Green bean salad

It's been ages since I posted, so here's a quick recipe which I'd already typed up.

This salad is very easy, quick and delicious. And if you always keep green haricots verts in your freezer, you can always serve an easy healthy accompaniment with you meal.

Green beans (fresh or frozen)

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Toasted sesame oil

Soy sauce

Lemon juice

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Boil the beans until just crunchy (don’t let them go totally limp).

Drain. Season with above ingredients.

Rice pilav

This is rice like my mother taught me.

For 4 persons

1½ cup basmati rice
2 to 3 Tbsp oil
1/4 thin vermicelli
Black pepper
2½ cups chicken broth

- Soak the rice in boiled water (anywhere from 10 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on how much time you have).
- After soaking, rinse the rice in plenty of fresh water (until the water runs almost clear) then let it drip in a colander.
- While the rice is dripping, heat the oil in a pan on medium and add the vermicelli (if it looks like a nest when you buy it, just crush it in your hand). Keep stirring until the vermicelli turns light brown. Watch it closely, as it takes only a second for it to turn from done to burnt.
- Add the rice to the pan, and stir to coat all the rice with oil.
- Add plenty of freshly ground pepper.
- Keep stirring for a few minutes until the rice becomes almost transluscent.
- Add the boiling water (be careful, it will splatter).
- Lower the heat to very low, cover the pan tightly and let it be.
- It is done when all the water has been absorbed by the rice (10 to 15 minutes).