Charred Green Beans with Harissa & Shrimp

I flagged this recipe simply because it involved harissa. For those of you that have not yet experienced the joy that is Cava Mezze, I am sorry you've been deprived that #greekygoodness. Once you sit down, the Cava waiters bring over a little sampling of dips, including the harissa - a spicy combination of tomatoes, peppers and olive oil that can't be beat. I often find myself contemplating when or how to get my next fix of this stuff. So fast forward to the July issue of Bon Appetit - all I needed was fresh green beans (and I got those when I went to the pick your own farm) to get me to my next harissa fix!

Verdict - while this recipe was awesomely spicy, I still need to work on perfecting it. Or maybe this will be my homefix and I can go to Cava whenever I need other #greekygoodness! Either way this harissa will be great on grilled vegetables, meat or seafood and of course with pita.

Charred Green Beans with Harissa

Recipe from Bon Appetit, July 2012

Ingredients

• 1 small red bell pepper (about 7 ounces) or 1 roasted red pepper from jar
• 3 red jalapeños or Fresno chiles
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed

(Note: I skipped the almonds because I forgot to purchase them.)

Directions

• Char bell pepper and jalapeños under a broiler until soft and charred all over, 12–15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 15 minutes.
  
  Peel, seed, and mince bell pepper and jalapeños. Combine peppers, chiles, garlic, and 1 tsp. salt in a food processor. Pulse, scraping down sides of bowl, to make a coarse paste. Pulse in 1 Tbsp. oil, lemon juice, coriander, and cumin. Season harissa with salt and black pepper.
  
  Place green beans in a medium bowl; drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil. Season with salt and black pepper and toss to coat. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or other large heavy skillet over high heat. Working in batches, cook beans, turning occasionally, until blistered and charred in places but still crisp-tender, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; toss with harissa. 
  
  Serve warm with some grilled or sauteed shrimp. Enjoy!