Green Beans in Tomato Sauce

Adapted from Lebanese Cuisine by Madelain Farah

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• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound chuck roast or lamb, cut into 2 inch pieces (meat dish optional)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt freshly cracked pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs frozen cut green beans
• 1 cup water or reserved beef broth
• 1 (8oz) can Hunt’s tomato sauce

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1. Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and heat over medium-high heat. {If not using meat, skip to step 2} Add the meat and cook unit browned, approximately 8 minutes (the meat may release a lot of liquid at first. It will eventually evaporate and brown). Once the water evaporates from the meat and starts to brown, add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.
2. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until soft, scraping the bottom of the pot.
3. {Skip to step 4 if not adding meat} Add enough water to barely cover the meat. Bring to boil, cover, and cook about 1 hour, or until the meat is tender.
4. Once the meat is tender, add the green beans,1 teaspoon kosher salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Stir, and cover the pot. Allow the beans to steam for 10 minutes, stirring once.
5. Add the tomato sauce and 1 1/2 cups of water.
6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes, or until the green beans are very tender. Add water if needed.
7. To serve: If cooked with meat, serve hot over rice pilaf. If serving without meat, it may be served hot or cold with olive oil drizzled on top. Serve with pita bread.

Stove-top Pressure Cooker instructions: Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook unit browned, approximately 8 minutes.
While the meat is browning add salt, and pepper.
Once the meat has browned, add the onion and cook until softened.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add one cup of water and cook under pressure for 15 minutes. Release pressure at once. Make sure the meat is tender. If not, place under pressure again for 5 more minutes, or until tender.
Add the green beans, tomato sauce, and 2 cups of water, and cook under pressure for exactly 3 minutes. Release pressure at once.
Cook, without the lid, until the tomato sauce reduces and thickens a bit.