Green Beans with Goat Cheese and Toasted Pecans

Posted on Feb 5, 2010 by PeggyPrint Recipe Only | Email Recipe | Leave a Comment
Filed under: Feed Your Clock, Gluten Free, Peggy's Healthy Picks, Vegetables & legumes, Vegetarian Pin It
Green Beans with Goat Cheese and Toasted Pecans

I’ve always admired the French–their lifestyle, art and cuisine. Most certainly I am appreciative of the myriad ways they knot their scarves!  I’m also a fan of their green beans, “haricots verts”, essentially a long and slender version of your basic green bean. Anyone with decent soil and full sun can grow haricots vert, but I’ve always associated these beans with the French: So slender, so chic – with no strings attached!

A dinner based simply on green beans is what I’m craving tonight.  I’ve a weekend of Super Bowl meatballs, chicken wings and stuffed potato skins ahead so  appreciate a somewhat refined dinner centered around a vegetable– the perfect antidote to game day snacking!

I find fresh, whole green beans cook better in boiling water than when steamed, the boiling water cooks them evenly and they remain crisp. I shock my beans in icy cold water so they retain their vibrant green color.

Recipe: Green Beans with Goat Cheese and Toasted Pecans

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon minced shallot
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 pound green beans or haricots verts, ends snapped if necessary
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons walnut or extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dry
  • 2 ounces goat cheese crumbled
  • 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted

Instructions

  1. Macerate (soak) shallot in vinegar 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil green beans 2-5 minutes, depending on thickness of green, or until crisp tender. Drain and shock with ice water.
  2. Whisk oil into vinegar mixture and add tarragon. Toss green beans with vinaigrette. (If you’d prefer a warm salad, reheat dressed green beans in a large skillet at this point before tossing with goat cheese.)
  3. Toss with goat cheese and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
  4. Garnish with toasted walnuts or pecans and serve.

Time: 15 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 4 side dish servings (2 main course)

Copyright © Peggy Lampman’s dinnerFeed.

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Filed under: Feed Your Clock, Gluten Free, Peggy's Healthy Picks, Vegetables & legumes, Vegetarian
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