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As winter finally starts winding down and the weather begins flirting with spring, I find myself craving vegetables. A lot of vegetables. It’s a vicious cycle, really. At the end of summer, I’m craving warm, filling foods, and at the end of winter, I want vegetables and light fare. I must be hard to please. Or normal. You tell me.
These are the green beans I served with my salmon a few weeks ago that I’m just barely getting around to posting. Finally. But they were worth the wait, dear reader, I assure you.
I stewed over what to call this topping, since the word “relish” usually brings to mind that green stuff you put on hot dogs, and this is SO very much better (and different) than the green stuff. But it wasn’t really a sauce, and meh… I went with relish.
The relish is really the star of the show here, bringing to the table the sweet and tangy flavors of caramelized peppers and onions, with just the right touch of acidity in the splash of balsamic vinegar. A perfect pairing with green beans. However, this combination would also be great on a panini with a thin slice of ham or peppered turkey, or mixed in with a small pasta shape, like orrechette, and a drizzle of olive oil.
You can eat this as a side or a main dish with some crusty bread and fruit for a light meal. Enjoy!
- 1 (10oz) bag of frozen green beans
- 1 red pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 yellow pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1-2 Tbsp butter
- ½tsp sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook green beans 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender (cook longer if you like your beans more tender). Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, add peppers, onion, butter, and sugar in a large saute pan over medium low heat until caramelized and tender. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and stir to combine. Taste and add more vinegar if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve relish over green beans.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I think this is going to be on the next get-together menu. I love the colors and the flavor combination sounds grand. I'm looking forward to trying it!
Beautiful pictures!
I have been craving good produce—especially good tomatoes. Winter produce is just not as good. I need to eat more vegetables than I do and fresh good stuff from roadside stands, farmers markets, or my own pots is the best. I planted herbs in my kitchen this week.
Oh and in case you are interested my friend told me about this product co-op: http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/index.aspx