When I was growing up, I used to call these skinny green beans, string beans. They were some of my favorite veggies to eat.
I still love string beans but now, as an adult who cooks her own food, I never quite know what to do with them. They’re great in stir fries and I like to eat them raw with hummus, but other than that, most string bean recipes leave me wanting more.
For the past few summers I’d get ambitious and buy some string beans, but I’d end up not using them and letting them rot in my fridge. Not cool.
This year I decided to try and come up with something fresh that would make me excited to eat string beans, since they’re one of the very few green veggies that happen to thrive during the summer. Or at least summer in the desert, which is where I live right now.
When I first made this recipe, I didn’t expect it to turn out quite as well as it did. It’s really simple, with no spices other than salt and pepper. Truth is, simplicity wins almost ever single time.
Try this and let me know what you think. It’s my new summer favorite. I think you’ll dig it, too!
String Bean Saute with Rice and Summer Squash
Serves 4
Ingredients~
3/4 cups rice plus 1 1/2 cups water
1 bunch of spring onions, chopped
2 small cloves garlic, miced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups string (green) beans, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 small zucchini, sliced into half moons
1 small yellow squash, peeled and sliced into half moons
olive oil
salt, pepper to taste
Directions~
Make your rice like you usually do. You can make it earlier in the day or while you’re working on the other parts of this meal. I like making it earlier because then it’s not hot and wet when I put the veggies in, which I prefer. But that’s up to you.
On to the veggies.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the zucchini and squash with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Place them on a baking sheet and cook for 10-15 minutes, until soft.
While the squash is cooking, heat some olive oil in a large pan. Add in the spring onions and garlic, stirring well at medium heat. Cook for just a minute or 2 — don’t let the garlic burn! Then add in the yellow pepper. Keep stirring those veggies while they saute so nothing burns. When the yellow peppers are soft, add in the string beans and the almonds. Cook until the string beans are bright green and tender.
When the saute is done, combine it with the rice and the squash. Mix it up really well.
Add a little salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
