When you’ve got some fresh green beans and are looking for a way to spice them up, look no further than Levantine cuisine, which uses a touch of tomato and onion to transform the vegetable you thought you knew.

I have to admit, as a sometime American southerner I was a little dubious of any green bean recipe that didn’t resemble my grandmother’s (plenty of ham hock and lots of butter, plus biscuits), but this one won me over (and admittedly my arteries are probably thanking me for it).

Green Beans min Falasteen
h/t Nour for this recipe

You will need:
A bunch of green beans (about a pound works well), washed and ends snapped
One very large or two medium tomatoes, sliced into thin wedges
One onion, sliced thinly
Quarter cup of olive oil (at least: pour it into whatever pan you’re using and make sure there’s at least a quarter inch of olive oil in the pan before starting)
Cayenne pepper, to taste
A dash of allspice
One Maggi cube (or another bullion style cube)

First, saute the onions in the oil on medium low heat, until they just start to soften.