Sauteed Green Beans

Easy, fresh side-dish with very little effort. I didn't plan this, but the small bits of carrot and bell pepper settled near the bottom of the pan while the larger green beans sit on top. Therefore, the pepper gets wonderfully toasted while the green beans turn out crisp-tender. I didn't serve this with a sauce to cover up the taste of fresh green beans.



Serves 3
25 minutes
-large saucepan
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
1 to 2 c. fresh green beans, ends removed
1 medium red bell pepper, cored
2 carrots, peeled
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Wash green beans and remove ends, but don't snap them in half.. leave them long. Wash and core the red bell pepper. Dice the pepper into 1/4th inch squares (not too small). Peel the carrot and cut into small-ish slices, then half (or quarter) each 'disk'.
2. Place veggies into the large saucepan and pour in oil. Begin cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally... you will find the carrot and pepper bits will stay on the bottom of the pan.
3. Saute the veggies until the green beans are barely cooked-- they should be crisp but not tough. It will take about 10-15 minutes. Don't let the carrot and pepper get too badly toasted (they will be fully cooked and begin to brown).
4. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and serve warm alongside ham, beef, or lamb.