Healthy balsamic glazed green beans will make a perfect vegetable side dish for Autumn and for Thanksgiving, if you are a planner. The almonds give it a healthy bit of protein and pizzaz.

BTW, in the foodie blogosphere, it isn’t too early to start talking about Thanksgiving.

I’m not gonna lie, I used to love my mom’s green bean casserole with mushroom soup and French’s deep fried onions. Totally classic, comfort food.

Fortunately my taste buds have grown up and I like the vegetable to be the star of my vegetable side dish. These balsamic glazed green beans are crisp tender with a hint of acid and sweetness so you can fully enjoy the flavor of the green beans. They aren’t hidden under layers of fat and salt.

Healthy and delicious.
These are easy to make on the outdoor grill for those of us celebrating in sunny Baja. You can also bake or stir fry them if it’s too cold to grill outside. However, the additional smoky flavor layer may well be worth you braving the cold weather.

Finding a fresh turkey is a challenge in Loreto.
Last year I found a smoked turkey that was very expensive by Mexican standards. Truthfully, I don’t even like smoked turkey. My friend didn’t know that she had purchased a smoked turkey (pavo ahumando) and she cooked it for 3 hours as if it were fresh. Oops, she made turkey jerky. Language barriers make for some hilarious cooking disasters.

Ahumando means smoked. I found that out when I thought I was buying fresh fish and came home with a strange smoked fish of questionable origin.

My smoked turkey did look pretty and reminded me of Thanksgivings at home but this year I may just roast a fat chicken instead.

Lemon, Thyme and Rosemary Roasted Chicken Recipe:

Rub a fresh whole chicken with butter, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, lemon juice and 2 gloves of garlic. Stuff with lemon and onion quarters. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours with cubed carrots, potatoes and leeks.

It’s always best to eat locally for the freshest and least expensive meals but sometimes sentiment wins out and we want what we want and that’s ok too. What are your plans for Thanksgiving? I hope you spend time with family and friends giving thanks for the many blessings life brings.

[lt_recipe name=”Balsamic Glazed Green Beans With Almonds ” prep_time=”20M” cook_time=”15M” total_time=”35M” difficulty=”Easy” summary=”Grilled balsamic glazed green beans with almonds are an easy healthy vegetable side dish for any occasion. ” print=”yes” image=”http://mybajakitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/final-272×300.jpg” ingredients=”1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans;1 glove garlic minced;1 tablespoon olive oil;3 tablespoons balsamic glaze;Dash of salt and black pepper;1/4 cup slivered almonds, substitute any chopped nut” ]Wash and prepare green beans, snap off the ends. Combine beans, garlic, vinegar and seasonings.;Heat grill to 350 degrees. Grill beans on indirect heat for 15 minutes until beans are crisp tender and beginning to char. Toss in almonds and grill an additional 2 minutes.;Serve warm or cold. [/lt_recipe]

I served my green beans with Instant Pot chicken and mushrooms over polenta but they would be delicious with barbecued turkey and chorizo crashed potatoes.

Vegetarians could serve them with more almonds and a Thanksgiving lentil meatloaf or vegan chorizo and grilled tortillas.