recipe 2 ways: when your boyfriend goes grocery shopping and comes home with a super size bag of green beans

Posted by MrKate on

sometimes Joey goes grocery shopping solo and he often comes home bearing some unusual grocery store finds. on his most recent trip Joey came home with a 2 lb bag of Haricots Verts (which are basically slimmer, more tender green beans - i mean, let's be honest, they're "green beans" in french). did y'all read that? a 2 pound bag of greenbeans! mind you, it's only the two of us eating, except our two cats and last time i checked, they're not huge fans of haricots verts - even if they were smothered in sardines.

thus, my challenge was to figure out what to cook with this lifetime supply of green beans - so here's what i came up with...

1. Green Bean Pasta with Tofu Ricotta 2. Green Bean Salad with Balsamic and Shallots

the culprit! i divided the bag in half: half for the pasta dish and half for the salad. the salad is best left to marinate overnight and it makes a great meal the next day so you don't have to eat green bean pasta with a side of green bean salad! that's pushing it people!

1. Green Bean Pasta with Tofu Ricotta (vegan and gluten free optional) this pasta dish is so good! the tofu ricotta gives it a real creamy, cheesy taste without the guilt. it's also really quick and easy to make. Prep It:
  • 1 bag of pasta - i used brown rice fusilli
  • 1 jar of marinara sauce
  • 1.5 cups of Tofu Ricotta (i got the Tofutti brand at Whole Foods)
  • 2 cloves of garlic - chopped
  • 1 pound of green beans or haricots verts sliced in 1 inch pieces
  • olive oil
DO IT!:
  • boil water for your pasta and after it boils, before you put the pasta in, use tongs to submerge your green beans for a few seconds in the water to tenderize them a bit. then use the water to cook your pasta per the package instructions.
  • in a sauce pan use a couple tablespoons of olive oil over low/medium heat to saute the garlic and your green beans. once the green beans are tender, add your marinara sauce and stir all together.
  • mix your cooked pasta with the sauce and add the ricotta - use more or less, depending on how creamy/salty you want it.
  • serve!

Green Bean Salad with Balsamic and Shallots

serve this salad cold and it's delicious for lunch or a side dish for dinner. you can use a pre-made balsamic dressing, like i did, or make your own. it keeps well in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.

Prep It:

  • 1 pound of green beans (or haricots verts)
  • 2 or 3 shallots - sliced
  • 1.5 cups of mushrooms - sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic - minced
  • balsamic dressing (or make your own with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper)
  • olive oil
DO IT!:
  • in a saucepan with olive oil saute your shallots, mushrooms and garlic over medium/low heat.
  • in a pot with a little water and a steamer basket, steam your green beans until they're bright green and tender. tip: flip the green beans in the steamer basket a couple times as they steam so they cook evenly.
  • mix your sauteed shallots and mushrooms with your freshly steamed green beans and allow to cool to room temp.
  • add your balsamic dressing to taste - i like it pretty well dressed because it will marinate in the fridge and get more flavorful.
  • let your dressed salad chill in the fridge for a couple hours before eating or eat it the next day.
  • yum!

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