Balsamic Glazed Green Beans and Asparagus

Aaron and I were going to make this dish to bring to our friends' Superbowl party, but alas the poor guy has had the flu for the past week so we stayed at home :(. We don't have cable and can't get reception from our building but luckily I figured out how to stream the game through the Roku so we could watch it on TV. Not that I care about football...but Aaron was happy. I had something that made me just as happy though - this dish!

Balsamic Glazed Green Beans and Asparagus (serves 4-6)

1 bag green beans
1 bunch asparagus
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbls. chopped parsley
2 Tbls. slivered almonds
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Start making the balsamic glaze, as I do in this recipe. Next, you will blanche and shock the vegetables. This helps keep them a beautiful green and also preserve their texture.

To do this, get a large pot of water boiling and snap off the ends of the beans and asparagus. Carefully drop them in the boiling water and boil for 1-2 minutes, until they are a vibrant green. While they are boiling, prepare an ice bath (lots of ice + cold water in a large bowl). Transfer the greens to the ice bath and let cool for a minute or two.

Next, transfer the greens to a large baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands and bake for 10-12 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, lightly toast the almonds and chop the parsley. The glaze should be done by the time the veggies are (if it's done first just turn off the stove and let it rest). To serve, drizzle the glaze over the veggies and top with parsley and almonds.