Green Beans Sauteed with Olive Oil

Green beans are one of the more familiar vegetables that typically appear on most Thanksgiving dinner tables. If you're looking for a healthier yet tasty version of a green bean recipe, this may be it.   The added bonus is that it's simple to make and only requires a few ingredients. Green beans are nutritious too, containing Vitamin C and fiber. This is a great recipe for the holidays or anytime of the year. Try to buy organic produce when you can to reduce your exposure to pesticides.

Green Beans by Stacey Sauvago. Public Domain Image.

Ingredients:

1 pound of fresh green beans

1/2 cup of filtered water

1/4 – 1/3 cup of olive oil (depending on your personal taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rinse green beans well, cut off the tips/strings at each end of each bean, or buy fresh green beans (prepackaged) with the tips cut. If the beans are long, cut each bean in half.  If they are not, they don’t need to be cut. Place beans in a large 12 inch non stick saute/fry pan, add the filtered water to just cover the beans. Place a lid on the pan and cook at a low heat for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to get the beans softened but not overcooked to maintain higher levels of Vitamin C. 

Drain the remaining water out of the pan then brown the green beans for approximately 10 minutes on a medium heat, stirring them gently and occasionally. Now add the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat to the lowest setting and cook for another 10 minutes while stirring them occasionally and gently. You can cook the beans longer to brown them more - they taste great this way too.
  
Remember - when cooking with olive oil, don't use a high heat due to its low smoke point. Maintain a lower to medium heat to prevent smoking of the oil. 

Eight things you need to know about the Ebola Virus

Ebola virus is a deadly disease. At this time there is no vaccine to provide immunity to the Ebola virus. There is no cure for Ebola. There is currently an outbreak of Ebola Virus in several West African nations. As far as we know, there is one current case in the U.S. of a traveler that came to the United States from a West African nation. He was exposed to and infected with Ebola there. He developed symptoms of the disease after his arrival to the U.S. The other patients in the U.S. that have or had Ebola were either medical workers or media personnel that spent time in a West African nation and returned to the U.S. for medical treatment.

Photo attribution: Created by CDC microbiologist Cynthia Goldsmith, this colorized transmission electron micrograph (TEM) revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology displayed by an Ebola virus virion. Public Domain Photo.

So far there is no outbreak in the U.S. However, it helps to be prepared in the event more cases surface. This can happen as we continue to allow travelers into the U.S. who may have been exposed to Ebola. Until a process is in place that provides a more stringent assessment of travelers coming into the U.S., more cases may be likely to occur. Also, if travelers are not forthcoming regarding their medical histories and possible exposure to Ebola, it's conceivable that more people may arrive who are in the incubation period and will develop symptoms soon after their arrival.

A brief overview of some of the some of the latest scientific research tells us:

1. Ebola symptoms include (but are not limited to) fever, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, abdominal (stomach) pain and bleeding (hemorrhaging) with no known cause.
2. Avoid travel to areas in the world where Ebola virus is occurring.
3. Ebola virus has an incubation period of 2 - 21 days. (This is the range of time it can take to develop an infection after exposure to the virus). 
4. A person infected with Ebola virus is contagious once they have symptoms. 
5. Exposure to the body fluids of a person with Ebola virus that is having symptoms can infect you and give you the Ebola virus.
6. Protect yourself with PPE (personal protective equipment) such as facial masks, eye goggles, medical gloves, protective gowns and shoe covers if you are faced with an unexpected interaction with someone who is sick with the symptoms of Ebola virus.
7. Remember to practice good hand washing using soap and water for at least 30 seconds or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer after any possible exposure to any illness or disease.
8. Seek medical care with a licensed health care professional without delay if you're concerned about a possible exposure or if you or anyone you know is ill and needs help.

For more information about Ebola virus click here.