, the palate has to get used to it slowly and shouldn’t notice the progressive reduction.
● Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
● Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
● Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
● Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
● Use my salt-free vegetable granule and gomasio.
● Prefer fresh foods.
● Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
● Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
● Sometimes allow yourself a break from the rules. It’s good for the mood and helps you persevere.
If you don’t want, or can’t, do without salt:
● You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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