Green Beans with Walnuts and Onions

This particular vegetable side dish is based on a recipe that my friend Louis brought to my attention.

My variation eliminated the butter and olive oil, substituted walnuts for almonds and added red pepper flakes. By now you know I used walnuts because they contain omega 3 fatty acids. My husband and I like to add a little spice with red pepper flakes but you can omit them if you are feeding children or elderly relatives. If you are interested in the medicinal properties of peppers check out this link to an article on WebMD.

Walnut oil is not necessary but a little fat is required to carry the flavor. I have used Earth Balance, olive oil, canola oil or grapeseed oil in place of the walnut oil. All the variations work well, but I think the walnut oil provides the right flavor for the dish.

Green Beans with Walnuts and Onions
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup water or white wine to water sauté the vegetables
4 cups green beans, stems removed
2 tablespoons walnuts, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon walnut oil
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the onion in water or wine until soft (about 5 minutes). Then add green beans and cover the pan and cook until beans begin to soften (another 5 minutes).

To serve, top each serving with walnuts, walnut oil, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 79.01
Calories From Fat (40%) - 31.92

Total Fat - 3.75g
Saturated Fat - 0.37g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 7.49mg
Potassium - 246.44mg
Total Carbohydrates - 10.73g
Fiber - 4.48g
Sugar - 1.64g
Protein - 2.89g

Comments:

This makes a nice green bean side dish for Thanksgiving if you are looking for something that is flavorful but not a variation on the standard green bean casserole. It is also a great weekday dish because it is so fast. Sometimes I serve it over brown rice and make it a meal.