You know eating vegetables with lunch and dinner is important for your weight-loss goals. So the more veggie recipe ideas in your repertoire, the better. Here we pair green beans with healthy almonds for a delicious side dish that can easily be served with a poultry, beef, pork, or seafood main dish.

Green Beans Amandine (Phase 1)

Description
Garlic and toasted slivered almonds make ordinary green beans extra special. Prepare the beans in batches if you do not have a large enough skillet, keeping the first round warm until the second batch is ready.

Make-Ahead: The almond slices can be toasted up to 3 days ahead; store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Cook the beans and pat dry up to 1 day in advance. Store refrigerated in a covered container until ready to resume recipe.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Heat oven to 275°F. Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast, stirring once, until fragrant and golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

While almonds are toasting, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add beans and cook just until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under very cold water for 1 minute to stop cooking. Shake to remove excess water and pat dry.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is lightly golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add beans and toss well to coat. Cover pan, increase heat to high, and cook until beans are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer beans to a serving bowl and toss with almonds, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Nutritional information
Per serving:
80 calories
5 g fat (0.5 g sat)
9 g carbohydrate
3 g protein
5 g fiber
75 mg sodium