Healthy Version: Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

This is a fairly simple recipe, although the onions will take some long, slow cooking to develop their sweet, mellow flavor. Texture comes from the addition of slivered, toasted almonds; a healthier alternative to the canned onion rings that often garnish traditional green bean casserole dishes. Serves 12 or so.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. yellow onion
• 1/2 c. Olive oil
• 2-3 lb. green beans
• 1-2 (6 oz.) pkg. toasted, slivered almonds
• 1 tsp. salt
  

Hours ahead of serving (even the day before), prepare the caramelized onions. Slice into strips: > 2 lb. peeled yellow onion

Crowd onions into a medium iron pan (if the pan is too large, the onions lose too much moisture and burn too easily). Lightly brown the onions on medium-high heat, adding: > 1/2 c. olive oil

Stir the onions more often at first, then turn heat down some. Turn the onions occasionally for an hour or two, keeping the heat low enough for some moisture to develop. Turn the heat up briefly if too much moisture accumulates. Eventually, onions will be reduced to a much smaller amount; they will develop a sweet, caramelized flavor. Set onions aside. Refrigerate if making a day ahead of time.

On serving day, trim beans by cutting ends off, then steam them. In cooking larger quantities, they may get more cooked towards the bottom of the pot; cook beans in batches if necessary.

In a medium-large pot, add: > One inch boiling water > 2 lb. trimmed green beans

Use a metal steamer in the bottom of the pan, if available. Cover the beans and cook on medium high heat until the beans are tender. (Be sure that the water doesn't boil away.)

To serve, mix together: > The caramelized onion > 1 tsp. salt > The cooked beans > 1-2 pkg. toasted, slivered almonds

The dish can be kept warm in the oven until serving time, or can be microwaved for a quick warm-up.

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