Green bean stew or (fasolakia prasina me saltsa in greek )

Photo:Ziniania

The rainy and cool weather has left me without a lot of creativity . I don't feel like taking pictures in the rain, I don't have any ideas for art .....but we do have to eat every day and because I tend to favor the vegetarian cuisine and as the Greek cuisine has plenty of vegetarian fair.....here you go.... a very simple but delicious way to eat green beans.

1 1/2 pounds green beans washed, trimmed, and cut in half
1 large onion diced
1 clove of garlic minced or 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1 large tomato diced
3 small red potatoes peeled and cut in slices
3-4 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup of water to dilute the tomato paste
4 springs of parsley chopped
1/2- 3/4 of a cup olive oil (we from the Mediterranean regions love our olive oil)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large sauce pan you add the olive oil and you sauté the onion, the garlic or  powder for 1-2 minutes until nice and fragrant, then you add the green beans and you turn them with your spatula so they mix with the onion and the garlic. You add the potatoes the parley, the diced tomato the water with the tomato paste, the pepper and you cook in a medium heat for 10-15 minutes and then you turn the heat to low and you let cook slowly for 30-45 minutes until the sauce thickens and the beans are fork tender. I add the salt at the end.

Again you can always accompany this dish with fresh bread, feta cheese , olives and some hard boiled eggs if you want.