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Special Diet Information

Coumadin® (Warfarin)
This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users.

Lactose
Avoid this recipe if you are lactose intolerant.

Sodium
This is a low sodium recipe.

GERD / Acid Reflux
No specific GERD triggers.

Gluten Sensitivity
This recipe is safe for those who are sensitive to gluten.

“Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” Mark Twain, Author

The refrigerator light goes on...

We used to call these string beans or snap beans when I was a kid because you had to snap the tip off and peel the string away from the pod. These days the beans have been bred to not have strings that need removing.

Green beans are a legume and there’s no doubt that they are good for you. There’s a lot of Vitamin C but look at that fiber. That’s as much as 2 slices of some whole wheat breads and this has about a third of the calories.

You can use good old fashioned green beans (snap beans) or the skinny little French style beans (haricot vert). I like pole beans -- the large flat green bean -- but these are not as available in the grocery as much as they once were. Look for them in the late summer at your farmer’s market.

Butter

Butter is so wonderful.  It is such a simple thing – fresh cream is churned, breaking up the fat globules that are normally suspended in water until the fat binds together trapping the water.  

Butter in the U.S. must be at least 80% butter fat, with the remainder made up of water and milk solids.  The quality of butter is rated by the USDA based on flavor, aroma, quality of cream, texture and then given the  “Grade Shield” – either AA, A or B.  Quality butters start with the best cream and you should look for only Grade AA butter.   

There are now a number of butters in the market.  Familiar butter like Land o’ Lakes is certainly very good quality and is very consistent.  Both European and European style butters are now available in U.S. markets.  These contain a higher percentage of butterfat (at least 82% but as high as 86% - 88%).  This, combined with specialty cultures and churning methods, produces a smooth creamy, rich product.  

While I have found the flavor of European butters to be excellent in sauces, using them is not critical.  The recipes where using higher fat butters are more important are in baking, where the higher butterfat content makes better quality baked goods.  

All of the recipes in this book, and recipes in general, call for unsalted butter.  The amount of sodium in salted butter is minimal (a tablespoon has about 115 mg of sodium).  There is, however, a variation in the amount of salt added by different dairies, so using unsalted butter lends reliability to your recipes.  This is especially true in baking where it is important to control the amount of salt, since subtle changes in ingredients can make a major difference in the final product.  

In short, I don’t have any salted butter in my fridge.  Because I use butter sparingly in small amounts as a flavor enhancer, I do try to buy the highest quality European style butter.  

1 tsp. unsalted butter = 36 calories, 4g fat, 2.5g sat fat, 1g mono fat, 0g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 0mg sodium, 11mg cholesterol

Green Beans Almondine

Servings = 2 | Serving size =about 1 cup beans

Cooking Time = 30 Minutes

This recipe can be multiplied by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

This recipe makes good leftovers. Serve chilled or reheat very gently.

1 quart	water
1 lb	green beans
1 tsp	olive oil
1 tsp	unsalted butter
1 Tbsp	sliced almonds
1/8 tsp	salt
	fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Place the water in a large skillet pot over high heat. When the water is at a shiver (almost boiling) add the green beans.

Cook them for about 5 - 7 minutes and remove them from the pan to a strainer or a paper towel.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced almonds. Cook gently stirring frequently until the almonds begin to brown. If they seem to be browning too fast reduce the heat.

Add the green beans, salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, for about another 2 - 3 minutes and serve.