The ladies in my Turkish Cooking Classes are amazing. One day one of them said “Nese, stop saying it is easy or very common”. She made me realize that some of the things we cook are so basic that I forget that they are not so for others. This dish; Green Beans with Ground Beans is such a good example for these type of dishes.
Whenever it is the season with green beans, I cook it almost once every ten days. It goes perfectly well with rice pilaf and if I am in a good mood with a cold bowl of cacik – cucumber and yogurt salad. Like almost all vegetables it has many vitamins; like A, B and C. It is easily digested, help lower sugar levels, makes one stronger and despite all this it still tastes good. Both my kids and husband likes it.
If you do not want to use ground meat with this recipe and make it vegan, just leave it out and it will be just as good.
When you are preparing the green beans cut off the stems on both ends and then just cut to 2 or 3 pieces depending on how long they are.
If you will go with the meat start with putting the meat in your pot. You might be surprised when I tell you just put it in your pot, slightly spread it around then cook over low heat until it first leaves and then absorbs back its own water. Cover the lid, do not mix it around, do not add anything. Trust me it works. As soon as the water is gone, use the back of a spoon – I prefer to use a wooden one – make the crumbs get loose. Now you are ready for all the other ingredients.
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Cooking ground beef
Then add the chopped onions, garlic and olive oil. Later followed by tomato and/or tomato paste. A little bit of water and the beans and very soon you will be ready to serve.
Read details below in the recipe, Enjoy.
Fine Beans with Ground Meat
Ingredients
- 500 grams fine beans
- 150 grams ground meat
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tomato cubed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste optional
- 100 milliliters warm water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the beans by cutting off the stems on both sides. Then cutting into 2 or 3 parts, depending on the length of each bean. You can cut diagonally if you choose to. Rinse.
- Use ground beef that is around 12% fat.
- Place the meat in your pot without adding anything at all. Cook over low heat, until the meat first leaves and then absorbs back its own water.
- As soon as the water is absorbed add chopped onions and olive oil. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
- Then add the chopped garlic cloves, sauté for another minute.
- Then add the chopped tomatoes. If the tomatoes are not giving enough color you may want to add a tablespoon of tomato paste or use about 100 grams of canned chopped tomatoes. Mix and cook another minute.
- Add the fine beans you had prepared. Add also salt and black pepper. Mix well.
- Add about 100 millliliters warm water. Cover the lid and cook over high heat first, then after the water comes to boil lower the heat and cook until the beans are ready. Taste and decide.
- Serve warm.