I DREAM OF GREEN BEANS!

 

If there is one thing  designed to kindle my gardening partner's passions at the allotment, it's not me in my grubby gardening gear waving the trowel at him  - it's the runner bean. He has a mini fling with the sweetcorn but his real love affair is with the Scarlet Emperor. 
From the moment we sow the tiny seedlings, (or I when I sowed them this year and they dared not to show their plant like faces for what felt like an eternity and he panicked that we would have none!)  nothing gets more nurturing,  water or undivided attention than the beautiful  red flowers  cascading downwards to tempt him. 

 

 And we are picking early this year so I decide to try a new recipe - a green bean and chicken casserole - poached from a book at the library but sadly I can't remember which one so am probably breaching copyright here!

•  The quantities I'm using would amply serve two.  The recipe uses chicken thighs (skin on) but I used a standard pack of chicken breast mini fillets from Aldi and pan fried them in oil until browned and then set them to one side.
• I then softened a large chopped onion and added two cloves of garlic, a large heaped tablespoon of hot smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne.  Then add about 80grams of tomato puree.  You need plenty of paprika and puree to give the casserole plenty of depth. 
• Then add a couple of sliced carrots, 300grams of sweet potatoes cut into chunks and coat in the tomato mixture.
• Add a 400grams tin of tomatoes and enough water so all meat and veggies are submerged.
• Boil, then simmer for about 25 minutes until  everything is cooked through.

Add 250grams of green beans five or ten minutes before the end and cook till tender.  I used our runner beans but think dwarf beans might work better in this recipe.

 



 

This ancient metal contraption from Ebay , reminiscent of traditional family days in the kitchen way back when, makes the job of slicing the beans a breeze.