Easy Garlic Green Beans

Yes, I am a garlic addict. Vampires beware. 

There's something about garlic that makes a dish so... appetizing. I can't eat certain noodles without toasted garlic. I would eat garlic bread 3x a day if I could. I would pop garlic chips in my mouth like they're candy. I guess it's not really a bad thing since this lowly bulb has a lot of medicinal benefits.

My mother-in-law cooked garlic green beans a few weeks ago and it was so good that I had to copy it. This is a great side dish - tasty and very healthy. 


What you need:

1/2 pound green beans
1 head of garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
salt and pepper, to taste
lemon (optional)


What to do:

Trim the ends of green beans and blanch it for about a minute and a half. Place immediately in a bowl of iced water to stop from cooking and retain color.

Meanwhile, melt the butter and add olive oil in a pan or wok over medium-low heat. Saute garlic until light brown, then add the drained green beans. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving plate and squeeze lemon juice just before serving.

Mmmm... garlicky goodness!

Tricks, Tweaks and Tricks: 

1. Don't forget to drain the green beans before adding it to the oil!
2. Try adding shallots - and let me know how it tastes!
3. To get more juice from the lemon, microwave it for about 10 to 15 seconds.