The subject of green beans brings us to the Department of Pet Peeves. We all have our sore points, and among ours is the failure of nutritionists to even mention vegetables such as green beans as a source of a mineral that so many of us could use more of - iron.
Sure, some of the iron in flesh foods such as meats is the most absorbable heme form, and nonmeat sources don't have any heme iron. But nonheme iron is hardly worthless; it supplies a healthy percentage of the iron that we get. And this is our complaint: Nutritionists are so taken with the heme iron in meats that they forget to give fair credit to vegetable sources.
Green beans are a case in point; a small, ½ cup serving of fresh cooked green beans gives you a milligram of iron in only 20 calories. A food that packs this amount of iron into so few calories deserves some credit.
Of course, green beans have received their due on other counts; they are credited for their low fat and sodium content and as a source of potassium and fiber.
Good green beans are a lively green and free of brown spots or discoloration. Small ones tend to be the most flavorful and tender, so as a general rule, leave behind those that are fatter than a pencil. Beans that bend rather than snap are not fresh.
To keep beans at their best, rinse, but do not dry them, then wrap them in perforated plastic bags and refrigerate. They will last up to two weeks with good care. If you want to keep them longer, blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling water, pat dry, wrap and freeze - you may be able to keep them for as long as a year. Frozen or fresh, 1 pound of green beans yields 4 cups of trimmed and chopped green beans.
Green beans take little time to cook; a pound will take about 4 minutes when simmered in water. They also can be steamed, sautéed, stir fried, or microwaved. In fact, beans microwave beautifully, but to ensure even cooking, chop them before cooking.
The flavor of green beans gets along famously with that of mushrooms, almonds, sweet peppers, or corn.
To do something different try these suggestions:
Chop raw green beans and add to tuna or pasta salads
Add chopped green beans to soups or stews
Flavor green beans with dill, tarragon, peanuts, garlic, or thyme. They will harmonize well with cheese, fish, and poultry
Use broad beans (also called Italian beans) for a change of pace from common green beans. Use them just as you do common green beans, but be prepared for a slightly shorter cooking time
