Another trick here to get a spare veggie in a hurry! While green beans are crazy cheap for much of the year, many people don’t know if they like them. If you’re only thinking of them in terms of a sad little pile of textureless green tubes from a can, you’re in for a surprise! There isn’t much more satisfying than a giant pile of bright green beans to liven up a plate that’s a little low on plant magic!

A magic microwave steaming device is handy, but not required- the same effect can be had by heating up a shallow pan with a small amount of water in the bottom. Cooking the beans quickly over high heat with the lid of the pan. Halfway through cooking, remove the lid and boil the water off. It’s harder though. Finding a decent glassware bowl with a lid or a plastic steamer is much, much faster! The basic recipe for steaming green beans is two handfuls of beans, a tablespoon or two of water, seasonings, then zap! I tend to give it two minutes, shake them up to stir, then give it another minute before I check to see if they’re close to done. My microwave might be magic, or yours might have superpowers, so keep an eye on them- you want them to be bright green, still firm, but fork-tender! 3-4 minutes is normal, but if you’ve got really thin or thick beans, it might take more or less.

Favorites in my quick go-to spellbook are salt + pepper + garlic powder + red pepper flakes for a savory/spicy blend, salt + garlic powder + parmesan (vegan substitute for extra bonus magic points) for an easy side dish to pasta or Italian dishes, or add a little Braggs to the water, and season with salt + garlic powder + ginger powder + sesame seeds + ground Szechuan peppercorns for an easy stir-fry-style side! There are lots of combinations that would work, it’s just remembering to actually conjure them!