Cajun Cooking: Summer Green Bean Casserole
I set myself two goals for the summer. First, I want to increase my fruit and vegetable intake and next, I want to try more new recipes. I have been neglecting shelves full of cookbooks and binders full of recipe clippings for too long.
Joining a CSA this summer has helped to achieve goal number one. Every Tuesday I bring home a wide variety of local produce. This week we feasted on spring greens, swiss chard, cilantro, kale, arugula, strawberries, peas, and bok choy. I also bought some fresh green beans, oranges, grapes, bananas, tomatoes, and peppers from the local supermarket.
To achieve goal number two I pulled out some of my cajun cookbooks and set out to find a recipe to use with my bounty. I found just what I was looking for in Enola Prudhomme’s Low Calorie Cajun Cooking cookbook. The recipe of the week was the Summer Green Bean Casserole.
Usually I just boil or steam my green beans with some onions and garlic and serve. Good, but plain. This casserole recipe looked easy to make (and it was) and had an ingredient in it I have little experience with, evaporated skim milk. The green beans are precooked, then the milk and other seasonings are mixed in. The whole dish is baked in the oven for an hour. The dish was really flavorful and creamy, but the milk had a curdled look to it. I assembled the dish at night and baked it the next day. I think that letting it sit overnight allowed some of the milk proteins to separate out. The recipe is a keeper, but I would suggest cooking the dish soon after it is assembled. If it’s still not pretty to look at, you can always toss some fresh herbs and sliced peppers on top.
makes 4 servings
3 cups fresh green beans, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
1/2 c evaporated skim milk
2 Tbsp chopped green bell pepper
1 Tbsp chopped red bell pepper
1 Tbsp minced fresh onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper (I used black)
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil leaves, crushed
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add the beans and return to a boil; cover, reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes, or until the beans are crisp-tender. Drain the beans well and transfer to a 1-quart casserole dish.
In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over the beans. Cover and bake for 1 hour, stirring once after 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Per serving: 62 calories, 0.40 grams fat
