Terra Americana

Green bean casserole is a staple of American Holiday dinners.  I remember sitting on the school bus listening to the boy down the street talk about how the creaminess of the Campbell's mushroom soup was accented with the crunch of the fried onions from French's.  Iconic and comforting, I love the decadence but it is not such a fan of me.  Surely my Thanksgiving morning hike could not justify a second helping anyway.  Fresh and flavorful, this recipe is something my brilliant mother threw together one year with what she had on hand and easily replaced the old green bean mush in my list of favorite sides for our Turkey.

• 1 ½ pounds fresh green beans
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
• ½ cup chopped raw cashews
  
• ¼ cup Dried Cranberries
• ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place green beans in a microwave safe bowl with the water.  Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high for 6 minutes.  In a separate bowl combine the Herbs de Provence, Coconut Oil, cashews and Dried Cranberries in a large bowl, tossing just enough to coat.  Add warm, cooked green beans and toss again. Add Parmigiano Reggiano and toss yet again. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Transfer to a serving dish to your guests at room temperature or warm.

More Vivacious Veggies:

• Roasted Root Vegetables with cider jus

• Orange, Fennel and Spinach Salad

• Beets and Carrots in Lime Vinaigrette from Red Fire Farm

• Roasted Pumpkin and Quinoa Salad with a Lemon Ginger Curry Dressing

What you've shared:

Thank you for that wonderful green bean mush replacement. That casserole is fat laden and is a poor excuse for a side dish period. I'll give your recipe a whirl. It sounds delicious.
Posted by BJ

Wendy Flanagan Hey Julie! Thanks for sharing! I was actually going to make something similar, just that I was going to use blue cheese crumbles instead of parm!!! I am also going to toast the walnuts!

Sounds wonderful, We'll try it! Thanks for the heads up!
Posted by Judith

I never liked the "traditional" green bean casserole. The soup was full of sodium and the canned fried onion rings...well, I need not go on about the true nature of their origins. Thanks for this sound and tasty alternative!
Posted by Diane