One of the main problems that makes it difficult for many immature people to cook and consume vegetables is that they do not know how to cook them: it has been repeated ad nauseam, but in Spain we have historically overcooked these foods. This terrible practice not only destroys their texture, but also causes the loss of part of their nutrients. Vegetables are good al dente, when they are still crisp and fresh.
Starting with some crunchy and fresh beans, we are going to dress them with a famous sauce that is usually used to marinate meat and fish but enhances any dish: chermoula. It is a kind of marinade with fresh coriander, garlic, citrus, spices and oil. There are different varieties in which different aromas are enhanced: some mix coriander with parsley, others add chilies and some incorporate pickled lemons; In general, they share as a base the use of powerful, fresh and spicy aromatic components. This guy here likes to make a hodgepodge where I add green chillies, saffron, and use lime instead of lemon, but this is just a suggestion: go with what you like and have on hand.
I firmly believe that anchovies, cheeses and olives are the ingredients that can best enhance the flavor of any recipe. In this case we are going to benefit from the kalamata olives to elevate the dish, but any olive -except those stuffed with anchovies- is useful for this purpose. In addition, we are going to add some croutons that you can either prepare like here, or you can buy them directly and cross off one more thing from the day’s chores. One of the positive things about this dish is that it is as delicious hot as it is fresh, so you can serve it however you like.
Difficulty
Getting that family member who doesn’t eat vegetables to admit that they liked them.
Ingredients
For two
For the chermoula
- 15g coriander with stem
- 15 mint leaves
- Half purple or white onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 piece of ginger about 2 cm
- 2 green chilies (or to taste; no need to chop)
- 1 teaspoon cumin grain
- 1 teaspoon powdered coriander seeds
- 1 level teaspoon of sweet paprika
- A pinch of saffron threads
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- The juice of one lemon/lime
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Also
- 250g bobby beans
- 14 pitted kalamata olives
- A handful of large croutons
- About 150 ml of water
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- All the chermoula prepared
- Zest of one lemon/lime
Preparation
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In a mortar or a food processor, crush the garlic, half the coriander, mint, chillies, ginger, cumin, coriander powder, paprika, saffron, olive oil, lemon/lime juice ( reserving the zest) and salt.
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Chop the onion and the rest of the cilantro with a knife and add it. Mix and reserve.
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Bone the olives, chop half and leave the rest in large pieces. Reserve.
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Clean the beans and add them together with the salt to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Immediately add the water, stir and cover.
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Let the water evaporate and add the chermoula and the croutons. Cook between two and three minutes stirring and turn off the heat. Add the kalamata olives, lemon/lime zest and serve.
If you make this recipe, share the result on your social networks with the hashtag #RecipesComidista. And if it goes wrong, complain to the Cook Ombudsman by sending an email to [email protected].
#Beans #chermoula #olives #croutons