Monday, August 27, 2012

Unbeanlievably delicious



What's your most hated vegetable?

Broccoli? - this maligned vegetable received extra scrutiny back in 1990 when President George H. W. Bush vowed that, as the most powerful man in the free world, he would no longer eat it.

Beets? Lots of people dislike beets. I myself never tasted a beet until adulthood, though now I love them. And beets are on the menu these days, in many a fine restaurant.

Brussels sprouts? Once hated, now a new trendy hit in restaurants, roasted with garlic and bacon.

Lima beans? Suffering succotash! I think it's high time for the rehabilitation of the lima bean, and I have just the recipe to do it.


Greek Style lima beans

1 (10-ounce) package frozen baby lima beans
1 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

 Put all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer, covered, over a low heat for 20 minutes. Serve.

I made some this evening to compliment a grilled pork tenderloin. I didn't have any parsley, but I had the leafy tops of some celery, so I chopped that up. I also tossed in some dried thyme, red pepper flakes, and some chopped onions.

Simple, isn't it? You cannot believe how good this is. There's a richness to it that surprises. You can add some variations - chopped mint leaves perhaps. Different herbs. A chopped tomato, or some chopped bell peppers of any color. You can toss with feta cheese, perhaps. Or use chicken broth instead of water, for even more flavor.


Of course, it's better with fresh shelled beans, but what's amazing about it is that it's great even with frozen beans. You can have a package in your freezer and use them any time you're at a loss for fresh veggies.

Vegetable rehabilitation! What's next?

6 comments:

smalltownme said...

Can you make me like eggplant?

Susan B said...

I've always loved lima beans. I'm the only person I know who can say that.
;-) Your recipe sounds delicious!

Claudia from Idiot's Kitchen said...

This sounds really good. I recently had an amazing dinner in Kansas City of halibut on a succotash of limas, red bell peppers, and roasted corn. So good. I will definitely give this a try.

Oh, and for eggplant haters...I suggest stuffing them with Italian sausage and cheese. Made a believer out of my husband. (but he still won't touch beets...oh well, more for me!)

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

I like the first three, but I've always hated lima beans.
~

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

I have always loved lima beans. Weird, I know! Just cook them up according to the directions on the bag (frozen kind) and add butter.
Now I want some tonight!

I like eggplant when it becomes Eggplant Parmigiana. Mmmmmmm....

Anonymous said...

Beans are wonderful. I have not eaten a beet since I could say Nothankyou and get away with it.
Jenny