A lovely combination of asparagus and beans cooked in the tried and true flavours of lemon, garlic and butter. Finished with gently toasted pine nuts which offer a lovely crunch to this zest and fresh side dish.
I love eating seasonally. There are obviously huge environmental benefits to eating local and seasonal vegetables. But in addition to that, they just taste better!
When you're using delicious, fresh vegetables, it's so nice to respect them. This recipe for Sautéed Asparagus and Beans uses simple flavours to enhance the great taste of the veggies. An excellent dish to serve during the summer BBQ season or for Christmas Day.
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Ingredient notes:
- Asparagus: The key to this vegetable is cooking them while they are fresh! For some great tips on how to keep them crisp for as long as possible, check out the Storage section below.
- Green Beans: Store green beans in the bag they came in or a ziplock plastic bag in the crisper drawer in your refrigerator. When topping and tailing, try to cut the least amount possible off.
- Pine nuts: Full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, pine nuts are worth the expensive price tag if you can afford them. They have a rich, oily flavour to them which compliments green veggies so well.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Wash and trim the asparagus and beans. Pour boiling water over the greens to cover. Stand for 10 minutes, then drain.
Heat butter in a large frying pan on a high heat. Add the beans and asparagus to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium.
Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Squeeze over the fresh lemon juice.
Place the cooked greens on a serving dish, sprinkle over the toasted pine nuts and lemon zest. Serve immediately.
Recipe FAQs:
In New Zealand, asparagus are available from October through to January.
Green beans are most abundant in the summer months, however they continue to be available until the end of autumn.
Nuts such as cashews, slivered almonds or pistachios would make a good alternative for a pine nut garnish. Alternatively, toasted sunflower seeds give a good crunch and are significantly more affordable.
Storage:
Fresh asparagus is best for this recipe. If you buy it a few days in advance, great storage is key to keeping it fresh for as long as possible. As soon as you get home, trim the end and place them in a jar or cup of water. Place a plastic bag over the top then keep in the fridge until you're ready to cook.
Refrigerate any leftover sautéed greens in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Top tips:
These sautéed greens go so well with baked vegetables for a roast dinner. Get your meat and roast vegetables cooking, then 30 minutes before they are ready you can get started on this recipe.
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Sautéed Asparagus and Beans
Perfectly tender asparagus and beans sautéed in a pan with butter, garlic and lemon juice.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches thin asparagus
- 250g green beans
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
- Juice of half a lemon
- 3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
- Zest of half a lemon
Instructions
- Wash and trim the asparagus and beans. Pour boiling water over the greens to cover. Stand for 10 minutes, then drain.
- Heat butter in a large frying pan on a high heat. Add the beans and asparagus to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Squeeze over the fresh lemon juice.
- Place the cooked greens on a serving dish, sprinkle over the toasted pine nuts and lemon zest. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Pine nuts can be toasted in a dry frying pan for a few minutes until just starting to colour. Be careful not to burn them!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 107Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 59mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
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