Green Beans & Mustard Sauce

Green beans, sugar snaps, snow peas and wax beans are my quick and easy go-to vegetables. My favorite way to quickly prepare them are blanched, drained then sautéed in a little garlic and olive oil. Simple and delicious. If I feel like an Asian twist, I add some grated ginger when I’m sautéing the beans then finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Another favorite variation is tossing the cooked green beans with a mustard sauce and some red onions that have been sliced paper-thin. It’s a little spicy, a little sweet, and has a lot of crunch. What’s nice about this recipe is that it’s equally delicious served warm, at room temperature or even chilled.

GREEN BEANS & MUSTARD SAUCE

2 pounds green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
Salt & pepper

Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and briefly rinse the beans in cold water to stop the cooking and to retain the bright green color. Drain again. Place the beans in a medium serving bowl.

In a covered jar, combine the vinegar, mustard, honey and oil. Shake well to combine.

Toss the beans with the mustard sauce and stir in the red onions. Season with a little salt and pepper.