Recipe: Green Beans Almondine

When I was growing up, my folks went to formal dinner dances that Masonic lodges in their district held. They went fairly often since I recall there were almost 30 lodges in the district, they all had dances, so there were many to choose from.

This was the sixties and beef was what people ate…. steak and baked potato and a vegetable…. green beans almondine became a popular vegetable at these events… and my parents ate them until they couldn’t look at them anymore.. needless to say.. my Mother did not serve green beans almondine at home. It wasn’t until after I got married I discovered this wonderful way to make string (green) beans.

Green beans almondine are very easy to make…. basically you cook or steam the green beans… dry them and toss them quickly in a pot with butter sautéed shallots and almonds…. Just delicious!
Enjoy!

Green Beans Almondine Recipe:

All you need:

2 lbs. green beans (whole not split)
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup slivered almonds
3 shallots, peeled and chopped
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

All you need to do:

Cook the 2 pounds of green beans either by steaming or in a large pot of salted boiling water for about 5 minutes (green beans should be crisp tender) or if you like them a little softer, about 8 minutes.

When green beans are done… drain.

Put the green beans in a large bowl of ice water and let cool.

Drain again and pat dry…. Set aside.

In a medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter.

Add the slivered almonds and cook until the almonds for about 3 minutes or until they are golden, stirring frequently.

Add the shallots and continue cooking until they are soft and translucent (about a minute).

Add the green beans, tossing to coat. Cook until heated through.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.