Foodie Friday with Dr. Laura Klein: Garlic Ginger Roasted Green Beans and Bell Pepper
Interesting fact: We don’t actually salivate when we see a picture of food. (Source: bodyodd.nbcnews.com) However, you get this side dish roasting, with all that garlic and ginger and I guarantee you’ll be drooling. I know every time I start cooking garlic or ginger in a pan, my husband comes into the kitchen sniffing. This aroma is a bazillion times better.
This side dish by Kalyn’s Kitchen is a healthy dose of delicious with beautiful presentation for serving guests or family during the holidays. There’s just something classy and fresh about the green and red together. Roasting is a nutritious way to eat vegetables as long as you don’t overdo the oil. I usually serve this with a lean protein for a simple meal and add mashed potatoes if I need something more filling. Some people like to add onions, different colored peppers, or pine nuts to the dish for some extra protein and crunch.
Please try out the recipe and let me know what you think!
Garlic Ginger Green Beans and Red Peppers
Ingredients:
4-5 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1 heaping tablespoon minced ginger root
2 T olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 lb. thin French-style green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Mince 4-5 large garlic cloves, enough to make a heaping tablespoon of minced garlic. Peel ginger root and finely mince enough ginger to make a heaping tablespoon of minced ginger. Put olive oil, minced garlic, and minced ginger in a glass bowl or measuring cup and let it marinate while you prep vegetables. (This will slightly season the oil.)
Cut red bell pepper into fourths lengthwise, then remove seeds and trim any white pithy parts. Cut off rounded top and bottom parts to make it easier to cut even strips, then cut each piece of pepper into thin crosswise strips. Trim ends of green beans and cut them in half. (To trim beans easily, loosely grab a handful and stand them up on the cutting board to line up the ends, trim, and then repeat with the other end.)
Put the green beans and red pepper strips into a medium-sized bowl and then toss with the olive oil, minced garlic, and minced ginger. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Spread the vegetables out on a large baking sheet, arranging it so vegetables aren’t crowded (as much as you can.) Roast 15 minutes, or until a few beans are starting to look browned and the veggies are tender-crisp. (I stirred them once after 10 minutes, but if you’re busy making gravy, that’s totally optional.)
