Week 47: AND Vegan Creamed Green Beans and Onions

This OR that. Happy OR sad. Old OR new. Love OR hate. Friend OR foe. Grateful OR wanting. Good OR bad.
I venture to guess that most of us have been taught to make such distinctions, and choose between the two. But, more often than not, the opposing sides exist at the same time, and we have to live within the complicated—often painful—space of AND…it’s gray…it’s unknown…it’s unpredictable, but it’s there!

So, yeah, that’s what I did this Thanksgiving AND I survived. Actually, I not only survived this uncomfortable place that I’m currently living in, but I both embraced and enjoyed it. I had my first Thanksgiving as a newly separated woman. I was delighted to be with my son Alex and his girlfriend (Jenny), AND I missed my daughter Kara and her delicious son (my grandson). I was thrilled to create new memories, AND I missed the familiar holidays spent with my husband. However, together the three of us enjoyed the holiday by creating new traditions AND celebrating with a sprinkling of old traditions. I thoroughly enjoyed making vegan turkey free food, AND I missed turkey and my mom’s stuffing. The no-sugar avocado chocolate mousse Jenny made was absolutely perfect and super delicious, AND I missed the sugar-laden pecan pie.

I’m too tired today to clarify the “AND” process I’ve been working on, and how I’m learning to feel comfortable with that space. But, maybe this dichotomy I’m experiencing will spark a curiosity in you to start on your own path of self-discovery. I’m here to tell you that, “Yes, two things can exist at the same time, and you can dance with both of them.”

This week’s recipe was a perfect example of combining the familiar flavor profile of rich, creamy—and often canned cream of mushroom soup infused—green beans and onion recipes, with a fresh healthier vegan alternative.

Original Recipe

The Process:

I’m calling BS on this recipe dating back to 1770…I think my mom made that one up!

It was quickly determined that this recipe was going to go through a pretty major revamp, in part because the green beans, if cooked for the prescribed 10 to 15 minutes, would be overcooked and void of most of the nutrients. But also, because I was planning to serve this dish to Jenny—who is dairy-free—so the butter and sour cream had to be replaced.

I don’t know about you, but I prefer my green beans kind of snappy, so I blanched them and quickly followed up with a dunk in an ice bath to lock in the flavor. In fact, I do that shock treatment to most of my green vegetables.

Now for the dairy revamp; I’m not a big fan of processed dairy-free vegan foods, as they’re often very processed and loaded with both artificial thickeners and sugar. It kind of left me saying, ”Shouldn’t we just enjoy eating more vegetables anyway?” But, I really wanted to replicate the tangy flavor and creaminess that both sour cream and butter impart, so I used Earth Balance butter alternative and dairy-free yogurt.

My grocery store did not have a coconut or almond based sour cream, and while I’m not thrilled with how processed these replacement items are, the flavor worked. If you’re not dairy-free, replacing the sour cream with yogurt would be fine or you could just use the original sour cream.

Is this recipe “healthier” with dairy alternatives, you ask? Probably not. Is it kinder to animals? Yes! The choice is yours.

The Results:

This dish was a really nice addition to our vegan Thanksgiving feast; Jenny and I agreed that we would both make it again. The green beans and onions had just the right amount of crunch. Admittedly, I doubted the final flavor due to the addition of basil to the green beans and onions, but it really worked. I also discovered that boiling onions (which I’ve never done), as opposed to sautéing them, will remove the “bite” of the white onion and reduces heartburn or stomach upset.

This new recipe is definitely a keeper. Next time I might even add chunks of butter, not squash on top 🙂

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 pounds fresh green beans, stems removed
3 tablespoons of butter alternative
1/2 cup dairy-free sour cream alternative
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Basil essential oil (Full disclosure, I used Young Living brand, which can be consumed)
Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Prepare green beans by removing only the stems, and keeping the tips to help retain flavor.
Blanch the green beans (see step-by-step instructions below).

Blanching:

Prepare a big bowl of ice water.
Bring about 1 gallon of salted water to boil in a pot.
Drop beans into the pot of rapidly boiling water.
Let them cook for three minutes.
Use tongs to remove the green beans and drop into an ice bath or quickly drain the green beans into a colander and then immediately drop them into ice water.
Once the beans completely cool down, place them in a colander and set them aside.

Instructions (continued):

Slice onions and boil for a few minutes in salted water, then drain.
Melt the butter alternative in a sauce pan on medium to low heat.
Stir in basil oil and cooked onions.
Add Blanched green beans and continue tossing with tongs on medium heat until the green beans are back up to temperature.
Add enough sour cream alternative until the sauce is your desired consistency. Note: You could also add a little bit of coconut milk, if you want a creamier sauce.
Add pepper, to taste.

The rest of the vegan Thanksgiving Meal

 

Week 47 Recipe Pick

Bring on the holiday recipes (and memories) !!!
I’ve yet to find the recipes I remember from my childhood, but I won’t give up.
I’m especially looking for a Bourbon Ball recipe. My sisters, my mom and I would make these (it took all of us to roll as many as we made) early in the month to cure in time for Christmas gift delivery.

Tags: dairy-free, family dish, green beans