Recipe #5

Tuesdays and Thursdays, for at least three more weeks, are my busier days. I teach from 9-1, get home at around 2, and have rehearsal for Annie in the evening (I leave at 6). Granted, it's not as busy as the school year, when I teach from 8:30 to 4:20, don't get home until 5, and then have to leave again at 6 for rehearsal, but it is busier than Monday and Wednesday when all I have to do is grade and work out.

So I knew yesterday that I would want to make something a little less challenging yesterday, which is why I opted for a simple side dish and only one recipe.

Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. I chose the Green Beans with Walnut Sauce in Vegan Italiano by Donna Klein. They are quick to make, and incredibly yummy. I ate them fairly fresh, and prepared the walnut sauce (which is more of a walnut/parsley pesto) in my blender, but it would have gone better in a food processor. Since I'm still afraid of the food processor and not sure how to use it, I went for the blender and had to do a lot of pulsing and scraping.

When I ate the beans, they were awesome, but I thought I would like to add another clove of garlic. One of the few things I love more than garlic is more garlic (except in cookies and cakes)! And fresh from the pot and blender, more garlic might have been nice. However, since I could not eat 1 1/2 pounds of beans alone, I put the rest in the fridge. After the Baker got home from work, he ate some and the garlic in them was much stronger. Perhaps after marinating, the flavors grew stronger?

I will make these again. And again. I'm not sure it's my favorite green bean recipe, but it is close. Grade: A