Sometimes called Green Beans Almondine, this is a classic vegetable side dish that has increased herb pungency and added punch to it with the inclusion of some fresh or dried rosemary sprigs.
(Image of 1# of steamed green beans/haricots verts courtesy of webmaster ©2011).
Often, before the Christmas holidays, you will find fresh rosemary plants in a “tree” shape being offered for sale. These are small potted herb plants grown to resemble the pyramid shape so often associated with “Christmas Tree” evergreens.
Placing a Christmas-tree shaped potted table-top rosemary plant as a decoration in the dining room or kitchen can add a wonderful aroma to any room. These rosemary plants can receive selective hair cut trimmings to enable you to access the rosemary sprigs as needed. So, odd as it may sound, when buying the potted herb plant, look for one that could benefit from a selective trimming! There is nothing quite like fresh herbs in any recipe!
You can also add a touch of lemon zest (~ 1 tsp.) and some minced chives (~ 1 Tbsp) to the pan once the beans are warming through prior to serving.
Green Beans with Almonds and Rosemary
Yield: ~8 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds thin whole green beans/haricots verts, fresh and trimmed; or frozen and thawed
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp sliced almonds*
- 1 tsp. dried crushed rosemary or 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
Method:
- *Toast almonds ahead of time in a dry stir-fry pan over medium heat, stirring until golden (no more than probably 5-6 minutes), remove from pan & set aside; allow pan to cool. Vary the amount of almonds depending upon personal preference.
- Wash & trim fresh green beans and steam in either a steamer basket over boiling water or in a steamer pan over boiling water until beans are crisp-tender (6-8-10 minutes depending on thickness of the beans–French haricots verts are thinner than most other green beans and thus cook faster); immediately remove cooked green beans and plunge them into ice cold water to stop the cooking process, then drain; or if using frozen green beans, drain first in a colander and proceed to step 3.
- Heat olive oil and rosemary in stir-fry pan until rosemary scent is released (2-3 minutes); add crisp-tender pre-cooked green beans and toasted almonds; warm through to desired softness. Serve immediately.
There are many other variations of this classic dish, including White House Green Beans with Almonds.
Enjoy!