Recipe and photography by Faith Gorsky ofwww.AnEdibleMosaic.com
Middle Eastern Spiced Green Beans withMcEvoy Ranch Organic Traditional Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oiland Tomato (Loubieh bil Zayt) is a dish that’s simple to make, but complex in flavor. This dish is heady with aromatic spices, onion, and garlic, and the green beans take on a nutty flavor after being toasted in olive oil.
TIP: Use one of ourAgrumato Olive Oilsfor added flavor!
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons McEvoy Ranch Organic Traditional Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 lb (450 g) green beans, stem ends trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch (2.5-5 cm) pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed in a mortar and pestle with ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 lb (450 g) tomatoes (about 3 medium), diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup (125 ml) water
Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large lidded skillet over medium heat; add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the green beans and sauté until they start to take on a little color, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, and nutmeg, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and water and bring up to a boil. Cover the skillet, turn the heat down to simmer, and cook until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the beans are tender, uncover the skillet, turn the heat up to moderately-high, and cook until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
For the Meat Lovers: This dish is also wonderful with the addition of beef or lamb stew meat that’s been cooked until melt-in-your-mouth-tender.