Basil Beans Recipes

CREAMY WHITE BEANS WITH HERB OIL

Steps:

• Make the oil: In a food processor, combine chives, cilantro and basil, and pulse until finely chopped. Add olive oil, and pulse again until mixture is silky and emulsified. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in lemon juice and salt to taste. Set aside.
• Prepare the beans: In a 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until translucent, about 1 minute. Add beans to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded, about 2 to 3 minutes. With the back of a spoon or spatula, smash about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the beans and stir until they are incorporated into the rest of the bean mixture. A good portion of the remaining beans should maintain their structure.
• Add stock or water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until sauce becomes creamy and is reduced by about about half, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Smash additional beans and add a few more tablespoons of water, if needed, to reach desired consistency and stir again to combined.
• Transfer beans to a bowl and swirl with herb oil on top. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH BASIL, BALSAMIC, AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Soak the onions: Place the chopped onions in a small bowl of water. This will help take the edge off the onions. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.
• Blanch the green beans: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (2 tablespoons of salt for 2 quarts of water). Add the green beans to the water and blanch only for about 2 minutes or so, until the beans are just barely cooked through, but still crisp. Fresh young beans should cook quickly. Older, tougher beans may take longer.
• Shock in ice water: While the beans are cooking, prepare a large bowl of ice water. When the beans are ready, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the boiling water to the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the green beans and the red onions.
• Toss with red onion, balsamic, and Parmesan: Place the green beans, red onion, and chopped basil in a large bowl. Sprinkle in the olive oil, toss to coat. Sprinkle in the balsamic and Parmesan cheese. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Chill until ready to serve.

PAD KRAPOW GAI (THAI BASIL CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high, then swirl in the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the ground chicken and cook, actively breaking the chicken up into small pieces, until it is mostly cooked, about 6 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic, sugar and chile until evenly distributed and fragrant, about 2 minutes, then add the green beans, oyster sauce, fish sauce and Thai seasoning, and cook, stirring constantly, until the chicken is fully cooked, the green beans are crisp-tender and the krapow is glossy, about 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat, add the basil and a dash of white pepper and toss to combine. If the sauce seems to cling too tightly to the mixture, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to make it loose and glossy.
• Serve over rice, and top with a crispy fried egg, if desired. Serve with additional Thai seasoning to sprinkle on top, according to taste.

BASIL GREEN BEANS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until beans are tender.

ITALIAN CHICKEN WITH HAM, BASIL & BEANS

Steps:

• Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pinch off 8 sprigs from the basil (about 3 leaves each per sprig) and lay one on top of each chicken thigh. Wrap each thigh in a piece of ham, with the ends tucked underneath.
• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Heat the oil in a large roasting tin over two of the burners on the hob. Add the chicken and fry for about 4 mins or until the ham is just crisped and the chicken is lightly golden. Turn and repeat.
• Meanwhile, cut the garlic bulbs in half around the middle and halve the tomatoes if small, quarter them if they're big. Pick the leaves from the rest of the basil. Once the chicken has browned on both sides, add all of the tomatoes, half of the basil and the wine. Season then cover with foil and leave to cook slowly in the oven for 40 mins.
• Take out of the oven and turn the heat up to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Remove the foil from the pan and stir the beans into the tomatoey juices. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 30 mins until the tomatoes, chicken and garlic are starting to crisp around the edges and the chicken is very tender. Just before serving, tear the remaining basil roughly then stir through or scatter over the pan.

BEVY OF BEANS AND BASIL

Steps:

• Blanch fava beans in a pot of boiling well-salted water 1 minute, then transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking. Transfer favas with slotted spoon to a small bowl.
• Cook Romano beans in same pot of boiling water, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes, then transfer to ice bath to stop cooking. Drain well and transfer to a bowl.
• Cook green beans in same pot until just tender, 6 to 7 minutes, then transfer to ice bath. Add to Romano beans.
• Gently peel skins from fava beans (it's not necessary to peel edamame, if using), then add to other beans.
• Cut basil into very thin shreds.
• Cook garlic in oil with a rounded 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add beans, water, and zest and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Stir in basil and 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice and remove from heat. Season with salt and additional lemon juice if desired. Serve beans warm or at room temperature.