Garlicky Green Beans Almandine with Lemon

Ingredients:

• Equal parts water and vegetable broth (see step 1 below)
• 2 pounds green beans, ends cut off
• 3/4 cup slivered raw almonds
• 4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled & minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• Sea salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Fill a large stock pot with half water, half vegetable broth and bring it to a boil. Make sure the amount of water/broth is at least twice as much as the amount of beans you intend to cook.
2. Gently blanch the green beans (cook them in the boiling liquid for about 3 minutes until just al dente (brightly colored and crisp)). Drain beans in ice cold water (or put them in a bowl containing an ice water bath and set aside). This stops the cooking process.
3. In a wok or large deep frying pan, heat the oil and garlic on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Don’t let the garlic brown.
4. Add in the almonds and stir for about a minute. Then mix in the lemon juice and finely grated lemon zest.
5. Add the cooked beans to the stir fry mixture and toss to combine and coat. Add salt to taste (I added about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of sea salt).
6. Top the beans with additional lemon zest, if you prefer.

This recipe is by Rachel's Nourishing Kitchen.