Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots

Ah, the search for a side dish that isn't blah and uninspiring. Dinner was an extra hunk of Roasted Beef Tenderloin that I had marinated for a dinner party and ended up freezing when a couple of guests had to bail at the last minute. I really shouldn't speak of this rare indulgence in such a casual manner... the tenderloin was exceptional- tender in every way, and perfectly marinated. The recipe is HERE if you're interested in that one. But I'm here to talk about the search for an appropriate mate for the meat.

My last trip to the $100 store (Costco), which is really becoming the $200+ store nowadays, generated a two-pound bag of some really nice looking green beans. I have no idea where Costco is getting such nice beans this time of year. I guess it must be summer somewhere. Let's see... the package says that they come from The Los Angeles Salad Company, which is in a place called The City of Industry, CA. Hmmm... well I'm quite sure it's not summer in LA, and The City of Industry doesn't sound like a place where green beans are happily growing in lush soil. Hothouses perhaps? Anyway, they look good.

The choice: Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots. It sounded worthy enough to accompany the tenderloin. And anything caramelized is ok by me. I sure loved that these were the only ingredients involved. What an easy dinner!


I started caramelizing the shallots while my coveted piece of tenderloin was roasting in the oven. Butter was melted, shallots thrown on top, lid on the pot and left to caramelize at a low heat (with a stir every once in a while). It was that simple. The result was... sweet, caramelized shallots. I really wanted to take big scoops of the stuff and spread it on a baguette with a little bit of brie and a sprinkle of freshly snipped thyme. That would have been a perfectly nice dinner in itself with a large glass of Pinot Noir. But alas, I was making dinner for the family. Back to reality.

When dinner was almost ready, I blanched the green beans in rapidly boiling water (just a couple of minutes, really- there is nothing worse than soft green beans), drained them, and then added butter, salt and pepper.

The caramelized onions were then stirred in, and dinner was ready! Succulent slices of marinated beef tenderloin and a side dish that was fabulous enough to match.

This is a definite keeper for me, and it would be a perfect make-ahead side dish for a dinner party. This recipe was found in Martha Stewart's Everyday Magazine. Martha just does it right every time. This recipe can be found HERE.

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