“My mom’s family is Lebanese. That spells good food! Growing up, the buffet was jammed with dishes at our gatherings, complete with 3 or 4 meat options and at least 4 or 5 vegetables and salads. There were platters of hummus, stuffed grape leaves, kibbeh as appetizers and homemade baklava for dessert. All of my aunts are terrific cooks. We wanted to learn their secrets so that we could be of help AND have these favorites more often. Mostly, I watched and listened because no one could provide any written measures or recipes. “How much salt?” I asked my Great Aunt Anna, who immigrated to Brooklyn via Ellis Island in her early 20s and was the master of the kitchen. She took her thumb to the first joint of her pinkie and replied, ‘Like-a this.’ And so it is that I offer one of our mainstays for holiday meals, the green beans. I recommend making them the day ahead. The flavors absorb overnight and then season to taste as you reheat the next day. We usually double this (yes, that’s 6 pounds) because they are terrific left over, served with rice and a salad as an easy post-holiday meal. I recommend engaging couch potatoes in bean snapping while they are gathering vital pregame football stats.
Ingredients
- Fresh green beans, washed and trimmed (no strings!)
- 2 cups chopped yellow onions, (approximately 2 medium-sized)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil (or butter or canola, if you prefer)
- 1 can tomato purée, (10 ounce or whatever the new sized cans are)
- 2–4 tablespoons tomato paste, or to your liking*
- Water, as called for
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (Green beans need salt. It takes quite a bit, but be careful: The salt settles in as they cook.)
- Dash of cayenne or red pepper flakes, if you like that hint of heat aftertaste
- *note: IF I have fresh tomatoes from the garden, I skin, core, seed and chop 4–6, adjusting the amount of paste and purée.
Preparation
Heat olive oil in a large sturdy pot on medium heat.
Add chopped onions and sauté until light brown. Do not OVER brown! I add the dash of cayenne or red pepper flakes for blending. )
Add green beans and ¼ cup water and gently toss with onions and oil. Allow green beans to steam until the “raw” smell if gone—usually 5–10 minutes.
Add tomato purée, tomato paste and chopped tomatoes if you have them. Add water to nearly cover beans, about 1 cup. Bring to boil.
Lower heat to low or medium-low and cook gently for about an hour, according to your tenderness liking and when most of liquid is absorbed. We like a bit of juice if we are serving them over rice. Adjust seasonings to taste. Store in refrigerator 2 days and reheat to serve hot or at room temperature.
Finish with a squeeze of lemon and/or a drizzle of olive oil.
* Meat option: 1 pound lamb or sirloin, cut in ¾-inch cubes. Brown lamb or beef first in oil, then brown onions and continue recipe.
