This past weekend my family got together to celebrate my 30th birthday (yikes!) and Chanukah. We spent a long time deciding whether to have a buffet-style dinner at my apartment (because our dining table only fits 6 people), go out to a restaurant, or to have it at someone else’s house. Finally my aunt graciously offered us her house and her dining room table, as long as we prepared all the food and cleaned up, since her family was going on vacation early the next day.
So over the next couple of entries I will be sharing the recipes from the dinner party.
On the menu we had:
My signature beet and bleu cheese mixed greens salad, stuffed mushrooms, khachapuri, Russian style ”deviled eggs,” green beans, latkes with leeks, and a Swai bake in a white wine sauce. For dessert we had lemon bars and healthy dark chocolate truffles.
Yes, we like to eat in our family. 
I’ll start with the green beans side dish. It is super easy to make and is a great way to eat green beans – much more delicious than boring steamed green beans or any green bean casserole. I am excited that I finally got to cook with the fig balsamic glaze that my friend Keri got me from her trip to Italy. I’ve used it as a dressing on salads and it is delicious, but I think it really shines in this recipe.
After trying these green beans you will never go back to making mushy green been casseroles.
Green Beans with Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese in a Fig Balsamic Glaze
Total time: 25 minutes. Serves: 6-10 people, depending on their appetites
- 1 lb green beans, cleaned and ends removed
- 1/2 medium red onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons Fig Balsamic Glaze
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
- 4-6 oz goat cheese, or to taste
1. Cook the green beans: Either steam them, or boil them. If boiling, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the green beans until crisp-tender, or however you prefer to eat them. (It takes about 5 minutes to cook the beans to crisp-tender, and I really dislike overcooked vegetables so I watch them carefully.) When the beans are cooked, carefully drain the water and rinse the beans under cold water in a colander until they are no longer hot.
2. Toast the sliced almonds in a small skillet over medium heat until they just start to brown. Set aside.
3. Combine the balsamic glaze and Dijon mustard in a small bowl and mix well until all the mustard clumps are gone.
4. Finely dice the half of the red onion.
5. In a large pan or a wok, saute the red onion in olive oil for 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened. Add the salt and stir.
6. Add the balsamic glaze mixture and the dried cranberries and let them cook together for a minute. Add the green beans and the toasted almonds and gently toss them in the wok to coat them in the balsamic glaze. Remove from heat.
7. Serve with crumbled goat cheese. Make sure to get some of that cranberry/almond saucy goodness that might sink to the bottom of the serving dish.
The post Green Beans with Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese in a Fig Balsamic Glaze – The Dinner Party Part 1 appeared first on Babaganosh.