Today’s blog post is already up…over at the Chicago Redeye blog.

I entered a contest to try and incorporate ground pork, camembert cheese, and haricots vert into the tastiest dish. I don’t know if I’ll win, but the dish I made sure was tasty. We ate it two days in a row and it even got David eating green beans! There’s a picture below, but be sure to check out the post on the Redeye blog, and feel free to leave your comments over there. Maybe you can sway Stephanie towards my dish.

Check the recipe out here.

Leah, an integral part of my “Test Kitchen” here, gets recipes emailed to her from her work’s wellness programs. She emails them to me when they sound good, and even though I almost always agree with her, I believe this was the first one that I’ve made.

Fresh beans were expensive at the store, so I opted for whole frozen green beans (Green Giant Selects, I believe, which seemed a little better quality than the store brand frozen veggies we usually buy). I also skipped the sage, and used thyme instead, because that’s what we had on hand. Finally, I halved the recipe you see below, and it was plenty for the three of us.

Sauteeing the green beans brings out just a touch of  sweetness, and the prosciutto adds a tasty balance of salty flavor. The toasted pine nuts are delicious, too.

Even David ate his veggies that night, and he doesn’t care for green beans at all. I’m sure we’ll be making these again.

Sizzled Green Beans with Crispy Prosciutto & Pine Nuts
Adapted from, well, Leah’s email

• 2 pounds of green beans trimmed (I used frozen)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt divided
• 2 teaspoons of minced fresh sage (I used minced fresh thyme leaves)
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 ounces of prosciutto thinly sliced, cut into ribbons
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil divided
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add beans, return to a boil, and simmer until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add prosciutto; cook, stirring, until crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.
3. Wipe out the pan; heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add the beans, garlic, sage, 1/8 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are browned in places, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in pine nuts, lemon zest and the prosciutto. Season with lemon juice, the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Green beans are seen often around here. We don’t really eat as many vegetables as we should, but green beans are one of the few veggies I always like. Of course, they’re not very interesting. Of course, there’s green bean casserole, or green beans with bacon (the way Grandma makes them, yum!), or just canned green beans. They’re a nice standby, a simple go-to veggie, but not very inspiring.

That’s why I set out to find a new recipe for green beans. And I did. This was a simple fix for frozen green beans. Even though it was nothing spectacular, this recipe was quick and tasty, and a nice change from the regular old canned beans. The panko is crunchy and buttery, like garlic bread, and the beans are fresh and crisp. The tiny bit of butter and small amount of bread crumbs go a long way, keeping the final product healthy, like vegetables should be.

Garlicky Green Beans

• 1/2 (1 lb) bag frozen green beans
• 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning mix
• salt & pepper

Directions

1. Microwave beans according to package directions and drain.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet, add garlic and saute until soft–about 1 minute.
3. Add bread crumbs, seasoning, and salt and pepper and saute 1 minute.
4. Add green beans and saute 3 to 4 minutes.

Note: As I said, nothing earth-shattering here, but these green beans were pretty tasty. I’ll make these again, I’m sure. (Leah liked them so much she’s eaten the leftovers until every bite was gone…She’d be sad if I didn’t make them again!)