This is a vegan version of a dish normally made with shrimp, but the sauce lends itself perfectly to a crunchy, succulent vegetable like green beans. And the spinach soaks up the flavors as well. This sauce is spicy; you can substitute less-hot chile peppers such as Anaheim or Poblano if you can’t stand the heat.
Remove the seeds, stems and veins from 6-8 dried red chile peppers: Guajillo, California or New Mexico or a combination. Place in a small pot with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then simmer until they are tender.
Trim 1/2 lb. green beans and cut into 1 inch pieces. Soak 4 C. spinach in water and drain. Repeat until the water is clean, then spin dry the spinach.
Transfer the peppers and 1 C. of the cooking liquid to a water-tight food processor. Add 2 diced tomatoes and 2 minced cloves of garlic. Puree until smooth.
Heat 3 T. olive oil in a large skillet and add 1 C. sliced onion. Saute the onion until it is tender, then add the green beans and fry for 3-4 minutes. When the beans turn bright green, add the sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the spinach leaves, stir to combine completely, then turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Season with salt and serve with lime wedges.