Greek Braised Beans with Olive Oil 🇬🇷 Fasolakia

Fasolakia, which simply means casserole style green beans with lots of extra virgin olive oil, is a simple one pot vegetarian dish cooked in most Greek homes.

I don't need to tell you how nutritious this is and how great it tastes the next day for lunch too, so don't worry about left overs 😉

Ingredients

• 750g Green beans (ends trimmed, cut in half)
• 2 Small/medium Desiree or Nicola potatoes (quartered then halved)
• 2 Medium zucchinis (sliced into rounds or chunks)
• 1 -2 Carrots (sliced into rounds or chunks); optional 
• 2 Small brown onions (chopped)
• 3 Cloves garlic (chopped or crushed)
• 1/2 b Fresh parsley (chopped)
• 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)
• 1 tbsp Tomato paste & 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup of White wine (for deglazing)
• 400g Quality tinned tomatoes (3-4 large fresh tomatoes)
• 1.0-1.5 cups Water (plus extra as needed)
• Salt & Pepper to taste

The Protein Option

• 8-10 Lamb cutlets, trimmed of excess fat, seasoned with salt and pepper

Method

1.  Browning the protein ( if you are adding meat)

• Heat some olive oil in a large wide based pot. Sear your meat in batches until thoroughly browned on both sides. Remove meat from the pan and set aside.

2. The Vegetable Base

• Using the same pot, add more olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt until soft.
• If required, deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping the bottom and sides.
• Add tomato paste directly onto the pan base and cook it for a few minutes. You may need to add a splash of oil to it to help it along. 
  
• Add the potatoes & carrot, stir for 5 mins
• Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper to taste
• Nestle the lamb into the tomato sauce (if using lamb)
• Add the green beans and zucchini on top, followed by the water.
  
• Cover and bake in the oven at 180°C for 40–50 minutes with the lid on until the potatoes are tender.
• Take the lid off and caramelize the edges of the vegetables and the meat
• Stir in the parsley, the remaining "raw" olive oil, and your final salt and pepper.
• Spoon the tomato & onions from the bottom all over the top.

 Notes

"Don't worry about leftovers—this tastes even better the next day for lunch! Always keep a watchful eye on the liquid; you want a little bit of juice at the end to dunk your bread in."

 Variations

•  Swap the potatoes & carrots for sweet potato for a delicious twist.
•  Add a handful of whole cherry tomatoes on top before the oven step for extra pops of sweetness.
•  Serve with Feta or a dollop of Greek yoghurt and some olives.