Green Beans with Blue Cheese and Almonds

Friday night is my favorite night of the week to cook. I pour a big glass of wine, turn on the music and all of the chaos of the week fades away. Each Friday, though I know the answer, I ask my husband for any special requests he may have. Without fail he always responds “steaks”. I can’t complain, I love them too! Considering that our main course does not change often, I have been in search of new side dishes that can add a little variation to this meal. I am pretty traditional and like to serve a starch and a green with my meat. For my green last week I tried out this recipe and thought it was a creative and delicious addition to my side dish collection. Blue cheese and steak…it is not rocket science!

Green Beans with Blue Cheese and Almonds
Serves 3-4

1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/8 cup sliced almonds
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3oz. crumbled blue cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring pot of water to a boil. In a separate pan, melt olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium low heat. Add shallot and cook until shallots are golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the green beans to the boiling water and blanch for 3 minutes. Then drain, rinse with cold water, pat dry and add to pan with the shallots. Sauté 2 minutes and then add the almonds and blue cheese.

Salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently and serve immediately.

*Shortcut- If you are looking for a shortcut, you can steam the green beans in the microwave and eliminate the blanching. To steam them in the microwave add a tablespoon of water to the bottom of a microwave safe dish and cover. Microwave for 2-3 minutes and then check the beans. You do not want them to be too soft, so do this cautiously.