well… in ONE way or another, at least.
Happy St. Pat’s all! I am fully trusting that everyone has their corned beef and soda bread and dying-the-river-green well and truly in hand for the holiday or, in the case of Boston, commemorating Evacuation Day, thus allowing a non-sectarian government holiday that just HAPPENS to coincide with St. Pat’s, convenient, no? – ermmm, where was I?
OH! Yes, corned beef and all that. Sorry, if you’re looking for a timely bit of cookin’ o’ the sod, you’re out of luck – tho’ I do plan on trying out some recipes for Irish coffee cupcakes in a cup and Espresso shortbread cookies with an Irish whiskey glaze published in yesterday’s Trib’ very soon – so be on the look out and prepare early for next year.
In honor of the day, however, I am featuring something green – green beans, lightly cooked in the ‘wave and then tossed in an onion, almond, and apple juice glaze. YUM!
Rachael Ray had this cool-looking apple cider green bean recipe, but I had already planned on doing a roast pork with an apple juice glaze, so figured the beans may as well come along for the ride.
INGREDIENTS
•1 (16-oz) bag whole frozen green beans – the original recipe called for using 2 (16-oz) bags, but this was just dinner for us, so I cut back a lot, and sprinkled some of the ‘extra’ glaze over oven roasted potatoes to spread the apple theme around a bit
•Extra-virgin olive oil
•1 small onion, finely chopped
•Sliced almonds
•Sugar – just a dash
•3/4 cup apple cider
•Salt and pepper
Microwaves and individual tastes vary. The original recipe called for cooking the beans in a large bowl (microwave safe, do I really need to add this?), loosely covered with plastic wrap, on high five minutes, stirring the beans, then covering and ‘waving another four to seven minutes, until desired doneness, from still-crisp to tender, but with a bite. I found my beans (I used ‘petite’ whole beans, on the small side, but not as tiny as haricot verts) to be nicely done, a lovely green, and ready for final preparation without turning into an overcooked, soggy mess after after five or so.
Heat a small skillet over medium low heat. Add a of extra-virgin olive oil and the onions and cook until beginning to, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a dash of sugar and the shaved almonds and stir to toast for a couple of minutes. Add the cider, raise the heat to medium high and cook until liquid is reduced and syrupy, about 5 minutes.
Remove the beans from microwave. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add to the pan with the onions and or juice. Toss to coat and keep warm until ready to serve.
What a nice way to keep the doctor at bay!