Grilled Green Beans

Sometimes I wish there was a kind of Willy Wonka-style candy factory that produced chocolate covered vegetables instead of candy 🙂    OK, call me crazy, but don’t you think that sort of factory would be totally AMAZING?   Be honest now….you want it.   There’s no shame in that.

Since there’s no fantasy-land vegetable candy factory (not yet, anyway), I’ve had to settle for roasting a big ole batch of green beans with shallots and garlic and then tossing them with some soy sauce and sesame oil.  They weren’t chocolate covered, but we ate them like candy.  What’s with me going on about candy?—-enough, already.

Haven’t you ever considered grilling green beans?   This is a fantastic approach, giving the vegetables a little smoky char.  A grill basket or similar grill-top devise exposes all the surfaces to the flame, but if you don’t have a grill basket,  grill them on a piece of heavy-duty foil.  Be sure you don’t skip the step of covering them and letting the mixture stand, so it all steams to perfect doneness during that time.

The flavor of these beans is extraordinary. Kind of like something you expect to get in a fine restaurant.   We loved them and I think you will too. So while fresh green beans are still available at the market, give them a try.

GRILLED GREAN BEANS

Yield:   Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 3 large shallots or 1 small red onion, vertically sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed ( I used a mixture of green beans and wax beans)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.  Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2.  Place a grill basket on hot grill; preheat for 5 minutes.

3.  Place shallots, garlic, and green beans in a large bowl.  Drizzle with canola oil; toss well to coat.

Toss vegetables with canola oil.

Arrange mixture in hot grill basket; cover grill, and cook 7 minutes or until beans are lightly charred, tossing occasionally.

Toss occasionally for even cooking and browning.

Place bean mixture in a large bowl; cover and let stand 5 minutes.  Add soy sauce and remaining ingredients; toss to combine.  Serve hot.

SOURCE:   COOKING LIGHT