Caramelized Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts
Not that I have anything against entrees or anything, but to me, it's the side dish that always stands out in my mind and has me agonizing over a restaurant dinner menu. And yet, despite my professed love for the side dish, I'm actually quite a bit lazy when it comes to preparing them. I want them to taste great, but I don't want to devote a lot of energy to them. If you're like me, you're going to love these Caramelized Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts--they're so easy and delicious!!
I don't know about you, but I think toasted pine nuts make just about everything taste better! I love them on their own as a snack or sprinkled on top of a salad. Here, they add a sweet nutty flavor and a pleasant crunch to the slightly softened green beans and for this recipe, you don't even have to toast them ahead of time!
The most hands-on, time consuming part of the whole thing is cutting off the ends of the green beans, so if you're really pressed for time, you can buy them in bags with the ends already snipped for you. In that case, you really have absolutely no excuse not to make this!
And while it takes about 30 minutes for the beans to slowly cook and char, lazy-side-dish-me likes the fact that I can get the rest of the dinner ready, while doing little more than stirring them every now and then. The minimal energy expended is overblown by the deliciousness of this!! Be lazy and make these tonight!!
Caramelized Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts
Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, end cut off
2-3 tablespoons pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste
The Recipe
1. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the beans and cover slightly with the lid ajar. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the beans are tender and getting browned. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently for about 5 more minutes, until the nuts are toasted. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.
