Green Beans

Two Side Dishes

Sweet Potato Fries and Three Bean Salad
These recipes feel a little like cheating. They are so easy that I almost think I should not include them here, but I don’t want people to overlook these.

Sweet Potato Fries

I bought a small electric fryer (This is not exactly the model I found at my local Aldi, but it is very similar and for a similar price.) It is just large enough to make one potato’s worth of fries. (Or as my friends from Great Britain would say, “chips”.)

Peel the sweet potato (and of course, these instructions are true for white potatoes.) Cut them into slice 1/4-1/2 inch thick, then cut them again at the same size to make the fries.

Rinse under cold water, then place in a bowl. Fill with water and ice. Let them chill for 30min to overnight.

Get the oil hot, 325F/162C. Use an oil that remain liquid at room temperatures (canola, corn, safflower or peanut work very nicely.) Drain the water off the potatoes, and using a clean cotton towel, get the fries as dry as possible. Carefully place in the oil. Let let cook for 6-8 minutes. They will start to get limp. Remove them from the oil and let drain. set them aside to rest.

Turn the heat up to 350F/175C. When hot, place the fries back in the oil for 1 minute. they will quickly get golden brown. Serve immediately.

Three Bean Salad
Makes approximately 8 portions (1 cup each)
2 cans cut green bean
1 can cut wax (yellow) beans
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed until clear
1 medium onion, slice thinly.
apple cider vinegar 
sugar (or I used Splenda)
Salt and pepper to taste
Place everything in a non-reactive bowl (glass is best). I try to find low sodium versions of the vegetables. That way, if you need to add a bit more, you are in control of how much is added.
Mix the dressing (equal parts vinegar and sweetener.) I make it in small amount ata time until I get enough. How much is enough? Hard to say, but after placing all the vegetables in the bowl, you want to add enough dressing to come about 3/4 of the way to the top. It’s okay if not everything is submerged. The onions will get soft and collapse, and the beans will give off their own juice. 
Mix together, season as needed, cover and refrigerate overnight. This is a salad that tastes better a few days after making it.
Nutritional data (using Splenda, and no-salt-added vegetables)
Calories:       149
Fat:                     0g
Sat fat:                0g
Chol:                0mg
Sodium:    295.6mg
Carbs:            32.6g
Fiber:               6.7g
Protein:            6.7g
Most of the calories and carbs are from the kidney beans.
I served these sides with burgers, fresh off the grill. I dressed my bun with Vidalia onion and avocado slices (on the bottom bun) with a dollop of coarse German mustard on top of the meat.

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Green Beans and Butternut Squash

Green Beans and Butternut Squash
Serves Variable

This is a wonderful cool weather meal. It is very well-suited to pork dishes, but hearty fish (salmon), lamb or venison would be equally good.

On my podcast, Make Your Someday Today, many guests talk about need to make adaptations to changing conditions. When you make a side dish like that, you have automatic flexibility. You can prepare whichever meat you have in your freezer or is on sale at your local market. And this dish simply looks good!

Fresh green beans
Medium butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil

I didn’t weigh the ingredients, so I don’t know how much to tell you to use. I used about 4 cups of beans and 2 cups of squash and got 4 large portions from it.

  1. Put a large pot of water on the stove, and turn to high
  2. Peel the squash. 
  3. Cut into approximately 1/2 inch (10mm) slices. Then cut them into cubes.
  4. Trim the ends off the beans, and wash under cold water.
  5. Heat a large non-stick pan over med-high heat. Spray with cooking spray.
  6. Place squash in pan. Let them saute a bit until the first side begins to brown, then start to toss every minute or so to evenly brown them.
  7. When the water comes to a boil, place all the beans in. Prepare a colander in the sink.
  8. After one minute, pour the pot of beans into colander. (You just “blanched” those beans.)
  9. Let them drip dry for a minute, then add them to the large skillet. Continue to toss until the beans are heated through. 
  10. When done, the squash will retain its shape, but be easy to piece with a fork, and the beans will be hot, yet still have crispness. (If you want the beans softer, keep them in the water for an additional 2-3 minutes.) 
Nutritional data:
Calories:           96
Fat:               3.8mg
Sat fat:             0.6g
Chol:                0mg
Sodium:         9.4mg
Carbs:             15.8g
Fiber:                4.4g
Protein:             2.7g

This is excellent with grilled pork chops, by the way!
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My podcast, Make Your Someday Today is a twice-weekly show, where we talk to successful people in all walks of life and around the world on Monday, and then on Thursday, I take a specific message from the previous guest and give my “Trevitorial”, where I help you apply that message to your life. The entire purpose of the show is to help all of us overcome our challenges and fears and become the person we want to be, the person we deserve to be. I hope you give it a listen! 

