It Isn't Easy Being Green

It was widely rumored that when Victoria Beckham was asked how she liked living in Spain, she responded by saying that the whole country smelled like garlic and paprika. While I can't say that I agree, I think it's pretty obvious from my recipes that they are two of the most prevalent ingredients in Spanish cooking. That's why it shouldn't be a surprise that they make an appearance twice over in today's recipe.

Since yesterday we had a vegetarian Thanksgiving side dish, I thought today we'd do one Spanish style, with slightly meatier tendencies. The dish includes chorizo, a pork sausage seasoned with both paprika and garlic, making it a wonderful ingredient to pep up any soup or vegetable side dish. Paprika and garlic are also used in seasoning the whole dish, so they're doing double duty today. I used long, pre-washed green beans not only to speed up the recipe, but to make sure that I could use them all up before leaving the house for Thanksgiving.

My mother always made a similar recipe around the holidays, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to buy the serrano ham that goes into her version, since I didn't want to add anything else to my fridge that might spoil over the weekend (it's soooo not in my budget right now anyway). But by all means, add some ham or bacon in with the chorizo, you'll be happy you did. This dish cooks pretty quickly because there are two methods of cooking at play. First, the green beans are sautéed with olive oil, and then they're steamed in a bit of stock. Naturally, since I was without bacon, I used pork stock, but it's perfectly fine to use vegetable or chicken stock as I usually do.

This recipe doesn't just have to be a side dish, it can also be a pasta dish. If you leave the paprika out of the oil, all you have to do is toss in your favorite kind of cooked pasta and you're done! Maybe add in some chickpeas, or mushrooms, or green peas...the add-ins are endless. I've always thought of green beans as the second class citizens of Thanksgiving, but I definitely feel like this recipe would stand out and bring them to the forefront of dinner like they did at my house for so many years. Give them a try and let me know what you think. Here's what you need:

Green Beans with Chorizo

12 oz long green beans (about 3 cups)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 chorizo sausages, diced
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 cup stock (pork, chicken, or vegetable)
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper

1. Heat olive oil and garlic in a medium pan. When the garlic just starts to get golden, remove pan from heat and allow oil to cool.

2. Once cooled, add the paprika and return pan to heat. Once the oil starts to bubble, add the chorizo, green beans, salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, then lower heat to medium and add stock. Cover the pan and allow to steam until liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep garlic from sticking.

3. When the green beans are done, check for salt (I've always had to add a little more) and plate. Enjoy!

**This will be the last post until after Thanksgiving. I know, I know, what will you read when you're hiding from your extended family? Well, I guess it'll be something else, but feel free to check out my archives :) Don't fret though, I will be documenting my Thanksgiving dinner, complete with deep fried turkey. Seriously, I plan on eating all of that crunchy skin. Try and stop me! Also, I always make the mashed potatoes, so stay tuned for that recipe, and we'll see if I can't get in on the green beans as well. Happy Thanksgiving!!

-Laura