By Jessie Lehail,
Special to The Post

Every year, I fall in love with a new vegetable. Last year, I was fascinated by Brussels sprouts, and this year it is green beans. They are often boiled or steamed, and their lovely green hue is drained of its vibrancy. 
In my own kitchen, I usually pan-fry green beans with garlic and soy sauce, but I recently discovered that roasting and the addition of uplifting flavours have the ability to makeover green beans. 
The beans need to be fresh, fragrant, and snappy. Unfortunately, frozen just won’t cut it. Don’t despair, they seem to be available in the fresh form, year-round.  
Roasting is a low maintenance approach to cooking. Toss fresh green beans with a little bit of olive oil and seasonings. The hot oven takes care of the green beans, while I focus on the getting the rest of the meal ready. I decided to coat the beans with balsamic vinegar and honey, which intensifies in flavour in the over. 
I like to roast the beans just long enough to get a few caramelized edges. I do not recommend roasting any longer; no one wants limp vegetables, crisp al dente works best.  
   
• 1 pound fresh green beans, stemmed
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ inch piece of ginger, grated
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon garam masala 
• ½ teaspoon cumin, ground 
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon 
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons honey 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper       

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Put a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven to preheat at the same time. In a large bowl toss the beans with the olive oil, garlic, ginger, red onion, cumin, garam masala, lemon zest/juice, vinegar, and honey. Remove the pan from the oven, place a sheet of parchment paper on baking tray. Spread the beans in a single layer on the hot baking sheet and bake for 2 minutes. Shake the pan to reposition the beans. Cook the beans until they begin to brown and just start to shrivel, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Be careful not to overcook; you may want to remove smaller beans earlier. Serve hot or at room temperature, and refrigerate any leftovers. This recipe would also be delicious prepared with fresh asparagus or baby bok choy.

Jessie Lehail is the author of Indian Influence, a food blog that takes global eats and reinterprets them with a South Asian influence. Visit her blog at www.indianinfluence.ca.