Roasted Potato, Green Bean, and Asparagus Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

I've been posting a lot of rich, decadent recipes on The Happiest Belly lately, so I thought it would be a nice change to throw in a light and healthy recipe to balance things out (and show you, yes, I am capable of making healthy food too!). This is one of my favorite things to eat, and it all started with a need to use up what was left in the vegetable drawer! I was grilling burgers a month of so ago and noticed that I had some leftover green beans and asparagus in the fridge. Not enough to serve one or the other, so I made a delicious salad using both. This salad was even great as leftovers served room temperature. This salad is truly a showstopper!

Ingredients:

4-6 stalks of asparagus, steamed or grilled (I prefer grilled!)

2 small potatoes, diced into bite sized pieces

1 small bunch green beans, lightly steamed

1/4 of a red onion, sliced

1 small tomato, diced

1/4 cup olive oil

salt/pepper

1 lemon wedge

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

1 medium sized garlic clove

1 tbsp. dijon

1 tbsp. honey

salt/pepper

Assembly:
Toss potatoes with olive oil and roast in a 375 degree oven until crispy (15-20 minutes). Allow potatoes to cool. While potatoes are cooking, chop asparagus and green beans into bite sized pieces. Drizzle with lemon juice. Whisk dressing ingredients and set aside. Combine potatoes with remaining salad ingredients and toss with dressing.

Lemon Scented Green Beans

Several people in my life have claimed to be "vegetable-phobic" at one point or another... I ADORE vegetables, but they have to be made a very specific way. I hate, hate, hate veggies that are overcooked, pale, limp or drenched in butter. Don't get me wrong, I think butter is fabulous; however, very infrequently do I use it on fresh vegetables. Grilling has to be one of my favorite ways to enhance the flavor of veggies, but I also like to steam or saute them. Below is a recipe for lemon-scented green beans that, yes, even the aforementioned "veggie-phobes" enjoy! These green beans are crispy and bright green with a hint of lemon and olive oil that makes them taste fresh and delicious alongside any main dish. The preparation is incredibly simple and really allows the beans to stand on their own without being overpowered by a sauce or additional flavoring. Leftover beans are an excellent addition to salads or pastas.


Ingredients:
Two large handfuls of green beans, trimmed (as you can see, I tend to eyeball measurements!)
1 large lemon wedge
A healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Assembly:
Steam beans in 1 inch boiling water for 3-4 minutes until beans are cooked through but still have some snap to them. Submerge them in ice water briefly to halt the cooking process (this will ensure that your green beans turn out fresh and crispy instead of limp and gray). Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and serve.