Green Beans Almondine Recipe

Hey there! You know, I honestly didn’t expect anyone to stop by my blog or ever see it, but apparently I was wrong about that! Blogger has this stats page (and oh HOLY CRAP am I ever addicted to it. Rocket Scientist has been putting up with my constant page view updates. He’s sweet like that) and it looks like people have been stopping by.

So…thank you! I really appreciate it.

I also appreciate the fact that blogger doesn’t show you how many times I’ve looked at the stats page.

Better for both of us that way.

But mostly me.

Anyway.

I have this weird habit sometimes of ordering, cooking, or otherwise acquiring vegetables and eating them.

In fact, one of Rocket Scientist’s favorite fake(?) insults for me is “Vegetable Eater”.

Yep, I’m a vegetable eater.

Known for it, even.

I just feel that if we’re going to do this thing where I blog about food and you read it (and I obsessively click refresh on the stats page, naturally)…I should make you aware of what is an indelible black mark on my status as a vegetable eater.

I don’t like fresh green beans.

Hate ‘em. They have a weird texture and they don’t taste right and they SQUEAK WHEN I EAT THEM. And unless I’ve gotten a hankering for live mice, I don’t expect my food to squeak when it’s chomping time.

And do you know what one of my favorite veggie dishes is? One that I request for each and every food-related Holiday family get-together (which, come on, is all of them)?

Green beans almondine.

And in my family we reconcile these opposing truths with the clever use of French style, cut, canned green beans.

The Players

Now green beans almondine is a fancy way of saying green beans, almonds, and butter.

But with that fun ee sound repeated throughout. Is that assonance? Or with the n at the end of all three is in internal rhyme? I think its internal rhyme.

Anyway. We’re going to be using two cans of French style cut green beans, margarine (or butter), blanched slivered almonds, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

First, we’re going to need to drain these cans. I mostly took this picture because I thought it was funny that I bought these cans at the same time, but they have different lids on them.

It’s the little things, right?

So grab the can that doesn’t have the tear lid (unless both of yours do…in which case just sit there feeling smug while I fiddle with mine) and your can opener, and get the top of that can off.

Also, take a moment to wish that you’d wiped down the counter for that picture.

Now grab your tear-top can (unless both of yours were traditional, in which case just sit there feeling smug that yours are already open while I fiddle with mine) and yank that thing off.

I almost always have to use a spoon to pry up the tear-y thing. So I’m not really sure why its supposed to be better than a can opener.

So just take the tops of the cans, drop them back in, and then use the can tops to hold the beans in the can while we drain off the bean juice.

When I would help my mom with this part, I always squished the crap out of the beans, trying to get all of the liquid out. I was paranoid that I would Do It Wrong and ruin the green beans. It’s amazing we didn’t end up with mush.

(Psst. I still squish the crap out of the beans when I drain them. But you don’t have to. I’m pretty sure.)

Now feel silly because you managed to cut your finger on the can, even though your mother *always* told you to be careful, the edges were sharp when you did this at home with her.

Just, you know, if you want to do it how I did it.

Once you have those drained off, just set them aside while we get the almonds ready.

I just wanted to make sure that the green beans were prepared and waiting in the wings like a high school freshman in the chorus of the Spring musical hoping that Miss Hannigan would fall suddenly ill and SHE would have to go on instead.

You know, like that.

While the beans were entertaining delusions of grandeur, I tossed a couple of tablespoons of margarine in a skillet, over medium heat. Make it three.

I’m using margarine because it’s cheap. I should probably use butter and cut a few chemicals out of my life, but, well, college. And margarine was ¼ of the price of butter.

But by all means, use what you have on hand. My need to justify my use of margarine should in no way affect your beans.

Anyway.

I like to separate out the margarine into individual tablespoons, just because it melts faster.

Now, we’re going to toss in our almonds.

For two cans of beans I like to use half of a ½ cup package, so about ¼ cup of blanched slivered almonds.

If it doesn’t look like enough butter to cook your almonds in, throw in some more.

We’re going to fry (sauté?) these until they start turning brown.

Now, I have a tendency to let mine get darker than most. I really love the smoky flavor that gives the almonds.

Other people call that flavor burnt. So do what you like.

These look done.

Now we’re going to grab those beans and toss them in with our almonds.

The beans are already cooked through, so we’re mostly just mixing them in with the almonds and heating everything up.

Just stir all that together, and stir occasionally to make sure nothing is burning.

I like to put some fresh cracked pepper on top, and some sea salt from those nifty little grinder things.

Makes me feel like I know what I’m doing.

Also? Way fancier than my other pepper.

Which looks like this:

And tastes like nothing.

I also like to put lemon juice on mine. You can leave this step until you serve, you can do it now and mix it all in, or you can be like me.

I do both.

Just shake some over the top. Not a lot, but enough to give it a little bit of bite.

You can always add more when it is on your plate. 

Also, if you could make your lemon juice really blurry? I'd appreciate it. 

And that’s it! Just serve it as a side dish with your next meal, or you can be like me.

Sometimes a bowl of these is dinner.

I find other food just gets in the way.

These reheat really well, and are a super easy way to dress up canned green beans.

Recipe:

-          2 cans French style cut green beans, drained

-          3 tablespoons butter

-          ¼ cup (half package) blanched slivered almonds

-          Lemon juice, to taste

-          Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

        Drain the green beans, set aside.

        Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and sauté the almonds until golden brown.

        Add the beans, stir to incorporate.

        Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.

        Stir occasionally until heated through.

        Enjoy!