Warm Summer Side

As summer gets into full swing, using in-season produce makes finding the perfect side dish easy. For those evenings when you're enjoying dinner on the patio, or you just want to add some more healthy fats and veggies into your diet, Green Bean Almondine is a wonderful way to celebrate the flavors of the summer.
The high fat content comes from olive oil and almonds, the sources that you keep hearing you need to eat more of. Traditional Green Bean Almondine is made with slabs of butter, but in substituting for olive oil you are free to use less to coat the beans and reap the benefits of the heart healthy fats.

Green Bean Almondine

Serves 2

 Ingredients:
12oz Trimmed Green Beans [Trader Joe's Yellow and Green Beans - $2.99]
35g Almonds, roasted or raw, unsalted [Trader Joe's - $6.99 for 1lb, $0.55 used here]
2tbsp Shallots, chopped [Vons -$0.50 for one, $0.25 used here]
1tbsp Olive Oil, divided
Salt and Pepper

Directions

• Coarsely chop almonds, preferably in either quarters or thirds to ensure flavor and crunch will not be lost.
• Heat half the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute shallots with almonds until shallots are translucent and almonds are fragrant.

•  Meanwhile steam green beans in bag for two minutes. Remove from the bag and let cool until easy to touch. Cut beans in half if desired.
• Add beans to pan and toss with tongs. Continue cooking until green beans are soft, but still slightly crunchy. Remove from heat and toss with remaining half tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Total Cost: $1.90 per serving
Nutrition Facts per serving: 220 calories, 15.6g fat (1.6g saturated, 0g trans), 0mg cholesterol, 302mg sodium, 17.8g carbohydrates, 8g fiber, 3.1g sugar, 7.1g protein, [Vit A 26%, Vit C 48%, Calcium 11%, Iron 15%].