Spicy Moroccan Green Beans

This recipe is adapted from one I found in a peculiar little "Stand Up and Flip Over " cookbook I bought at MacKay. This book is a flip chart in a box, a novel concept but most probably already out of date thanks to kitchen computers. None the less, I tried this recipe since I had a bag of green beans from Howell's farm truck.


I am not a southerner, but I have lived in the South for so long that I prefer the Southern way with green beans. Others may like beans cooked al dente or snappy. I like mine melted and disintegrating. I did not take this recipe that far, but I did cook the beans in the tomato sauce long enough to let them absorb the sauce and the cayenne. Had I followed the book time I would have had crispier beans with the sauce riding around on them like salsa on a tortilla chip. Instead of 25 minutes I cooked the beans for an hour and a half, and let the sauce reduce. I also used canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh for I have no patience with peeling and seeding. My motto when cooking is that little is sacred, and it is my kitchen and I am free to do as I like.



One pound of green beans

1/4 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, diced or put through a press

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 1/2 cups diced canned tomatoes

Sea salt

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper



Heat the olive oil in a skillet, then add the onion and saute until soft and translucent. Then add the garlic and saute for a minute or two. Now add the tomatoes and flavor with sea salt. Add the cayenne and taste. Add more if you like more heat.
Now add the beans and one inch of water to come almost to the top of the beans. Bring to a boil, the reduce heat and and cook 30 minutes to an hour and a half , depending on how soft you like your beans. If you opt for the longer cooking time leave the skillet lid slightly askew so the liquid can reduce. Stir from time to time and taste to adjust salt or cayenne.


Serves four. This goes well with braised leg of lamb.