Italian Beans 'n' Peppers

This meal is super hearty and a wonderfully different take on green beans, which are high in dietary fiber, very low in calories and a good source of plant derived micronutrients. As a vegan main dish, it really works. I served it over brown rice penne pasta for quite a substantial dinner.

You can use whatever kind of tomato sauce you have on hand. I prefer to make my own as I go. I think jarred tomato sauce is ridiculously expensive, not to mention the high sodium content and added oils in most of them. It's pretty easy to just get some crushed or strained tomatoes, add garlic, basil, a little paprika and create your own, which is what I did here.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds green beans (pole beans work great for this recipe if you can find them!)
• 4-5 green banana peppers (or any kind you prefer)
• 3-4 green onion stalks

for the sauce ~

• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes 
• 3-4 crushed garlic cloves (I used roasted garlic)
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp coconut sugar (or any raw sugar product)
• 1 TBS tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or salt to taste)
• 1 can Hatch green chiles (optional, see notes)

Directions:

1. Slice peppers lengthways into 1/2 inch strips, toss seeds and strings.
2. Take hard tops off green beans and leave them whole.
3. Cut the onions into 2 inch pieces.
4. In a large pot, steam the green beans, peppers and onions.
5. In a separate pot combine the remaining ingredients to create your sauce. If you're using a store-bought sauce, just pour it into the pot and warm it.
6. When the peppers and beans are tender, transfer to the sauce pot and stir to combine.
7. Serve over your choice of pasta.

Helyn's Notes: I fell in love with Hatch New Mexico chiles when I lived in New Mexico. I recently found them at Trader Joe's in small cans and scooped up a whole pile of them! You can also use a small can of diced jalapeños if you prefer, or none at all, but it does add a lot more flavor.

Serves 4. Enjoy!

Healthy Trails,

     Helyn