Honey Balsamic Glazed Roasted Carrots and Green Beans (Gluten Free)

I made this side dish for neighbors who recently had a baby and eat a Gluten Free Diet. I love roasted vegetables, especially roasted carrots. The ingredients are interchangeable because the original recipe calls for beets instead of green beans. I think all three together would be great too. This is one super healthy, very simple way to get your daily dose of veggies.

Honey Balsamic Glazed Roasted Carrots and Green Beans
From Betty Crocker
Printable Version
Ingredients
Two cups of carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
Two cups of fresh green beans, ends snipped off
Olive oil
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Toss the carrots and green beans with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a roasting pan and roast at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, turning once, until soft and the carrots start to turn golden. 

Combine the balsamic vinegar and honey in a large skillet. Add the vegetables to the skillet along with any oil that has accumulated in the pan. Heat the vegetables over medium-high heat and cook until the glaze bubbles and thickens. Coat the carrots and beans with the glaze. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or allow to cool and serve over a salad. 

Green Beans with Cilantro Pesto

My good friend and neighbor Jess let me borrow her new favorite cookbook, The Homesick Texan. Jess is from Texas and loves to cook Texas style food. Hubby and I have greatly benefited from this being her neighbor! Jess brought over a bite of these green beans one night after she made them and they were so good I asked to borrow the cookbook soon after to make them for myself. With the crunch of pecans and the flavor of cilantro, this recipe is a deliciously easy way to spruce up your green beans. 

Green Beans with Cilantro Pesto
From The Homesick Texan Cookbook
Printable Version
Ingredients

1 pound fresh or frozen green beans, preferably long and thin
1 ½ cups cilantro leaves
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 serrano chile, seeds and stems removed and roughly chopped (I omitted this)
¼ cup roasted pecans
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt, to taste

Directions
In a blender or food processor mix together the cilantro, olive oil, garlic, chile, pecans, and lemon juice until a paste is formed. Add salt to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Cook until bright green, about five minutes. Drain and run cold water over the green beans to stop them from cooking any longer. Return to beans to the pot and toss with the cilantro pesto. Add salt to taste.

Three Bean Salad

Here's another family recipe that could be found in my Gram Walters fridge most of the time. I like Gram's version more than the standard oily three bean salad from the deli because it's a little sweeter and incorporates green pepper. I added chick peas because I really like them, but you can add or subtract any beans you want. This salad gets better the longer it gets to marinate. I like to use fresh beans if possible but I couldn't find fresh yellow beans this early in the summer.


Three Bean Salad
Printable Version

Ingredients
1 can of green beans (drained) or 12 ounces of fresh green beans
1 can of yellow beans (drained) or 12 ounces of fresh yellow beans
1 can red kidney beans (drained)
1 can of chick peas (drained)
1 green pepper, cut into long strips
1 sweet onion, cut into strips about the same size as the green pepper
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions
Place beans, green pepper, and onion in a bowl. 

Blend sugar, vinegar and vegetable oil and pour over veggies. Let stand overnight.