GREEN BEANS, MUSHROOMS AND BACON

GREEN BEANS, MUSHROOMS AND BACON image

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 10

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Prep: 20 min., Cook: 20 min. We loved the dash of dried crushed red pepper--it made the flavor lively, not hot.
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
8 bacon slices
3 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 7 oz.)
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Steps:

Preparation 1. Cook beans in boiling salted water to cover in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain and set aside. 2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-low heat until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 1/2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Discard remaining drippings. Crumble bacon. 3. Sauté mushrooms and shallots in hot drippings over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until shallots are tender. Add green beans and crushed red pepper; sauté 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in crumbled bacon, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Asparagus With Mushrooms and Bacon: Substitute 2 lb. fresh asparagus for green beans. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Cut asparagus into 1 1/2- inch pieces. Proceed with recipe as directed, cooking asparagus pieces for 2 to 4 minutes. Sugar Snaps With Mushrooms and Bacon: Substitute 1 1/2 lb. sugar snap peas, trimmed, for green beans. Proceed with recipe as directed.