Green Beans with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes & Almonds

This recipe is from Southern Living.  I have never read Southern Living, but since I started cooking and now live in the South, I periodically sneak a few peaks while in line at the grocery store.  I am terribly guilty of such behavior.  In fact, I saw this recipe and went straight home looked it up on their website.  Sorry for not buying you Southern Living!  This recipe has got some good stuff though -  I felt like it called my name.  Well, almost anything with goat cheese calls my name :)

The crisp green beans pair well with the soft and creamy goat cheese.  The shallots and tomatoes bring color and brightness, while the almonds add a satisfactory crunch.  The only thing I changed was substituting white wine vinegar for sherry vinegar and I halved the recipe because it was only Chris and I.  We served it with a turkey Chris smoked last weekend and they tasted delicious together.  Definitely a great idea if you want to jazz up your thanksgiving sides. This even tasted good cold the next day with left overs for lunch!

Ingredients
Serves 6-8

1/2 cup crushed almonds 
2 pounds haricots verts (tiny green beans), trimmed 
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice  
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper  
1/3 cup olive oil  
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved  
2 shallots, thinly sliced 
2 garlic cloves, minced

Method

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake almonds in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.  *Be careful, I forgot to time this step ended up burning the almonds during 3 different attempts. 

Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge beans into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain.

Whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl.   Add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until blended and smooth.  Add cherry tomatoes, shallots, garlic, and green beans.  Toss to coat.

Top green bean mixture with crumbled goat cheese and toasted almonds.  Enjoy!!

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