Annie's Green Beans with Bacon and Mandarin Oranges

This is my own recipe I created one day when I was bored and decided to play in the kitchen. I love to cook and enjoy good food but I also want my food to be healthy and as eye appealing as it is nutritious. Cooking can be therapeutic and entertaining but there is a rule; (well, it’s my rule) “If you cook it you have to eat it. “ You know the saying, “waste not; want not,” so I try to come up with combinations that are really tasty. This one is. 

Green beans (also called string beans) are one of my favorite vegetables, used raw in salads when they are young and tender and cooked as they grow larger and develop.  I use them in a lot of dishes from soups to salads and casseroles to side dishes like the one here. They are also good plain with just a little butter, salt and pepper on them.

Green beans are good and they are good for you, especially fresh green beans from the garden and the frozen ones too. I especially like the Blue Lake or the Kentucky Wonder variety. They remain more firm when cooked and have a slightly nutty flavor that adds to the flavor of the dish so nicely. Even the canned green beans you buy at the supermarket are okay but not as good for you as the fresh or frozen variety. For this recipe I suggest the fresh or frozen. This is a wonderful and flavorful side dish to accompany your main course or with a side of rice and some fruit for a light lunch. This green bean recipe also works wonderful as an appetizer served with some crusty bread or whole grain dinner roll. Here is how I make them.

In a sauce pan with just enough water to cover, bring to boil and then lower to simmer
2 cups fresh or frozen cut green beans
Cook until just tender. (do not over cook)

While green beans are cooking fry to golden crisp
6 – 8 slices lean bacon (I use turkey-bacon)
Remove from pan to a paper towel to drain (crumble when cooled)

Drain off any excess fat from fry pan leaving about 1 Tbsp.
Sliver
1 small onion
Return fry pan to medium heat and add slivered onion
Sauté onion until just turning transparent
Reduce heat to low
Add
1 small can Mandarin oranges well drained
1 tsp. orange zest
Return bacon (crumbled) to fry pan

Drain water from green beans
Add green beans to onion mixture
Toss until heated through with
2 Tbsp. melted butter (margarine is okay but butter is better) mixed with
1 1/2 tsp. light brown sugar
Pinch of ginger (about 1/8 tsp.)
Salt and pepper to taste
Toss gently until heated through. Scoop into a serving dish and serve.
I usually have sour cream and chopped walnuts on the side for garnish.

This makes a very pretty, flavorful and nicely textured dish most everyone will enjoy.