Green Bean Casserole

Creamy, hearty and delicious, you’ll never know this green bean casserole omits troublesome ingredients traditionally included in this dish that contribute to illness and symptoms, such as dairy and gluten! You can feel good about serving this up for any festive gathering or for family dinner any night of the week. 

Green beans are a nutritious vegetable that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients such as vitamins A & C, calcium, iron, manganese, beta-carotene, and protein. Green beans provide significant cardiovascular benefits due to their omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) content. They also contain ant-inflammatory compounds which make them highly beneficial for individuals who suffer with auto-immune disorders such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, COPD, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowl syndrome, chronic sinusitis, bursitis, Raynaud’s syndrome and lupus.

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients: 

For the chickpea crumbs:

• 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight or 2 cans of chickpeas, drained
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme or oregano
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (optional)

For the onion rings:

• 1 cup chickpea crumbs
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 tbsp ground golden flaxseeds 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 medium onions, sliced 1/2 inch thick and separated into rings

For the green beans:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 1/3 cup vegetable stock or water
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1.5 lbs fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and cut in half
• 1/2 tsp avocado oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• Sea salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

Directions:

If making homemade chickpea crumbs, preheat the oven to 350F/180C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Add the soaked or canned chickpeas into a food processor. Pulse until the chickpeas are finely minced. Do not over-pulse - the mixture should be coarse, not smooth or like a paste. Using a spatula, spread the pulsed chickpeas onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Roast the chickpeas for 15-25 minutes, until dry to the touch.

Transfer the roasted chickpeas back into the food processor add the garlic powder, dried thyme or oregano, paprika, and sea salt (if using). Pulse until you get a fine crumb (some bigger pieces are okay). 

Add the chickpea crumbs back onto the baking sheet and roast for another 10-15 minutes until completely dry, keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn. Remove from oven and cool completely. Place in a shallow bowl once cooled.

If using store-bought crumbs, add them to a shallow bowl together with the herbs, spices and sea salt. Stir until evenly mixed and set aside. 

Set oven to 400F/205C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the onion rings, place the chickpea crumbs, paprika, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until you get a fine crumb. Set aside.

Make the flax egg by whisking together the ground flaxseeds and almond milk. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken. 

Dip the onion rings first into the flax egg and then into the crumb mixture. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the onions. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and crispy. Leave to cool.

Make the cashew cream by blending together the soaked cashews, water or vegetable stock, dried thyme, lemon juice, salt and pepper until very smooth. Set aside. 

Steam the green beans for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Heat oil in a large frying pan and add the onions. Cook until translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the cooked green beans and cashew cream. Remove and pour into a 11x7 inch baking dish. Top with onion rings and bake for a further 5-10 minutes, until warmed through and crispy on top. Best served warm.

Serves 4-6

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This item posted: 20-Nov-2018

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