Oven Roasted Green Beans with Sliced Garlic

This is a great accompaniment to any dinner. I often serve with grilled herb chicken breast and Parmesan corn pudding. You can adapt this recipe to your taste - chopped taragon instead of parsley; add crumbled bacon; use sesame oil and toss with water chestnuts for Asian flavors; substitute pine nuts for almonds and basil for parsley for an Italian side dish;  etc. Enjoy!

1 pound fresh green beans

6 shallots, peeled, and cut into thin slices

5 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut into thin slices

3 tablespoons light olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup almonds, sliced and toasted

1 teaspoon lemon zestPreheat oven to 450 degrees. Snip ends from green beans. Peel and slice shallots and garlic, then place with beans in bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss well.

Spray sheet pan with nonstick spray, then arrange the vegetables in a single layer. (Cover the pan with foil, then spray the foil for even easier clean-up.) Roast 12-15 minutes for thin beans; slightly longer for regular beans - until beans are slightly shriveled, and shallots and garlic are lightly browned.

While beans cook, toss together chopped parsley, toasted almonds and lemon zest. When beans are done, toss hot beans with parsley/lemon/almond mixture and serve immediately.