Thursday, December 24, 2009

Spicy Parmesan Green Beans and Kale & Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays everyone! Being a relative newcomer to California, I still have a hard time adjusting to a warm & sunny Christmas. Where's the snow, people? Luckily (or unluckily) our house is so poorly insulated that we will probably spend our nights sipping hot cocoa and wearing fuzzy slippers anyway. Here's to wishing all of you warm and cozy nights with your family :)


This yummy & healthy dish is my new holiday favorite. Surprisingly, this veggie dish was the hit of our Thanksgiving spread (I'm still partial to dessert, of course) and I plan on bringing it to Christmas dinner at our friends' house tomorrow. Sauteed kale, green beans and mushrooms are nicely spiced with red pepper flakes, lemon and Parmesan cheese. It doesn't get much easier than this, folks!

Have a very Merry Christmas and stay warm!

Spicy Parmesan Green Beans and Kale
adapted from my favorite cook I love to hate (Giada)

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered (about 14 mushrooms)
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and slice into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I used a 1/4 teaspoon)
1 bunch kale (1/2 pound), rinsed, stemmed, and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan + extra for sprinkling

1. Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, green beans, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes.

2. Add the wine and continue cooking until the green beans are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and the kale and continue cooking until the kale has wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and the Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan to taste and serve immediately.

8 comments:

Mona said...

that looks really good. I make something similar to that except I use pine nuts a parmesan- not as healthy but it is very good :)

i totally agree with you i moved to portland oregon recently and its christmas and its like 50 degrees..so weird.

merry christmas!

Esi said...

Happy Holidays!!

grace said...

excellent way to bring a little life to some green beans! and hey--happy holidays!

Aggie said...

This looks delicious! I would love this!

MaryBeth said...

Looks wonderful...I am not a big fan of green beans but I think this dish would change my mind.

kat said...

We'd adore this with the addition of the kale, yum! Happy Holidays!

Kerstin said...

Sounds like a delicious veggie dish everyone would enjoy! Happy holidays!

Chef Fresco said...

Thanks for the suggestion Sharon, these great. We'll give them a try.