Loubieh bi Zeit
Took some time the other day to sit back and think about my favorite foods. Unfortunately, I am a woman of flavor and could not even narrow it down to a favorite region. Every region, every culture bring such a unique style to the culinary table. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a Lebanese family, which meant I had my Sitty's home cooking at my disposal at any given moment. If you have ever met a Middle Eastern Grandmother you know exactly what I mean. Regardless of your hunger or lack thereof, you will be fed. Every time. Without fail. My adult years have been filled with limitless questions about my Sitty's kitchen. How was her fridge always full? How were there 10 Arabic dishes ready to serve by breakfast every single day? Who ate all of the grape leaves?? This is what I struggle with today, knowing I will never be able to even compete with the culinary masterpiece that was my Grandmother. What I do know, is her most important contribution is what she left in inspiration. A lifetime worth of beautiful Middle Eastern dishes to share with family and friends.
This dish works best when slow cooked to allow plenty of time for the flavors to marinate together. I did not have tomato sauce for this batch so I added 1 full can of water. If you have the will power to not eat the entire batch in one sitting, these green beans hit their peak after being refrigerated for a day and served warm with pita
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh green beans cut & trimmed
1/2 clove sliced garlic
1 medium onion chopped
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon all spice
pinch of cinnamon
1 teaspoon onion powder
salt/pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
In a large pot, generously coat onions with extra virgin olive oil and cook over medium until they start to brown
Add green beans, garlic, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, all spice, cinnamon, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix well and cover
Bring heat to a low simmer and allow to cook until green beans are tender, stirring occasionally
