Simple Roasted Green Beans

Fat, salt, green beans and heat…  it’s a magical combination that turns a simple vegetable into something amazing.  Looking for a simple side dish that can be thrown together quickly?  This is it!  And, you can scale this up or down very easily and you can use any type of runner bean (thicker beans take a little longer).  I made a double batch on two pans for Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Actually, you can use this same recipe for asparagus too (asparagus takes about half the time to cook, depending on how thick the spears are).

You do need to use a high smoke-point fat to roast at this temperature though. I used cultured grass-fed ghee because the culturing step degrades the trace casein normally found in regular ghee and my youngest daughter and I are only able to tolerate cultured grass-fed ghee.  You could also use palm shortening or avocado oil.  Using either palm shortening or avocado oil will also make this autoimmune protocol-friendly.

You will also notice my continued obsession with truffle salt (also known in my home as magic flavor powder).  If you want, sub with regular ol’ unrefined salt and cracked pepper.  You can play with seasoning too… I bet these would be great with a generous pinch of cayenne.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs green beans, trimmed
• 3 Tbsp ghee, palm shortening or avocado oil
• 1 tsp truffle salt
• 1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)

1. Preheat oven to 450F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil or a silicone liner (make sure yours is oven safe to 450F… I use a Demarle Silpat which is).
2. Melt ghee (or palm shortening, you can skip this if you’re using avocado oil).  Toss trimmed green beans with ghee and sprinkle liberally with truffle salt.
3. Roast for 18-20 minutes (longer if you have thicker beans), stirring them at the 10 minute mark.  They’re done with they start browning and getting a little crisp on the outside and are soft but not mushy inside.
4. Remove from oven, place in a serving bowl, and toss with fresh lemon juice.  Enjoy!