This is perfect for summer picnics. The dressing and accoutrements also work for other early summer veggies, if you’re not crazy about green beans or partial to yellow beans (my favorites). I’ve used this recipe and the dressing to make a slightly different dish with raw broccoli rabe or steamed potatoes!
Because of their green color (or yellow for yellow beans), we don’t think about beans having carotenoids. They do! Recent studies have confirmed the presence of lutein, beta-carotene, violaxanthin, and neoxanthin in green beans.
More good news about this dish: you can serve it warm or cold, and it keeps for 3-4 days.
Serves 4
| 6 C green or yellow beans, cut into | 1 tsp Spike seasoning mix (salted) |
| bite-sized pieces | ½ tsp good salt (Celtic, Himalayan, Real) |
| 1 C raw shredded carrots | ¼ C rice wine vinegar (Mirin) |
| ½ C diced celery | ¼ C extra virgin olive oil |
| ½ C diced red onion | 2 Tbsp tamari |
| 2 cloves garlic, pressed | 1 C torn herbs like cilantro, parsley, mint |
Put a cup of water in a pot, add beans, steam three minutes. Drain water into a drinking glass and either sip when it’s cool or save for soup stock or as a liquid when you cook a grain. Put beans in a colander and run them under cold water for a minute. Drain and add to a large bowl.
Wash and trim carrots. Don’t bother to peel because you’re using everything organic. Organic=no need to peel! Grate with a hand box grater or your food processor. Add carrots together with diced celery, 2 cloves garlic pressed and all the remaining ingredients. Just add them one by one, right into the bowl. When they’re all there, toss with your hands or a spoon or rubber spatulas. Taste. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.
Think you saw this dish being made on our TV cooking show, Eat Well Be Happy? You’re right! Robin and I made it on air. You can watch all Eat Well Be Happy’s episodes at www.DebrasNaturalGourmet.com streaming all the time to anyone anywhere on any device, on your public access television station.
What’s your favorite show so far?
