During the 12 Days of Christmas, the foodies at Chop on the Block will be featuring a holiday recipe. We hope you enjoy our selections.

Green Beans Almondine is a traditional yet elegant stand-by to prepare when the oven is crowded and you need to use the cooktop. The slivered almonds give the beans a tasty, crunchy texture. Don't skimp on the salt and pepper with this one; the beans need an extra kick of seasoning. This recipe serves six but can be doubled easily.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans or frozen French-cut green beans, trimmed
1 to 2 tbs. butter
1/2 cup slivered almonds
ground black pepper
sea or kosher salt

Directions:

In a deep saute pan, bring 2 inches of water to boil. Add salt and green beans to boiling water and blanche until tender and bright green, about 5 minutes. Drain and run beans under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Using the same skillet, add butter and melt over low to medium heat. Add slivered almonds and cook until golden brown. Return green beans to pan and saute until hot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Coming tomorrow: Acorn Squash With Brown Sugar