Green beans, Tomatoes, & Rice

It blows my mind that I did not post this recipe sooner, as it is one of my most frequented meals. This dish is one of the earliest foods I remember from growing up, and it is still near and dear to my heart. It is incredibly simple; practically as simple as its name. But it is packed with a sublimely lasting flavor.

When I was growing up, my mom actually did not always make this vegetarian. She often stuck to the original recipe which involved adding sauteed ground beef to give it more body and calories. However, when I went vegetarian in High School, we started leaving out the beef, because there was absolutely no way I was going to eliminate one of my favorite meals from my life. Following this change, I immediately realized that I loved the flavor of the dish even better without the beef. To me, it now tasted sweeter and fresher. That said, if you are not vegetarian I would actually suggest trying it both with and without meat, just for curiosity's sake.

I would like to note that I usually serve this dish over brown rice. However, there are a bunch of other options such as barley, cracked wheat, another type of rice, or a medley of grains.

Also, I would like to point out that this recipe is made with canned tomatoes, so I of course have some recommendations. If you are on a budget like me, I would recommend buying Pine Cone brand canned tomatoes. They are really yummy, while being much less expensive than other brands. However, if you want to buy fancy, organic, canned tomatoes I would suggest getting Muir Glen. They also taste fantastic.

Green beans and Tomatoes

1 can tomatoes

1 pound green beans

1/2 onion

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil for pan

Heat oil in pan. slice onions into semi circles, and saute on medium heat. Wash and snap off ends of green beans. Chop tomatoes and add them, along with the green beans, into pot (covering green beans with tomatoes as much as possible). Turn heat up to high. Add cinnamon and salt & pepper. Cover pan. Once it starts to boil, turn heat down to medium heat and uncover. Cook for about 45 minutes or until green beans are tender. Serve on rice.