So I wanted to make a lighter version of green beans amandine, which is a green bean dish with a lemony butter sauce which is delicious when it is made with oodles of real butter of course. Only problem as we all know, is that real dairy butter is loaded with fat and is calorie dense at about 100c calories per tablespoon. And believe me, I love butter.
It’s something that I don’t skimp on when I’m cooking for the holidays or company, when “calories don’t matter” as much. However, when I’m watching what I’m eating, which is what usually happens, I really try to cut the fat down. LandoLakes makes a good sweet cream whipped butter spread that has a buttery and sweet taste, but only about 60% of the calories and fat of regular ol’ delicious butter.
It makes a great melted topping, however, it’s pretty hard to butter toast with unless it’s melted a bit, so it makes the perfect way to make a butter sauce a lower fat version. You may add a bit of sea salt to it to make it even more flavorful as well. I like to take whole, tender green beans.
Preferably fresh, but Hanover Farms makes a great whole green bean which is pretty tender and tasty when cooked. I used htat in this last recipe, and they turned out pretty good. You will also need the following ingredients to make this lighter, low fat version of green beans amandine, a traditional favorite from fancy restaurants to mom and pop grills and buffets.
You’ll need slivered almonds, about one whole lemon (a small one will do), sea salt, garlic seasoning or 3 garlic cloves crushed, pepper, and onion salt. I like to steam my green beans. Some recipes call for boiling, but I don’t like boiling most veggies as this can take some of the nutrients and vitamins out of them, and they also can get waterlogged and soggy.
I steamed my green beans for about 15 minutes, or until they are tender-crisp. While the green beans were steaming, I put about 4 tablespoons of the light butter, 3 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, a dash of garlic seasoning or the crushed garlic cloves, a dash of onion salt, and a dash of sea salt in a small simmer pot. I melt the butter and let the lemony butter sauce sit and soak the flavors in together a bit.
Once the green beans are done steaming, I take the delicate lemon butter sauce off the burner, and I pour it over the green beans evenly. Add 4 tablsepoons of slivered almnods and voila, you’ve got a nice, low fat, delicate side dish that’s fit for a barbecue or a nice dinner party!
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