I am writing this on a rainy, dark Monday morning. I’m in Seattle, and Pete and Coco are in Vancouver today, finishing up her last day of work before we have a week-long hiatus. I have to be honest and tell you what a strange time this is to be in this part of the country. Coronavirus is here and not in a hypothetical way. There have been more deaths today and I think we will find out more this week as people go to the dr. and actually begin to get tested. That’s when we may see just how prevalent it is in our community and what we will have to do to keep everyone safe and minimize exposure. It looks like it has been being spread here in our county, completely unchecked, for the last 6 weeks. I promise we are not being alarmists and are very calm. We are a healthy family, but of course we worry about our parents and the greater community.
Not panicking! But as a family, we are definitely taking precautions and making preparations for being more isolated. (Bring on the frozen meal-prep!) I’m not really sure how that will work with traveling back and forth from Canada, but I guess we will figure it out as we go, and of course we are hopeful that this will not be as bad as what we prepare for.
So today, I am sharing this major comfort food recipe that comes from Tula, my mother-in-law.
This is one of her staple dishes that we love so much and it is really easy! There is so much olive oil (it’s the trick to it being so good!!) and so the kids like to eat it over rice (carb on carbs baby!) to soak up the sauce. I am sharing this in acknowledgment of our situation today. Not only that we emotionally need comfort with so much missing information and uncertainty in the King County community, but that this can be made with ingredients that live in your freezer and pantry! Frozen leeks, onions and string beans work very well in this recipe if needed and potatoes last a long time, especially when refrigerated, so you don’t strictly NEED fresh ingredients for this dish. Even if you are in a part of the country that is not dealing with this concern right now, this is a family favorite that everyone will love- it’s just delicious. So I leave you with the wish for everyone to stay safe, wash your hands, be a good neighbor and make good decisions! XOXO
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped leeks
- 1 yellow onion, finally chopped
- 1 pound string beans, ends picked and cut in half
- ½ bunch of fresh parsley, finely minced
- 1 cup crushed canned tomatoes
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
- 1 cup water
- In a medium pot, add the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion and stir, cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the onions are getting soft and translucent.
- Add the string beans and stir well, cooking a few more minutes. Add the parsley and the tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes. Add the potatoes and a cup of water and bring to a simmer. Add a lid to the pot and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Serve hot on their own or over rice to soak up the olive oil sauce.
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Hello, thanks for this nice authentic recipe, what are the little flowers to garnish the dish please?
Marigold petals!
This recipe looks so yummy. Grew up eating lots of potatoes and green beans, so I will love this dish.
Heather this post is very concerning and frightening what is happening right now where you live. Be safe! You and family and everyone. Hoping and praying it will pass quickly and our world will return normal. Be safe and thank you for the recipe
Thank you so much, we are for sure nervous and keeping vigilant. There are a lot of seasonal viruses going around anyways, so everyone is extremely nervous as we don’t know what’s what! I’ll keep you all posted 🙂
First, why did I never think about refrigerating potatoes?! Thank you! I live alone and too often don’t use up the lovely potatoes I buy before they go bad. Fortunately, even when softer there is so much you can do with them so I usually manage to rescue them. More importantly, I love that you are sharing more Greek recipes from your mother-in-law – that is really special! And, living in southwestern Washington, between two cities that now have coronavirus, and with a number of people under observation in our county, I hear you about both not panicking but also thinking about preparations. I went to the store and made sure I had enough staples for a couple of weeks, fresh vegetables, etc. My freezer doesn’t work very well so that is a limitation, but I have a lot of pantry staples and even know how to make my own bread if necessary, if I have to be isolated for a bit. I also love what you wrote about comfort, emotional and otherwise, and about good wishes for the communities around us. It’s an unsettling time. Sending good wishes your way, and thank you, as always, for the beauty you bring into the world.
Thank you so much Terry!!! I will continue to share how we are best coping and what we are eating in hopes that it helps others. Stay healthy!!!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It was delicious! My whole family loved it! It will become a regular meal in my house! I hope you and your family are doing well as we move through this strange time.
I made this tonight with a few additions. I added spicy Turkey Italian Sausage, fresh and dry oregano, and I used chicken stock stock rather than water. We loved this dish and will definitely make it again. I don’t really like string beans but my spouse loves them. So we are both happy with this dish! Thanks!
This so good and I had the leftovers for lunch. yum!