Green Beans with Roasted Red Peppers

The contrast of color and flavor in this vegetable combination truly makes this dish great for family and guests alike!

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4   Cups of fruits and vegetables preserving: 1

Ingredients:

2 medium red sweet bell peppers or small jar of red pepper (drained)*

½ lb. fresh green beans (to yield 3 ½ cups) or canned or frozen equivalent

½ Tbsp. olive oil

½ tsp salt

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare red bell peppers by roasting and peeling skin from pepper (see instructions in box). Cut the roasted pepper into short strips and set aside. 

2. Wash and stem green beans.* Steam green beans about 3 to 4 minutes or until tender and bright green. (Steam beans on a steaming rack in a saucepan and over 1 inch of boiling water.)  Remove immediately and place in serving bowl.

3. Toss beans with red pepper strips and season with olive oil, salt, balsamic vinegar, and ground pepper. Serve immediately.

*Quick tip: Use canned or frozen beans, heat or cook as directed, and then drain and toss with jarred roasted pepper strips.

Each serving provides an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium, and a good source of folate and fiber.

Nutrition Information per serving:

Calories:  54

Total fat: 1.9g

Saturated fat:  0.3g

Carbohydrates: 8g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Dietary fiber: 3g

Sodium: 358mg

Protein: 1g

%Calories from fat: 31%

%Calories from saturated fat: 5%

Roasting bell peppers:  Place peppers over flame on grill or gas range or carefully broiled in oven placed on middle rack position. Turn the pepper often to char or blacken most of the skin. Turn often to prevent scorching the insides of the pepper. When soft and well blackened, place in a plastic bag or heavy brown paper bag and close. Allow the pepper to cool to warm. Remove one pepper at a time and scrape the pepper skin from the flesh using the back of a knife. Split open pepper and remove all soft inner veins and seeds as well as stem. Prepare as recipe directs.

Credit: recipe was developed for Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) by Chef Carmen I Jones, CCP. This recipe meets PBH and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nutrition standards that maintain fruits and vegetables as healthy foods.