Deadline dinners: Taking green bean salad up a notch
Green beans can be - well, I'll say it, boring.
They are one of the most accessible and affordable vegetables on the market, and one of the easiest to prepare, but too often they bring to mind the word "meh."
But green beans can lend themselves to so many different kinds of preparations and seasonings that there are lots of reasons to make the effort to take them to another level.
They can be roasted, steamed, boiled and sauteed, or served at room temperature in a salad, as in this recipe.
Here they are paired with bright, tangy clementine oranges and salty feta, then lifted up another notch with minced shallots and fresh thyme leaves.
If you don't have coarse Dijon you can use regular, though I like the extra texture that the coarse variety gives to the dressing.
The beans can be cooked and tossed with the dressing up to two days ahead, which lets them marinate a bit. Add the oranges and feta just before serving.
All in all, a far cry from "meh."
• Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook." She blogs at www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman/