Buttered Spring Vegetables

Another yummy side dish at the Thanksgiving dinner table that I made was a mixture of spring veggies that I blanched then mixed with sauteed shallots and butter. I substituted some veggies to some that I couldn't find in my local grocery, the dish was crunchy and tasty nevertheless.

BUTTERED SPRING VEGETABLES

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 lb French string beans (haricots verts), ends removed
Kosher salt
1/4 lb sugar snap peas, ends removed
1/2 lb broccolini, ends removed (I used the big broccoli because I couldn't find broccolini in my grocery)
2 Tbsps good olive oil
3 large shallots, sliced
1/2 tsps freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Blanch the sting beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 minute only. Lift the beans with a slotted spoon or sieve and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Add snap peas to the same boiling water and cook for 1 minute, until al dente, adding them to the ice water and the beans. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch lengths diagonally and cook in the boiling water for 2 minutes, and add to teh ice water. Cut the broccolini in half, boil for 1 minutes, and add to the ice water.
2. When all the veggies in the water are cold, drain well.
3. When ready to serve, heat the butter and oil in a very large saute pan or large pot. Saute the shallots over medium heat for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until light browned.
4. Add the drained veggies to the shallots with 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper and toss.
5. Cook just until the vegetables are heated through. Serve hot.

KITCHEN TIP #5
Putting blanched vegetables in a bowl of ice cold water will prevent them from further cooking therefore preserving the crunchy bite to the veggies