If you read my last post, you know I did a French night recently. Well, I cannot do French without some delicious fresh green beans! This is loosely inspired by a salad nicoise.
Let’s face it, though. Green beans are a pretty boring vegetable. They bring back memories of poorly drained canned stuff plopped next to frozen Salisbury steak and instant potatoes. Which, by the way, I have the upmost respect for. America was built on meals like that!
However, I can do a bit better now. But how do you make green beans exciting? Bacon-wrapped bundles with brown sugar is a popular side down south, but I wanted something healthier and more savory. A chilled three-bean salad is lovely, but I wanted something warm.
So, this side dish was born. A creamy sauce, crunchy almonds, and perfectly-cooked green beans. I can’t sell this healthy side dish anymore.
Serve with pasta, chicken, fish, beef, or do what I did with the leftovers and plop a fried egg on top!
Need I say more?
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cleaned
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper
TO PREPARE:
Melt butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the almonds and stir until toasty, about 5 minutes. They’ll be slightly brown, but the real indicator is the smell of almonds!
Bring salted water to boil. Plop in the green beans for 5 minutes or until desired doneness.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
Drain the beans and transfer to serving dish. Drizzle over the sauce and sprinkle on almonds.
Happy Spring!
whenkathycooks 