I was browsing my recipes and I realized that it has been a long time since I have posted a Greek dish. The reason is because I don’t cook so much Greek meals as International ones. I leave the traditional Greek food to my mother, who cooks for us a few days during the week.
But, I have started a diet, formally and officiallyand this type of meal is in my week’s schedule, so what a better opportunity to make it and write about it!
This type of meal belongs to a category called in Greek, ‘Ladera’, which means ‘Oily’ and took its name by the fact that you pour a good amount of olive oil towards the end of cooking. Of course, nowadays the quantity of oil in the dish has decreased, for health and dietary reasons. I am giving you the lighter version here and if you ever decide to make them remember that this dish goes perfectly with feta cheese and warm bread!
Flat Beans with Tomato and Olive Oil (Fasolakia Ladera)
Ingredients
1 kilo/2 pounds flat beans
1 green pepper, sliced
1 big onion, chopped
400 gr./14 oz chopped tomatoes in their juice
1 cup water
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup olive oil or 1/4 cup if you want it even lighter
2 tsp sugar
2 bay leaves
A bunch of parsley finely chopped
Pepper
Instructions
1. In a big pot pour the 3 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the onion and peppers.
2. Add the flat beans and sauté for couple of minutes.
3. Pour the tomatoes and their juice, the water, the nutmeg, the cinnamon, the bay leaves, the sugar and pepper.
4. When it starts to boil, lower the heat to medium and let it cook for an hour and a half or until they are soft. If you see that they need more liquid, just add some more water about ¼ cup per time.
5. You taste and if they are soft, throw the parsley, the salt and the olive oil and let them boil for another 10 to 15 minutes.
6. If they are still firm let them boil for another 10 minutes and then check them again.
They go perfectly with feta cheese and warm, straight from the oven, bread!
I am sending this to Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen!
- 1 kilo/2 pounds flat beans
- 1 green pepper, sliced
- 1 big onion, chopped
- 400 gr./14 oz chopped tomatoes in their juice
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- A bunch of parsley finely chopped
- Pepper
- In a big pot pour the 3 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the onion and peppers.
- Add the flat beans and sauté for couple of minutes.
- Pour the tomatoes and their juice, the water, the nutmeg, the cinnamon, the bay leaves, the sugar and pepper.
- When it starts to boil, lower the heat to medium and let it cook for an hour and a half or until they are soft. If you see that they need more liquid, just add some more water about ¼ cup per time.
- You taste and if they are soft, throw the parsley, the salt and the olive oil and let them boil for another 10 to 15 minutes.
- If they are still firm let them boil for another 10 minutes and then check them again. They go perfectly with feta cheese and warm, straight from the oven, bread!
- 1 κιλό φασολάκια
- 1 πράσινη πιπεριά, κομμένη σε φέτες
- 1 μεγάλο κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
- 400 γρ. κονκασέ
- 1 φλιτζάνι νερό
- 3 κ.σ. ελαιόλαδο
- 2 κ.γ. αλάτι
- ½ κ.γ. τριμμένο μοσχοκάρυδο
- ½ κ.γ. κανέλα
- ⅓ φλιτζάνι ελαιόλαδο
- 2 κ.γ. ζάχαρη
- 2 φύλλα δάφνης
- μια χούφτα κομμένο μαιντανό
- Πιπέρι
- Σε μια κατσαρόλα βάζουμε τις 3 κ.σ. του ελαιολάδου και σωτάρουμε το κρεμμύδι και τις πιπεριές.
- Προσθέτουμε τα φασολάκια και σωτάρουμε για δύο λεπτά.
- Ρίχνουμε το κονκασέ, το νερό, το μοσχοκάρυδο, την κανέλα, τα φύλλα δάφνης, την ζάχαρη και το πιπέρι.
- Όταν αρχίζει να βράζει, χαμηλώνουμε τη θερμοκρασία στο μέτριο και το μαγειρεύουμε για μία με μιάμιση ώρα.
- Αν δείτε ότι χρειάζονται περισσότερα υγρά, απλά να προσθέστε νερό περίπου ¼ φλιτζάνι τη φορά.
- Όταν μαλακώσουν αρκετά, ρίξτε το μαϊντανό, το αλάτι και το ελαιόλαδο και αφήστε τα να βράζουν για άλλα 10 με 15 λεπτά.
- Αν κρατάνε ακόμα, αφήστε τα να βράσουν για 10 λεπτά και στη συνέχεια ελέγξτε τα ξανά.
- Πάνε τέλεια με τυρί φέτα και ζεστό, κατευθείαν από το φούρνο, ψωμί!
