If you follow me on Instagram (@escpeters and @mybodymykitchen) you may have seen my IG story where I challenged my followers to complete a meal. I showed an image of my incomplete meal prep containing a piece of cornbread and baked chicken; this meal was missing something. I had already completed the meal, but I was interested in seeing what my followers would say. Unsurprisingly, green beans were the most popular suggestion and just happened to be the third item I added to that meal.
Here’s why I chose to add green beans to my cornbread and chicken meal:
- The flavors of green beans, cornbread and chicken just work very well together.
- My macronutrient goal for that meal was 400 to 450 Calories, and given the macros of the chicken and cornbread, the green beans kept my meal within that range.
- The cornbread and chicken, for the most part, provided a significant portion of the macronutrients, however, the meal needed more micronutrients and phytonutrients. So I wanted to add a green vegetable instead of another carbohydrate or protein dense item like potato salad or mac & cheese. I could have achieved a similar outcome using collard greens, spinach or broccoli, but I was hankering for green beans.
There are an endless number of ways to prepare green beans, but I chose to do this recipe. It’s an easy green bean almondine that includes roasted sliced almonds, fresh lemon juice and sautéed shallots. This recipe is also gluten-free and vegan.
Prep Time: 10 minutes . Cook Time: 15 minutes . Yield: Serves 4
1 lbs String Beans, trimmed
1/2 Cup Shallots, chopped
1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds
1 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
Salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread almonds in baking sheet. Toast for about 8 minutes until almonds are golden brown; tossing after 4 minutes. Set aside.
2. Prepare ice bath and bring a large pot of water to boil. Add string beans and salt to boiling water. Cook beans until bright green and a tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Immediately transfer beans to ice bath. Set aside.
3. In a non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until fragrant and shallots are lightly browned.
4. Temporarily remove pan from heat. Add lemon juice and beans to pan and toss. Return to medium heat and cook for about 1 minute; stirring to ensure that beans are evenly covered with sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss in almonds when you are ready to serve.
I’m going to make this for dinner tonight! I’m going to make it on the stove instead of the slow cooker, though. Thanks for the lovely dinner inspiration! 🙂
You are very welcome
You are AMAZING! Thank you thank you thank you so much for this. I was considering doing the same thing and you’ve just made the task a lot less daunting.