Fried Chicken with Sauteed Green Beans and Squash

Buttermilk Breaded Fried Chicken 
6 pieces
I have NEVER deep fried chicken at home before, only when I worked at a fast food restaurant 26 years ago. I don’t know why I have never done it. I will certainly do it again, because that chicken was incredible. The coating was crisp and crunchy, but it did not all fall off with the first bite and the meat was tender and juicy.
6 pieces of chicken (I used skin-on thighs and drumsticks)
1 cup buttermilk (I used low fat version) 
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour 
1 tablespoon corn starch (increases the crispiness of the breading)
Seasoning of choice (I used garlic and onion powder, and black pepper)
Oil for frying
  1. Season the chicken and let sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
  2. Pour buttermilk into medium bowl and add egg. Whisk together.
  3. Put flour, corn starch and seasoning into a shallow dish.
  4. With your left hand, pick up one piece of chicken and coat with buttermilk mix. Lay it on the flour.
  5. With your right hand, toss the chicken until it is completely coated with flour mix. Remove to a clean plate. (I really don’t care which hand dips into the buttermilk and which does the flour, but if you keep your hands separate, it won’t be a messy.)
  6. Preheat the oil in a deep kettle or stock pot. I used a large cast iron Dutch oven outside on the side burner of my grill. You want the oil to be 375F. If you have one, use a thermometer. How much oil depends on the size of the pan, but you need at least an inch of oil.
  7. When it is hot, carefully place 3-4 pieces into the oil, or as many that will fit leaving room between them.
  8. Turn them when they begin to get golden brown (3-5 minutes). Let the second side cook an equivalent time and remove to a cooling rack to let excess oil drip off.
  9. Serve! It goes well with a full bodied beer.
    The side dish is simply a butternut squash, peeled and cubed, with fresh green bean. I sauteed the squash in a tablespoon oil tossing frequently until just starting to get brown. Then I added the green beans (I didn’t measure or weight. Use at many as you want.) Again, toss frequently, and serve when the beans are hot.
    Nutritional data: per piece of chicken, with the skin on
    Calories:         270
    Fat:              16.5g
    Sat fat:           2.6g
    Chol:       115.6mg
    Sodium:       96mg
    Carbs:           7.7g
    Fiber:            0.5g
    Protein:          22g
    Note: Use that nutritional data with a “grain of salt.” Every piece of chicken can be a different size. If you remove the skin before eating, you will get less fat and cholesterol. If you use a salted spice, you will have more sodium. This recipe is more about how to do it, rather than about the exact end result.

Sauteed Green Beans and Butternut Squash

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Sauteed Green Beans and Butternut Squash
Serves 4

1 pound fresh or frozen whole green beans (4 cups)
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes (2 cups)
3 teaspoons olive oil
2 clove garlic, sliced thinly
Salt and/or Pepper

  1. Preheat a 10-11″ non-stick skillet over med-high heat.
  2. Add 1 teaspoon oil. When it is hot, add the squash cubes.
  3. Saute for 4-5 minutes, until the cubes begin to get lightly browned. Remove from the skillet, cover and keep warm.
  4. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to skillet. When hot, add green beans.
  5. Toss frequently, until the beans become hot and are beginning to lightly brown (4-5 minutes if fresh, 7-10 minutes if frozen.)
  6. Return the squash to the skillet. Add garlic. Toss together until thoroughly hot (1-3 minutes.) Season with salt/pepper as desired.
  7. Serve.

Nutritional data:
Calories:      64
Fat:            2.5g
Sat fat:       0.4g
Chol:            0mg
Sodium:     6.3mg
Carbs:      10.6g
Fiber:         2.9g
Protein:      1.8g