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Lemony Pan-Fried Green Beans: A Super-Quick and Easy Side Dish!

February 18, 2018 by Margaret 11 Comments

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A taste of spring in the winter months!

I love green beans. They’re fresh, they’re green, they have a satisfying, crisp crunch to them, they’re full of protein, and hey, they’re healthy! So I thought I’d make a green bean dish today: Lemony Pan-Fried Green Beans. They’re a taste of spring (or summer) in this cold February month.

With only three ingredients, this dish goes from fridge to table in 10 minutes…including prep time! Yes, it’s that fast! Who doesn’t want a quick and fresh side dish that is full of flavour?

Let’s get to making some!

LEMONY PAN-FRIED GREEN BEANS

  • 3 handfuls of green beans (about 12 oz, or about 350 g.)
  • 1 tbsp. oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Heat oil in a frying pan. Wash green beans and cut off ends. Toss green beans into the frying pan, along with 1 tsp. of lemon zest. Put a lid on the pan (otherwise hot oil will splash out, especially when you put in the freshly washed green beans). Fry over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until the beans are cooked to your desired preference. Put beans on a serving plate and sprinkle remaining lemon zest on top. Et voila, you’re done!

This is a vegan recipe, but to be honest, I think it would be even better if it was pan-fried in butter. Just think how delicious that would be! That said, as healthy as green beans and lemon zest are, the fact that oil (or butter) is used, means that this is not as healthy as steamed beans would be. But hey, sometimes it’s nice to switch things up a bit!

Speaking of switching things up, I was reading an article about mixing brownies and croissants together. Sounded…interesting. But now I’m thinking of the different types of mashups I could make. Brownies and bread pudding? Too rich, I think. Hmm. Brownies and…what? Any suggestions? Let me know in the comments!

Next Post: Blue Velvet Pancakes, or some sort of Brownie Mashup. Preferences?

Linking Up at Meal Plan Monday and at Happiness is Homemade! And at Full Plate Thursday! Plus, at Foodie Friday!

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Filed Under: Vegetarian Side Dishes

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Previous Post: « Quick & Easy Orange & Lemon Scones, Biscuit-Style
Next Post: Goat Cheese & Arugula Pizza: Or How to Have your Pizza & Eat Salad Too »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Julie

    February 19, 2018 at 6:42 pm

    I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Deanna Piercy

    February 22, 2018 at 8:25 pm

    I’m taking a meal tonight to a friend who just had surgery. I bought fresh green beans as a side dish but hadn’t decided how I would prepare them. Now I know!

    Reply
    • Margaret

      February 23, 2018 at 5:32 am

      Yay, glad you’ll be trying the recipe! I have a bunch of green beans in the fridge myself, so I think I’ll make up another batch too!

      Reply
  3. Miz Helen

    February 25, 2018 at 9:32 pm

    I love lemon with Green Beans, gives such a fresh flavor! Your post is awesome and thanks so much for sharing it with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and come back to see us real soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply
  4. Jeannie

    March 17, 2018 at 8:18 pm

    This recipe looked so good it gave me a craving for fresh green beans in the middle of winter – I decided to splurge at the grocery. The fresh beans for sale were shriveled, pitiful and overpriced. I walked past. This recipe will be saved until summer since my choices at the grocery stores are limited. However, now I can’t stop craving green beans.

    Jeannie @ GetMeToTheCountry.blogspot.com

    Reply
    • Margaret

      March 17, 2018 at 11:23 pm

      This recipe can only be improved by using your amazing homegrown green beans! I am always in awe of the produce you produce! 🙂

      Reply
      • Jeannie

        March 18, 2018 at 7:17 pm

        Thank you, Margaret.
        My “amazing” produce is not very impressive right now. I have planted my seeds inside for an early start and NOTHING has sprouted! NOTHING!!! It is driving me crazy. I keep walking by and picking up my magnifying glass to look. Only an uninvited weed has sprouted and it just laughed at me.

        Reply
        • Margaret

          March 25, 2018 at 3:44 am

          I have that weed’s cousin in my balcony garden! Every day I check to see if my carrot seeds have sprouted and every day the lone weed is just a little bigger. I shall just have to dream a little produce dream until the weather warms up. 🙂

          Reply
  5. Margie from Toronto

    October 8, 2018 at 4:40 pm

    I’ve seen Nigella use croissants in a bread pudding recipe – as for brownies – they could be chopped up a bit and mixed with berries & ice-cream or perhaps as the base of of cheesecake or what about layering them with chocolate mouse & fruit & cream – all in a beautiful glass parfait glass or even a small mason jar so the layers show through?

    Reply
    • Margaret

      October 10, 2018 at 1:16 am

      Croissants in a bread pudding sounds decadent! I think I’d like to try making almond croissants with leftover croissants sometime. As for brownies…well, everything is better with brownies! And I think your idea of a mason jar parfait is lovely!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Goat Cheese & Arugula Pizza: Or How to Have your Pizza & Eat Salad Too - Approaching Food says:
    March 1, 2018 at 5:06 am

    […] Post: I’m thinking the Blue Velvet Pancakes I talked about earlier. Or perhaps something else […]

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