Croatian Simple French Beans Salad Food

SOUTH CROATIAN SAUTéED FRENCH BEANS

Steps:

• Clean the French beans and cut into two or three parts (3-5 cm).
• Sauté finely minced onion on butter until translucent.
• In the meantime put French beans into hot water and cook 5-8 minutes, than remove from water and drain.
• Add French beans into sautéed onion; add tomato juice, very finely minced garlic and parsley. Season it with salt and pepper. Stir and add some beef stock to cover French beans.
• Cook until French beans are soft, or 20-30 minutes adding beef stock if necessary.

CROATIAN SIMPLE FRENCH BEANS SALAD

Steps:

• Clean French beans, cut into 5 cm pieces and cook in hot water (throw it into hot water to preserve nice green color).
• Cook 10 minutes and than change water and cook until soft. Remove French beans from water and put into a salad bowl.
• While hot, pour over oil and finely minced garlic. You can also season it completely with vinegar (use water to dissolve vinegar if it is too strong) salt and pepper but cool it and eat cold.

NORTH CROATIAN SIMPLE BEANS SALAD

Steps:

• Cook beans until soft. Drain and put into salad bowl.
• Slice onion into very thin rings and add into beans. Season with salt and pepper. Mix water and vinegar and add into salad. Pour oil over and stir.
• Leave it in refrigerator at least one hour. You can keep surpluses in hermetically closed pot in refrigerator.

FRENCH STRING BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the beans and cook for 1 minute only. Time it carefully! You want the beans to be crisp-tender. Drain the beans and put them in the ice water until completely cool. Drain the beans again, dry on paper towels, and place them in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour enough dressing over the beans to moisten them well, reserving the rest for another use. Toss with the dill, season to taste, and serve at room temperature. (If the beans aren't served immediately, refrigerate them and add a little extra vinaigrette and a sprinkle of salt before serving.)

CROATIAN SIMPLE CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Peal the cucumber and cut into thin slices.
• Mince garlic well and add into sliced cucumber.
• Add vinegar, oil and water and season as you like with salt and pepper.
• Leave in refrigerator to cool a bit and serve.

TOFU KIDNEY BEANS SALAD

Steps:

• Combine salad ingredients.
• Combine sauce ingredients in a separate bowl and blend. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Pour over salad.
• Chill at lease 6 to 8 hours.
• Toss before serving.

GREEN BEANS THORAN (GREEN BEANS WITH COCONUT)

Steps:

• Wash, string beans if necessary, make several bundles (for convenience) and slice them crosswise into 1/4-inch segments.
• Coarsely grind the shallots, green chilies, garlic, coconut, cumin and turmeric in a food processor or blender, and set to one side.
• Place the oil in a wok or large skillet, which has a lid, and heat over a medium-high flame.
• Add the mustard seeds and rice, and stir and saute for a few seconds until the mustard seeds begin to pop and splutter and the rice swells and turns golden.
• Add the curry leaves and red chili, and after a few more seconds, when the chilli swells and darkens, add the green beans.
• Continue to stir and fry for 2-3 minutes, then roughly pile them into a mound in the cooking vessel.
• Form a hole in the center of the mound and place within it the coarsely ground spices.
• Now cover over the spices with some of the beans, season with salt, and add the water to the pan.
• Immediately cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook approximately 10 minutes until the beans are tender.
• Mix all the ingredients together well, and serve hot.

CROATIAN ARMY BEANS

Steps:

• Soak beans overnight in water. Wash the beans and put it in fresh cold water unit it boils. Cook it for 10 minutes, change the water, and cook for more 20-30 minutes. Remove beans and put it in cold water.
• Melt the lard in the pot and add the sliced onion. Sauté the onion until it is soft. Add minced pancetta and sauté it for 5 more minutes, than add garlic. Sauté it for 1-2 minutes and add flour. Sauté it until the flour is slightly brown and than add paprika and chilli.
• Add water gently and make a cream of all ingredients. Than add beans and bay leaf and water to cover the beans. Cook for 1 hour on very gently fire. (in Croatia we have special sausages "cesnjovke" which we put in this beans and cook all together, but you can put any kind of smoked, dried meat - pork or beef).
• Very important to know is that you do not add chilli or any kind of hot paprika afterwards. Hot paprika must be cooked from the very beginning or you will suffer from very bad digestive process. We in Croatia always drink alcohol if we eat something hot, otherwise, you'll also have very bad digestive process. This meal is very good during cold winter, it renews your strength.

FRENCH BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• In a serving bowl, combine the beans, onion and bacon; stir in dressing. Refrigerate until serving.

FRENCH POTATO AND GREEN BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes, bay leaf and thyme branch. Cook at a brisk simmer until the potatoes are firm but easily pierced with a skewer, about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.
• While the potatoes are cooking, make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, anchovy, capers, mustard and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk again before using if the dressing separates.
• When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins with a paring knife and carefully cut into pieces 1/4-inch thick, or slightly thicker. Put the slices in a low bowl, season lightly with salt and pepper and add half the vinaigrette. Using your hands, gently coat the potatoes with the vinaigrette, taking care not to break them. Cover and set aside at room temperature.
• Top and tail the beans. Simmer in salted water until firm-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes, then cool under running water and pat dry.
• To cook the eggs, bring a medium pot of water to a rapid boil. Add the eggs and cook for 8 minutes for a somewhat soft-centered yolk or 9 minutes for a firmer yolk. Cool the eggs immediately in ice water, then crack and peel. Cut each egg in half and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• When ready to serve, season the beans with salt and pepper, then dress with the remaining vinaigrette. (Reserve 2 tablespoons vinaigrette for the arugula, if using.)
• Combine the dressed beans and potatoes, using hands to toss, and pile onto a platter. Sprinkle with chives, parsley and basil and arrange the eggs over the top. Garnish with anchovy fillets, if desired. Dress the arugula and send it to the table separately.

NORTH CROATIAN SIMPLE WHITE CABBAGE SALAD

Steps:

• Cut cabbage into thin strips and put into salad bowl. Season cabbage with salt, pepper, vinegar, oil and add some water (more if you do not like so sour or less).
• Mix all ingredients and wait at least 30 minutes before serving. You can cool it in refrigerator if you like it cold.