The Women’s Guild of St. David Armenian Church in Boca
Raton, FL has a special way of observing michink,or mid-lent – with a potluck dinner. This year our dinner will be held on Wednesday, March 13th
in Mardigian Fellowship Hall. Each guild member is asked to bring a Lenten recipe
large enough to serve 6 people. Attendees eagerly sample a wide variety of tasty,
healthy Lenten recipes, while enjoying the camaraderie of everyone present.
Upon the conclusion of the meal, a brief service is conducted by
the Very Rev. Father Nareg Berberian.
I don’t know what the other members will be bringing, but I’m
planning to contribute one of the following green bean recipes; I haven’t
decided which yet.
Option
#1:
A fresh and delicious way to prepare green beans.
Green
Beans with Orange Dressing
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound
green beans, stems trimmed and cut in half
Dressing:
2 teaspoons
grated orange zest
1/2 cup orange
juice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
1/3 cup toasted
unsalted pistachios, chopped
3 tablespoons
thinly sliced fresh mint leaves (or 1 tsp. dried mint, crushed)
Directions:
1. Steam beans until tender (they should still be bright green), about 5
minutes.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together orange zest, juice, salt and
pepper.
3. Place green beans in a serving bowl; toss with orange dressing.
4.Garnish with a sprinkling of pistachios and mint. Serve hot or at room
temperature.
Option
#2:
A reliable stand-by recipe.
Lenten-Style Green Beans
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ lbs. Italian pole beans or string beans, fresh or
frozen (defrosted)
1 cup tomato Sauce
1- 15 oz. can diced canned tomato with its liquid
1 cup water (more if needed)
salt, black pepper, allspice to taste
¼ Tbsp. cayenne pepper, optional
Directions:
1. In a medium sized pot, heat the olive oil over medium
heat. Sautė onions and garlic until the onions become translucent. Reduce heat
to low. Add the beans, cover, and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes, stirring
every few minutes to prevent burning. (At this point no liquid has been added.)
2. Add the sauce, diced tomatoes, water and seasonings.
Mix well; cover and cook on low for 30 minutes till the green beans are tender.
3. Add additional water, and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
Can be served hot or at room temperature.
View Comments
Question: Is there no oil at all in Recipe #1?
Also, I suggest serving the reliable stand-by with some tahini taratoor (mashed garlic, salt, juice of one lemon, tahini, and water to dilute).
Option #1 green bean recipe does not call for oil, but feel free to add a little in the dressing, if you choose to make this.
I am leaning toward making the tried-and-true green bean recipe, as this is a conservative group attending. I like the tahini taratoor suggestion, thanks for the tip!