Many people my age are selling their homes and downsizing just to make life simpler. Most of us have children who have moved out and have no need for so much space. Just my luck, both of my children have moved back home with us. To be clear, I am very happy to be cooking for them again!
On the other side, people usually renovate their homes for aesthetic reasons or just to create more space for their families. Recently, my family has grown exponentially (new nieces/nephews and cousins are getting married and having children). One thing they can count on every year is coming to my home for Thanksgiving. When I suggested an addition to our house, my husband was flabbergasted. But he knew I had my heart set on it, and understood the reasoning behind my intentions. That was about two years ago and we are enjoying our newly renovated space even more than we imagined!
As the years go by, all the rooms need updating. This year I wanted to update our bedroom, which was very dark. I wanted it to be a calm and beautiful space I could truly relax in, so we decided on a light cream with blue accents.
It is difficult to live in your home while it is being updated, so we took to the beach! When we returned from our week away, we came back to an entirely new bedroom! To stick to a low budget, we had all the furniture and walls repainted and only purchased new curtains and window treatments. We were elated that it turned out so beautifully. But, not only did I have to unpack the clothes we took on vacation, I had to put unpack everything I stored away before they modernized the decor. It has been a whirlwind and I have not stopped putting things away, going through them and washing them.
Needless to say, cooking is not my priority at the moment. I have to choose easy dishes that do not take up a lot of my time. This recipe was something I put together, weary of how it would turn out. Because the result exceeded my expectations, I knew I had to share it with you! It was easy peasy and was on the dinner table pronto. The browned butter and pecans are the stars of this dish. It only took a minute extra to brown the butter and it is so worth it because it brought out the flavor of the green beans deliciously. As always, Parmesan cheese is the perfect topping for this delightful dish.
This recipe will serve 4-5 people who will forever revert to this recipe when they do not want to compromise flavor just because they are short on time.
Ingredients for Green Beans
1 pound fresh green beans
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 cup roasted pecans, coarsely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp, freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
To roast pecans:
Heat oven to 350°F.
Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast them for 5-8 minutes.
Watch very carefully.
Turn your timer to 5 minutes and keep checking at 1-minute increments until they are done. They will give off an aromatic smell when done.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt olive oil and butter.
Cook until butter begins to turn golden brown.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in green beans, lemon zest, and juice, salt, and pepper.
Cook, until beans turn a bright green, toss in pecans cook one more minute, then take them off the heat quickly.
Sprinkle in Parmesan cheese.
Place on serving platter and serve hot.
It’s that simple!
