Healthy Holiday Veggies!

If there is one vegetable which is God-given, it is the haricot bean.

—Jean-Henri Fabre, author and French naturalist

Green beans are a particular vegetable that always seem like a good idea at the time. As I roam through the produce section, their emerald-bright color lures me in; a verdant vegetable, ripe with promise. I toss two bags of fresh beans in my cart. So much healthier than canned beans, which have their place in that once-a-year green bean casserole—the favored holiday dish for generations. 

As much as I love that savory dish of beans buried in cream, canned soup, and fried onions, I know there will be a digestive reckoning. And in these days of healthier options and dietary restrictions, I came up with a different way to cook a fresh tasting side dish with no regrets.

As far as the second recipe is concerned, I’d rather have a bowl of these roasted roots than any candy! The veggies are roasted until they caramelize, bringing out the sweetness and creamy texture. Occasionally, I’ll roast a double portion so that I have some for the holiday table and some to add to a soup the next day.

Sesame Green Beans

The measurements in this recipe are approximate and can be adjusted to your taste.

• ½ lb. fresh green beans or frozen haricot vert
• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• ¼ c. sliced almonds
• Sesame seeds to finish
• Dash red pepper flakes

Warm the oil in a heavy pan on medium heat. Add beans, tossing gently in the oil. Add the soy sauce and a splash of water and continue to stir until the beans are slightly cooked to your liking. Stir in the almonds and cook for two more minutes. When the beans are tender, sprinkle with sesame seeds and a dash or two of red pepper flakes. Stir and serve. I’ve also added sliced mushrooms if I have them in my fridge.

Roasted Roots

You can roast whatever vegetables you already have in the refrigerator, which is usually what I do, or include all of the following on your next shopping trip.

• 1 lb. carrots
• 1 lb. rutabagas
• 1 lb. sweet potato
• 1 large onion, cut in wedges
• 1 lb. parsnips
• 1 or two garlic bulbs
• 1 lb. baby red or yellow potatoes
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper
• Dried rosemary, if you like.

Preheat oven to 400º. Wash, peel, and slice all vegetables (except garlic and potatoes) to about a 1” dice. Rinse the potatoes but leave whole. Place the prepped veggies in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and stir until coated. Spread the mixture in one layer on a shallow baking pan. I use stoneware pans because they roast the best, but any sheet-type pan will do.

Slice the top off of the garlic bulb, exposing the tops of a few cloves. Pour a bit of oil directly into the garlic and place on the pan with the cut side up. Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper (and optional rosemary) and roast in the oven until tender and flecked with brown, about 20 minutes, but times will vary.

The garlic bulb should be soft enough to squeeze the cloves out of the papery skins. You can add them to the bowl or mash the cloves together to make a roasted garlic spread.

The featured image is courtesy of Annie Nardone and is used with her kind permission for Cultivating.

Annie Nardone

Annie Nardone is a lifelong bibliophile with a special devotion to the Inklings and medieval authors. She is a Fellow with the C.S. Lewis Institute and holds an M.A. in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Christian University. Annie is the Director of Visual Artists for The Cultivating Project and columnist for Cultivating Magazine. She is founding board member, managing editor, and author for the apologetics quarterly, An Unexpected Journal. Her writing can also be found as travel blogger for Clarendon Press U.K., with published poems at Calla Press and Poetica.

She holds a MA in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Christian University, and is a Fellow with the C.S. Lewis Institute. Annie writes for Cultivating, Literary Life, and Clarendon House Books, and is a managing editor and writer for An Unexpected Journal. Annie collaborated on three books in 2022, published by Square Halo Books and The Rabbit Room. She recently designed a curriculum detailing the intersection of theology, the arts, and history and is a Master Teacher for HSLDA. She resides in Florida with her Middle Earth/Narnia/Hogwarts-loving family, and an assemblage of sphynx cats and feline foundlings.

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