Shiitake & Blueberry Green Beans

Thank goodness we're still in the holiday season! There are so many delicious recipes to prepare for Thanksgiving, Christmas and every holiday party in-between. 

Thanksgiving may be over but we're still in cooking mode. Christmas is only weeks away and both families have decided that my husband and I are hosting this year's holiday festivities - yikes! This will be the first Christmas meal we've ever prepared on our own so we're already putting together our dining lineup.

I created a blueberry green beans recipe that is going to blow everyone away. Sautéed shiitake mushrooms, juicy blueberries and green beans - yum! We prepared this recipe for Thanksgiving but we ate the entire dish in one setting. My husband normally refuses to eat green beans so I was completely blown away when he picked up the dish and ran into the other room to devour the green beans without me. We literally ended up having a fork fight in the middle of our living room.

I'll be sure to double the recipe this Christmas to ensure we don't run out of this delicious side dish! Since this green beans recipe is so easy to prepare, we’ll be able to meal prep Christmas morning and heat it up right before Christmas dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 (12 oz) bags of trimmed green beans

• 2 cups chopped pecan pieces

• ½ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar

• ¼ cup dijon mustard

• 20 turns of fresh cracked pepper

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 4 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

• ¼ cup olive oil to saute mushrooms

• 1 cup California Giant blueberries, halved

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (should taste like the ocean!)

• Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, warm olive oil over medium high heat

• Add sliced mushrooms and saute until tender (about 4 minutes)

• Once water is up to a boil, drop green beans in and keep at a rolling boil

• Get a large bowl of ice water ready to shock the green beans once they are finished cooking

• Once green beans are tender, but still a slight crunch and bright green, drain water and dump into ice water.  This keeps the green beans from overcooking.

• In a food processor, process the ½ cup olive oil, pecan pieces, red wine vinegar, dijon, salt and pepper until combined.  Make sure not to over process because you still want the nuts to be chunky and not pureed.

• Once the green beans are cooled, drain from ice water and toss with the mushrooms and pecan dressing.

• Place into casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (or until warmed through).

• Sprinkle halved blueberries on top and serve!