Can you believe that October is only two days away? It seems like just yesterday I was scrambling my things together before catching my one-way flight to Charleston. Thanksgiving is inevitably on my mind and I’m brainstorming a menu that is vast and nutritious. Even though Thanksgiving will look a little different this year (can’t watch the Thanksgiving Day parade outside my New York City stoop), I can’t say I’m not excited to experience the holidays in this charming city that I already love so much! Let’s start with our first side dish: almond-crusted green beans. Lemon and green beans just go together and I’m always welcoming added crunch. You can never have too many veggie sides at Thanksgiving or any holiday for that matter.
Nutrition:
Green beans: Among its plethora of nutrients, silicon is a standout in green beans. Silicon’s presence at the mineralization front of growing bone, along with the significant positive associations found between bone density and silicon intake in human studies, strongly suggests its role in bone health as well.
Lemon: Lemons are a source of citric acid, which attributes their ability to aid absorption of nutrients by dissociating them from anti-nutrients like phytates and increasing their bioavailbility in the body.
- 1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1/4 cup almonds, crushed
- Juice of one lemon
- Flakey sea salt
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Coat your trimmed green beans with olive oil and thyme. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing in between.
- Toast your crushed almonds in a pan at medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
- Top your green beans with flakey sea salt, the juice of one lemon and your toasted almonds.
