Loubieh Bi Zait

This is a classic Middle Eastern dish. Loubieh Bi Zait means green beans in oil, and that much is the same, no matter where it's being made. But there are variations, depending upon whether the cook is Lebanese, or Palestinian, or Syrian. Some versions use tomatoes, others don't. The type of green beans can vary, as can the spices used.

Here's my version.

You'll need Green Beans, also known as string beans. You can use the skinny French ones, known as Haricot Verts, or the flat, Italian-style green beans, or Asian long beans, or your standard American green beans. I recommend using fresh, rather than frozen ones, since they have the best flavor, but I'd definitely avoid using canned beans because they'll become mushy when braised.

You'll need olive oil, and the quality really matters because it's a major component of the dish. Look for olive oil that comes from a single source and is pressed and bottled in the same place as where the olives are grown. There should be some sort of certification. I love using Italian extra virgin olive oil for most things (Kirkland brand from Costco is excellent), but since the dish is Middle Eastern, I prefer using oil from the Middle East. Mina brand, from Morocco, is very good and easily found. If you're a connoisseur of olive oils, you'll see that their flavors are quite different.

Most version use tomatoes. Some use fresh, some use tomato paste, and some use chopped canned tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes are great, if you can get good, flavorful ones, but that's not always possible.

Some versions use only salt and pepper, others add paprika, and some use the 7-spice blend known as Baharat. You'll also find variations in the spices and balance in this mix. I always use a generous sprinkling of baharat; I think it's part of what makes this recipe special.

It may seem like a lot of garlic, but when it slow-cooks with the beans it becomes sweet and mellow.

As for the cooking method, these beans are slowly braised and come out very tender, quite different from the quickly sautéed or roasted beans that still have some snap to them when served. Those are great, but this is not that.

This recipe for Loubieh Bi Zait has an unusual twist. Sun-dried tomatoes add a surprising chewy burst of flavor...because why give you a recipe that you can find somewhere else? (insert smiley face here)

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh, good quality green beans, any type, trimmed and cut into 3-4 inch pieces

• 1/4 cup single origin extra virgin olive oil, preferably Middle Eastern

• 2 cups chopped yellow or white onion

• 6 cloves garlic

• 14.5 ounce can of plain chopped tomatoes

• a sprinkling of Baharat

• kosher salt to taste

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped sundried tomatoes packed in oil

Method:

• Use a skillet with a tight fitting lid.

• Warm the oil and sauté the onions slowly, with a light sprinkling of salt, allowing them to caramelize to a light golden color, about 10 minutes.

• Add the green beans, a generous sprinkling of Baharat, and the garlic, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

• Add the can of tomatoes with 1/4 cup of water and cover the pan.

• Simmer the beans for 25 minutes, lifting the cover briefly from time to time to give them and stir.

• Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, re-cover the pan, and simmer for another 5 minutes.

• The dish shouldn't be dry, but it shouldn't be saucy either. If there's too much liquid remaining, cook a few minutes longer with the cover removed.

 Baharat Spice Mix

• 1 tablespoon Coriander - Ground

• 1 tablespoon Allspice - Ground

• 1 tablespoon Cumin - Ground

• 1 tablespoon Cloves - Ground

• 1 tablespoon Black pepper - Ground

• 1 tablespoon Cinnamon - Ground

• 1 tablespoon Nutmeg - Ground