2009-02-25

Favorite Things - Bagged Green Beans

I thought that periodically I would write about something that has become a "favorite". Unlike my favorite thing Fridays, I will do this randomly when I find something, instead of feeling obligated to share something every Friday. That being said, here it is...



Bagged Green Beans


I decided that our family needed to focus on eating more vegetables with our meals. As I was looking around the produce area of the grocery store, I found a bag of green beans. So far I have been able to find them at all of my local grocery stores and a larger bag is available at Costco. The lovely thing about these are, you just puncture a hole in the bag and microwave for 3-4 minutes (the directions are usually on the back). Let them sit for a few minutes, dump in a bowl with a dab of butter and whatever seasonings you like. I like a sprinkle of Johnnys. I can eat the whole bag by myself and they are good for you.

My sister-in-law brought a very yummy green bean salad to a family dinner, which I am going to make tonight and I will take a picture and post it.

GREEN BEAN SALAD

INGREDIENTS
1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Place green beans in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, about 2 to 6 minutes. Allow to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine beans, onion, blue cheese, and pecans. Stir in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

I used about half of the oil, candied almonds instead of using pecans. I believe that is how Kari did it also.


This recipe is another great way to utilize these lovely green beans. I think we could all eat more vegetables and lighten up on the processed foods. So, when thinking, what should I fix tonight, give these a try.

Edited: I made this tonight and realized it needed a little sweet to balance the acidity in the balsamic vinegar. I didn't carmelize my almonds, so instead I added a little sugar (to taste) to the dressing before mixing it with the green beans. Then hit it with a little salt and pepper. It was yummy!

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