pureed green beans

i've been making weekly batches of foods for my peanut. i made carrots last week, and i made green beans today. you can do this with virtually any vegetable, to my knowledge. here's how you do it, along with some storage instructions.

ingredients
1 lb of green beans, cleaned, ends removed
1.5 C water
1-2 tbsp boiled water (can be cool or hot)

cooking instructions1. place 1.5 C of water into the rice cooker basin
2. place the green beans into the steamer basket
3. turn to cook! you may wish to remove them prior to the rice cooker completing it's cycle, in an effort to maintain more nutrients in the beans. the beans just need to be soft enough to puree. you want for the beans to keep their deep green color!

pureeing instructions
you can use a blender, food processor, or power blender. i use a small power blender.

1. place beans and 1 tbsp boiled water into the container that you will use with your pureeing device.

2. puree!! if you find that the substance is not being "chopped," add a bit more water (boiled). when using a small power blender, start with 1/3 of the beans, and add more after you puree some. repeat until all are pureed). 1 pound of beans will yield approximately 1.5 cups of puree. the ice cube trays that i received as baby shower gifts for peanut hold about 1.5 tbsp per cube.

storage instructions
- 2 days in the fridge
- 2 weeks in the freezer

i recommend using ice cube trays. you can find them with covers, or you can freeze them in trays and then move them to sealable freezer bags. remember, there are no preservatives. if you were to vacuum seal individual pouches, i am sure it would keep much longer, in the freezer.

lamb and green beans

this recipe is from my husband's co-worker's wife. i have modified the seasonings slightly, and used fresh green beans instead of canned ones per the recipe.

you'll need 2 hours or so for prep and cooking.

you'll need 2 cups of brown rice, cooked. i always use a rice cooker, and start the rice about 30 minutes prior to serving time.

ingredients
3 halal lamb shanks
6 C water (or more)
3 C green beans (fresh), cut
1/2 head of garlic, pressed
1 large red onion, chopped
1-2 cans tomato paste (4 oz)
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

instructions
1. cover the bottom of a large pot with olive oil

2. saute garlic and onion

3. brown lamb shanks

4. add 1 C water

5. cook (with lid on) on medium-high heat for 30 minutes

6. add beans, 1 can of tomato paste, and enough water to cover shanks. stir well

7. reduce heat to a simmer, cook with lid OFF for 1 hour, or until meat falls away from the bone. the liquid should have a thick sauce-like consistency. if not, add another can of tomato paste.

serve
1. place a pad of rice on the plate, and then scoop the lamb/bean mixture over.

2. i recommend serving naan bread on the side. i bought pre-made at whole foods, and just heat it for 2 minutes on 400F in the oven prior to serving.

3. a side of greens would also go well with this dish.