I’ve owed you guys a healthy recipe for awhile now. It’s been Candyland up in here, what with the birthday bars and Oreo cookie pie and flourless chocolate cake. I mean, Une Vie Saine does mean “a healthy life.” Yeah…let’s get on that.

This green bean salad is another adaptation of an NGI recipe; once again, I subbed out some of the harder to find ingredients with simpler stuff. The beans are lightly cooked so they keep plenty of texture, the hazelnuts add a nice roasted crunch, and the dressing is light but tangy. It would be great served with some salmon and jasmine rice for dinner!

Green Bean & Hazelnut Salad

Adapted from the Natural Gourmet Institute

Yields about 4 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup hazelnuts
• 4 cups green beans, ends removed and sliced in thirds diagonally
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• pinch sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325*F. Toast the hazelnuts for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Roll the nuts in a towel to remove the skins, then roughly chop and set them aside.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; meanwhile, prep the green beans. Blanch them for about 4 minutes, or until tender but still slightly crunchy. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, olive oil and sea salt until everything is well incorporated.
4. Toss together the beans, nuts and dressing until everything is well coated.

This salad brings me back to the days when my mom made homemade dijon vinaigrette. She hasn’t in years, but it’s still my favorite salad dressing. I love the slight sweetness the hazelnuts give, too-  it would be great served with some salmon and jasmine rice for dinner!

PS- I have to say that healthy posts aren’t nearly as fun to write as the decadent ones…

If you’ve been reading for awhile, you know that I’m a huge beer girl, and I don’t really love wine (excluding champagne). For whatever reason that tends to surprise people- I get the feeling that if you put bright blonde hair on any girl, it’s assumed that she’s either going to order a Cosmo or a chardonnay. False! You know what they say about assumptions…

I actually keep a list of all the beers I’ve sampled and try to find something new at every bar or restaurant, but I do have a few favorites that I’ll always go for if they’re available. Several of you asked me to do beer reviews a few weeks back, so I thought I’d share my five favorites! Disclaimer: I do not claim to be some kind of beer connoisseur, and to someone who really knows their stuff, I probably sound like a complete moron. I just like to drink it!

Yuengling Lager

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I’m a Philadelphian- what do you expect? I didn’t realize that Yuengling beers aren’t available nationwide until a few years ago, because it’s on tap everywhere here. It’s just a good, basic beer, kind of caramelly and crisp. Goes down a bit too easy, actually, if you catch my drift.

Belhaven Lager

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This is one of my absolute favorite beers, just because it tastes so unusual to me. I must have a weird palate, because I can always taste cheddar cheese in it, but everyone looks at me like I have three heads when I say that. It can be tricky to find- the ale is more popular.

Lagunitas IPA

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I’m gonna jump on the bandwagon here, because everyone likes this. It’s perfect: slightly bitter but not overwhelmingly hoppy, and it’s not too heavy to drink with food like a lot of IPAs can be (to me, at least).

Ommegang Witte

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This is one of my favorite lighter beers. It’s really citrusy and crisp, almost sweet, but with a heavier mouthfeel than stuff like Hoegaarden. It goes well with just about anything. (Side note: I loathe the word mouthfeel but can’t find a synonym for it…)

Victory Golden Monkey

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This is another local brewery, and my dad is a huge fan. We always have a few bottles of Victory in the fridge, and this is my favorite of their perennial brews. Golden Monkey is pretty high ABV (9.5%), and has a spicy sweetness- it reminds me of sticking cloves in oranges, though that’s not actually what it tastes like. I make zero sense.

What are some of your favorite beers? If you’ve more of a wine person, what types of vino do you like?