Green Beans

I was never a picky eater. As a child, I loved vegetables. I seriously could not eat enough of them. For a snack, I was never given junk food as a snack. I never did have much of a sweet tooth but I would run a train on a plate of veggies. My mom always had a box of cookies in the cupboard just in case I or my brother wanted cookies for an after-school snack. The bag usually ended up being tossed a year later due to staleness.

This was one of many recipes my mom made often - on request. Usually paired with Liver and Onions. and mashed potatoes. That was my favourite meal growing up. Have I mentioned that I had weird tastes for a child?

Ingredients

Oil - about 2 T (Any oil will do as long as it is a light tasting oil that doesn't burn too easily. I personally use a lot of olive oil as it is very light tasting, but in a pinch canola oil or safflower oil is just as good.)

1Lb Green Bean - (trim the ends off. You can either leave the green bean full length or cut them into smaller pieces. My mom usually left them full length as I had a hard time with forks and it was easier to pick them up and eat with my hands.)

Jalapeno Pepper (To taste - I usually end up using 4-5 even though my mother used only part of 1 pepper. But then again I use Sriracha like it is Katsup. Feel free to omit this if you are not a fan of heat. Quarter the peppers lengthwise, remove the seeds and then mince finely)

Salt - to taste (If you are on a sodium reduced diet you can omit this or use a minimal amount. I find it does bring out the flavours even if you only use a pinch. You can use regular table salt for this recipe but I use sea salt or Himalyan pink salt. Seriously try it. Regular salt is boring once you try the good stuff. )

1T Lemon juice (I always have a container of lemon juice in the fridge. I go through so much it is much more convenient to purchase from the store than squeeze your own. I personally do not see a difference between store bought and freshly squeezed unless you are making iced tea or lemonade. But, in a recipe like this, it makes no difference. )

You will need

Stove Top burner

Large skillet, preferably with a fitted lid. If you do not have a lid, you can improvise and place a sheet of tin foil over the skillet. The lid helps keep the heat in and helps the beans cook on the stove top. You can also go without but I fidn the beans stay crunchier when cooked without. It is really up to your personal preference. Also having a lid on helps stop the oil spatter from getting all over the cook top and walls making clean up easier.

Directions

In a large skillet large enough to lay out the green beans in a flat layer, heat the oil over medium-high. To see if it is hot enough, throw a small drop of water into the oil. If you do not hear it sizzling, it is not hot enough.

Add the green beans and Jalapeno peppers. Season with salt if you are using any.

Cover the skillet and allow to cook, stirring occasionally until the beans are tender and browned in places.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. At this point, you can season it with a little more salt, if desired. To be honest, I prefer adding salt at the table as some people use less than others.