Petite green beans need little but high heat to shine. A bare-bones dinner that lets one small luxury ingredient carry the night. Serve these alongside rice or toast to catch the garlicky oil.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 260 calories a serving, 3 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat. From USDA figures for 75% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Trim the dried ends from 12 oz organic petite green beans and pat them dry; this matters for browning. Mince 3 cloves garlic.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add all the green beans in a single layer and let them sit untouched for 3 minutes until they take on color underneath.3 min
3. Toss the beans and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring now and then, until they blister and char. The beans are done when they yield to a fork but still have some resistance.3 min
4. Push the beans to the edge of the pan and add the garlic to the oil in the center. Let it sizzle for 30 seconds without stirring, then toss everything together. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once.1 min

Note Swap in 12 oz asparagus in spring or thick-cut green beans in summer. Leftovers keep three days cold and are good with a fried egg for lunch. Pair with rice, bread, or roasted chicken thighs; stretch it into a light meal with pasta and more garlic oil.