Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia giaxni)

Growing up in the Greek Orthodox Church, I learned a lot about Greek culture, which is well- recognized for its delicious food! As a fundraiser for our church, the parish would annually host a Greek festival for the public to experience the flavors of Greece. This was one of the most exciting church functions, because it provided an excuse for the yiayias (Greek grandmothers) to dish out their homemade recipes for all of us to enjoy.

One of my favorite dishes is Fasolakia giaxni or Greek green beans. Although I'm not Greek, I've tasted many a Fasolakia from my Greek friends and their grandmothers to know how it ought to taste.

Hopefully you can recreate this dish and share the mouth-watering delights of Greek cuisine!

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 sliced onion
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 large potato peeled and diced
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 1 can cooked green beans
• 8oz can tomato sauce
• 1tbsp salt
• 1tbsp pepper
• 1tsp sugar

Instructions:

1. In a pot, add the olive oil, onion, garlic, and potatoes. Stir and cook until the onions begin looking translucent.
2. Add salt, pepper, sugar, tomato sauce, and can of stewed tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally for 15-20min.
3. Add strained can of green beans and cook for 5min on low.
4. Serve and enjoy!

This is how the garlic, onions, and potatoes should look when cooked.

As you can see, the stewed tomatoes bring extra flavors to the mix.

 Adding the green beans is the final touch. It looks a bit runny in the pot, but the sauce will solidify once it is removed from the stove.