GREEN BEANS WITH TOASTED WALNUTS

Having a big bag of green beans from Costco makes me think of different ways to cook them.  I liked the combination of lemon, butter and chopped walnuts.  I also added chopped mushrooms to this recipe.  I added the mushrooms to the green beans simmering in the pot for the last three minutes of cooking.  I didn't have a fresh lemon so I used lemon juice and skipped adding the zest.

Green Beans with Walnuts

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

¾ to 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces

2 ½ tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 lemon, juiced and zested

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Arrange nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the preheated oven until lightly browned, approximately 5 to 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, heat water and green beans to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook the  beans for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender, but still bright green.

Place cooked beans in a large bowl, and toss with butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest.   Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer beans to a serving dish, and sprinkle with toasted walnuts.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4.

Adapted from allrecipes.com