Growing up, Mom often bought fresh green beans instead of the canned variety. She’d have one of us kids break off the ends and snap them in half as needed, which was a chore I never, ever minded. To this day, I’m not of fan of canned green beans and prefer them fresh. I like to sauté them with onions and lots of pepper or prepare them steamed and lightly tossed with cucumber ranch dressing, Good Seasons Italian dressing or just some salt, fresh ground pepper and cider vinegar.

Several years ago I discovered the signature spicy pecan green beans at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, which are served as a creative side to its yummy meatloaf and other entrees. Love, love, love, love these! The pecans add a spicy yet sweet crunch to the crisp green beans for a wonderful flavor combination.

I finally decided to make these at home when both pecans and green beans were on sale at the same time — yaaay! I followed an online recipe from Firebirds’ Sous Chef, Joseph Howard, and only changed the spiced pecans a tad, where I substituted regular chile powder for the ancho chile powder, which turned out fine.

This recipe is easy and takes little time once the pecans have been spiced. While these spiced pecan green beans don’t replace Firebirds’ real deal, they come so close and are totally worth the effort.

Spiced Pecans Ingredients

• 6 oz. pecan pieces
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder (or more to taste)
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix all ingredients and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. (Hint: line baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up.)

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from oven and cool.

Spiced Pecan Green Beans Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup spiced pecans
• Steak seasoning to taste

Preparation

Add salt to a pot of boiling water. Stir in green beans and boil for 3 minutes.

Remove green beans with a slotted spoon and place in an ice bath.

Once green beans have cooled, drain them in a colander and pat dry with paper towels.

Melt butter over medium-low heat in a skillet. Stir in pecans and cook for a few minutes.

Add green beans, sprinkle with steak seasoning, and sauté for several minutes, stirring constantly. Beans should be fork tender but still crisp.

Serve with your favorite protein and starch, like this thick pork chop and baked sweet potato.

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!

Follow Kel’s Café on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kelscafe