Fassoulia Food

FOSSOLIA (ETHIOPIAN-STYLE GREEN BEANS)

Steps:

• Place green beans in a large bowl, cover with hot water and let soak for at least 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomato and cook, turning frequently, until blackened in several spots, 8 to 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel and core the tomato. Puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and cook, stirring, until browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, onion, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring often, until starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water and cook, stirring and adding another tablespoon of water as needed to prevent sticking, until the onion is tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Return the green beans to the pan along with the tomato puree, rosemary, makulaya (or basil and thyme), salt and cumin. Cook, stirring often, until the green beans are tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

FASSOULIA

Steps:

• Rub the brisket with garlic, salt and pepper.
• Brown in a little oil.
• Put in water, spices and onions
• Simmer covered for 3 hours.
• Tip the string beans; add to the meat and simmer for 1/2 hour more.

FASSOULIA

Steps:

• Gently fry the onion in the olive oil for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add the frozen beans (do not add water).
• On a low heat let the beans slowly cook turning the beans regularly as they defrost.
• The water from the beans is enough to keep the bottom of the pan covered in liquid (but keep an eye on it though).
• When the beans are soft enough to your liking add the tinned tomatoes salt and pepper.
• Bring to the boil.
• Serve with plain basmati rice.

FASOULIA (BREAKFAST KIDNEY BEAN DISH)

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the jalapeno pepper; cook and stir until softened, about 5 more minutes. Mix in tomato and tomato paste; stir to combine with the onion and jalapeno pepper. Pour in the kidney beans with their liquid; stir in the cumin and curry powder. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the beans are hot and the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.

FASOLIA (GREEN BEAN STEW)

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir lamb neck bones in hot butter until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until browned, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir water, tomato sauce, salt, allspice, and pepper together in a small bowl; pour into the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, place a cover on the skillet, and cook until the meat pulls away from the neck bones, about 45 minutes.
• Put green beans and potatoes into the skillet so they are in liquid, replace cover, and continue cooking until the beans are tender and the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard bones before serving.

BRAISED GREEN BEANS/ FASSOULAKIA YAHNI

Steps:

• Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.
• Add tomato paste and fresh tomato and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened.
• Add string beans and seasoning and enough water to barely cover.
• Cover and cook until beans are tender.

GREEK GREEN BEANS (SKETA FASSOULA)

Steps:

• Wash and string the beans, but leave them whole.
• In a large, deep skillet, heat olive oil until hot.
• Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes until it is tender, but not brown.
• Add the green beans.
• Cover the skillet.
• Cook for about 15 minutes or until the beans start to wilt.
• Coarsely chop two of the tomatoes (ONLY TWO).
• Add to the pan and cover again.
• Cook for another 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes have melted into a sauce.
• Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
• If necessary add another one or two chopped tomatoes and continue cooking.
• You may need to add extra olive oil also as it contributes to the flavor.
• Cook until the beans are very tender.
• Trust me, crunchy does NOT work with this dish.
• Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature (the way Greeks do).
• If you can find good, creamy feta, crumble a good chunk into the beans before serving.

YEMEN STYLE KIDNEY BEANS AND TOAST AKA FASOOLIA OR FOOL

Steps:

• Saute onion ,tomatoes ,garlic ,and jalapeno in 2 tbsp oil or ghee until onion is transparent and tomatoes are softened.
• Add tomato paste and stir. Add a few tbsp water and stir again being careful not to let it burn. Turn heat to low and let it simmer for a minute.
• Pour in kidney beans along with 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer.
• Add salt, pepper, and cumin.
• Simmer for 10 minutes on low.
• Add cilantro and cook until the dish thickens about another 5-10 minutes The sauce should coat the back of the spoon.
• You can crush the beans with a potato masher after step 5 if you don't like them whole. I puree in the blender before adding to the saucepan for my children because they don't like it chunky.

FASSOLIA GIGANTES PLAKI (GIANT BEANS BAKED IN THE OVEN)

Steps:

• Pick the beans clean from stones and grit and soak them in cold water overnight.
• Drain and rinse them in a colander, put into a large saucepan or a pressure cooker, cover with plenty of cold water and boil them until they are cooked but still a little hard.
• This type of bean cooks quickly, so be aware until you get used to them.
• They take hardly 2 minutes in a pressure cooker and about 30-40 minutes otherwise.
• If they get overcooked, they get mushy and soggy and they do not taste at their best.
• This first step then is also the most important in this recipe.
• Drain the beans through a colander and keep aside.
• In the same saucepan, heat the olive oil and fry the onions, the garlic and the dried herbs, until they start turning pale golden.
• Add the tomatoes with all the juice from the cans or, if fresh tomatoes are used, add 150 ml water.
• Then add the tomato puree and sugar, break up the mixture with a fork, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
• Mix the parsley into the tomato sauce, add the beans and mix well.
• Spread the beans in an oven dish.
• Sprinkle a little oregano and black pepper on the top and cook in a pre-heated oven at 350 grades F/ 80 grades C, for 30 minutes, without stirring, until they look slightly crisp on top and quite dry.
• Alternatively, add the beans to the tomato sauce, mix well, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

LEBANESE/SYRIAN FASOULIA

Steps:

• Brown meat in a large frying pan with some olive oil from the bottle. Add season salt if desired or use regular salt and pepper. Make sure all pieces of meat have been browned. Set aside.
• In a stew pan, over medium heat, add the olive oil and the tomato paste. Fry the tomato paste about 5-8 minutes. If it seems dry, add more oil in small amounts. It should be chunky in the oil, not runny like soup. Stir constantly! This will burn very easily.
• Turn down the heat, add 2 cups of water. Stand back, it may spit at you! Continue to add the water in 2-cup increments. Add the boullion cubes. Stir around and scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure all tomato paste is mixed in the water.
• Add the lima beans and the meat. Bring to a boil (should take about 5 minutes) then reduce to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the quality of the meat, it may take 2-4 hours for the meat to become tender.
• Add more water if too much boils out or it is too salty.
• Serve with Middle Eastern rice.
• This can be prepared in a stainless steel or non-stick pan. I prefer non-stick. Additionally, it may be transferred to a crock pot to simmer all day. Never leave food cooking on the stove unattended!