Cooking Class: Sauteed Green Beans with Cranberries and Walnuts

Green beans are one of the most popular vegetables, but they can get boring if you have them the same way all the time.  Luckily, they are the perfect backdrop for a variety of textures and flavors, so there are plenty of variations to try!

Here, blanched green beans are tossed with sweet-tart cranberries, fresh orange juice, and toasted walnuts.  This recipe is simple enough for a weeknight dinner, but fancy enough for a festive dinner party!  

This recipe calls for dried cranberries, but feel free to use fresh for even more nutritional benefits (and less sugar!).  Skip the soaking step and add coarsely chopped fresh cranberries along with the orange juice.  If you can't have walnuts, sub another nut or for a no-nut version, use sunflower seeds!