This delicious, healthy recipe was the result of a bit of a mistake on my part. I was visiting a local mercado called La Purisima in Tehuacan to pick up groceries. This place is a gigantic open-air market, bursting at the seams with fresh, local produce. Imagine a farmers market on steroids. Well, during a recent visit I happened upon the most glorious looking green beans. Yes, I know, they’re just green beans, but these things spoke to me. And at $20 pesos per kilo (like $1 USD) they would speak to you too. So, because they looked good and they were super cheap, I decided to buy two kilos. That was a mistake. I was stunned when I was handed basically a large shopping bag full of green beans. Seriously, two kilo of green beans is A LOT of green beans. As a result, I basically wound up eating nothing but green beans for a week and this is easily my favorite way I found to prepare them. So, next time you find yourself with way too many green beans on your hands, I encourage you to try this recipe out and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 cups of green beans (I chop off both ends, you do what feel right to you)
2 cups water
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried chili flakes (adjust as you see fit)
1 lemon
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:

1. Place a large pan on high heat and add 1 cup of water, bringing it to a boil.
2. When the water reaches a boil, add your green beans. Cook uncovered till most of the water has evaporated and the beans are slightly tender. Think a little before al dente, but for green beans.
3. Once the water has mostly evaporated, remove and drain the green beans, wipe the pan dry and return it to the heat.
4. Add your olive oil, minced garlic and chili flakes.
5. Once the garlic and chili flakes are fragrant, add the green beans and the juice of half a lemon and cook till the green beans are tender.
6. When the green beans are done add salt and pepper to taste and pour them onto a plate. You can also add some parmesan and lime zest if you’re feeling fancy.
7. Enjoy!