If you’re searching for an obligatory vegetable dish to go with your main dish, try this recipe for green beans. It’s much easier to prepare than a vegetable stir-fry, which requires a combination of different vegetables, usually carrots, sweet peas, cabbage, cauliflowers.
And since the beans are cooked, they’re safer to eat than a raw salad, which may sometimes contain pesticides and other undesirable elements.
This recipe is especially useful when you’re very busy and you can snatch only one variety of vegetable in the supermarket.
I like using French beans because they’re sweeter and more tender than our native sitaw. They also differ slightly from Baguio beans in that they’re thinner and shorter.
But while they’re called French beans, they’re actually grown locally. If you can’t find French beans, you can substitute Baguio beans.
You can partially prepare this dish ahead and keep them chilled in the refrigerator. A few minutes before serving time, all you’ll have to do is prepare the topping of garlic, butter and bacon.
The toppings add some pizzazz to the beans—and may yet convince picky eaters to eat their vegetables without much prodding.
French Beans with Garlic Butter and Bacon
150 g French beans
4 c water, for boiling the French beans
1 tbsp salt, for boiling the French beans
2 c ice-cold water
3 strips bacon
1/3 c butter
2 tbsp chopped garlic
Salt, for seasoning
Wash and trim the French beans. In a large cooking pot, bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the French beans. Let boil for three to four minutes, or until tender.
Drain the beans then transfer them to a bowl of ice cold water. Let stand for one minute then transfer the beans to a dry container. Keep chilled in refrigerator until almost time to serve.
Just before serving, cook the bacon in a grill pan until crisp. Dice the bacon then set aside. Heat butter in a saucepan and add the garlic. Cook over low heat until butter melts.
To serve: Transfer the beans to a serving dish. Season with salt to taste. Pour the melted butter and garlic over the beans. Sprinkle the diced bacon on top. Serve immediately.