Green Beans with Lemon & Pine Nuts

Is your family tired of "ordinary" green beans?  Then maybe you'll give this recipe or my Green Beans with Mushrooms a chance to add some sparkle to your meals.  A perfect accompaniment to how I cook, you can use this recipe to add a delicious change of pace to your meal plans.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Bring enough water to cover the beans, to a boil.  Drop in the beans and bring back to a full boil.  Turn down the heat to a gentle boil and blanch for 4-5 minutes--depending on how "done" you like them.  Drain well.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallots or garlic and cook for about 1 minute.  Be sure to continue stirring to keep the garlic from scorching.  Add the pine nuts, stirring constantly for an additional minute or so.

Add the green beans and toss to coat evenly.  They only need to be cooked enough to warm them through--about a minute or so.  Add the lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper and toss to combine. 

Remove from heat, serve immediately.

Enjoy!