I know what I want her to cook for me; chicken with fried potatoes in a light oily broth that I dip with Arabic bread, Stuffed vegetarian cabbage, her aubergine, bread and tahini fate' and many more that I want to share with people on this blog who eat and enjoy to feed people around them.
I usually answer her with 'just soup Taita. I don't feel it is right for me to expect her frail body to be slaving over the kitchen stove for hours,,, but she always laughs and we both know that THAT is not going to happen.
Well in taita's honour today, I will cook long french beans in a tomato and olive oil sauce. Olive oil as you know is used a lot in the Middle East, especially in the Levant area. My Grand mother is not Arabic though, she is Circassian. So some of the dishes are from that side of her culture. She married an Arab whose family was from Syria and that's where a lot of her olive oil based dishes come from.
This is a really tasty dish that, I think is nicest at room temperature. You can have it with bread or rice (less oil and more water in sauce if eaten with rice). This cooking process insures that the beans are full of flavour..
Long Beans in Olive oil and Tomatoes
. 500 g green beans (peal the sides from rough stalks and cut each bean in half)
. 8 Large cloves of garlic crushed with salt
. Half a white or red onion finely chopped
. 8 large red ripe tomatoes or can of Napolina chopped tomatoes
. 3 tsp Napolina tomato puree (with a sprinkle of sugar)
. 3 tble spoons Olive oil
. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
. 1 tsp black pepper
. 1.5 tsp salt
. 1/4 tsp cumin
. 1/4 tsp seven spice
. 1 tble spoon water
. extra olive oil for final drizzle
Cooking time is 25-30 minutes
Fry the onions in oil for 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat with a sprinkle of salt. Once they have completely softened add the beans and finely mushed garlic with the beans and turn and fry on low heat for 2 minute. Add all the spices and salt to coat and flavour the beans and keep turning for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the paste with a little sugar to remove acidity then add your chopped or canned tomatoes plus the tble spoon of water. Raise the heat until boiling for 5 minutes then keep on gentle to medium simmer the rest of the cooking time. The vegetables will release some water so no need to add lots unless the dish is drying out and beans are not cooked.
Stir occasionally until the beans are really soft in texture. Cool down to room temperature and drizzle with extra olive oil and this dish is to be had with pitta bread, some feta cheese or and yoghurt go nicely on the side. Bon Appetite !!
