In the summer, I hate cooking, because it’s just too hot. I have built up a repertoire of recipes that I can stretch for a few days, just to avoid having to cook on the hot days of summer.
When I was a kid, my mother always made 3 bean salad. Green beans, Garbanzos and Kidneys. I never liked the Green Beans, in fact, I still don’t. Every few years, I like to try foods that I hated in the past to see if I still hate them. I recently discovered a love for Asparagus this way, but Green Beans are still on the you-know-what list.
So now that I’m a grown-up, I can make my own version, which I call Two-Thirds Bean Salad. It’s actually nothing like my mother’s version, I don’t think. She is an amazing cook, but we have issues, so we don’t talk. It sucks that I don’t have her recipes, but my sanity is worth so much more.
I never think to measure this kind of stuff, which means I would fail miserably as a baker. I really have a hard time following a recipe exactly as written. I always throw in twice as much garlic as called for. I never use cups of things that come in units, like peppers, onions, carrots. I just use 1 onion, or 1 pepper, etc. It seems so wasteful to use only a cup of something that isn’t pourable.
Two-Thirds Bean Salad
1 (14 oz) can Garbanzo Beans, drained
1 (14 oz) can Kidney Beans, drained
1 green pepper, finely diced
3 shallots, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of two lemons
olive oil to taste, I start with about 2 Tablespoons and adjust from there
Sugar to taste, I start with 2 teaspoons of superfine and adjust from there
salt and pepper to taste
Rinse the beans if they are in that unpleasant goo that they sometimes come in. Otherwise, just drain them. Combine everything but the beans in a bowl. Adjust the last four ingredients to get the balance you like. The sugar might not even be needed, depending on your lemons. Toss in the beans and mix well. Pop the bowl in the fridge and let the flavors meld for a couple of hours. Makes a great side dish for a few days worth of lunches or dinners. I like it with sauteed chicken breasts or a steak. Yum!
I hope you’ll try it and let me know if you like it, blogworld!
