Sweet and Sour Green Beans

When I first heard sweet and sour with green beans, my first reaction was PASS.  But thank goodness for Michael because he did not pass on this Food and Wine recipe and they are a simple and yummy variation to all the fresh green beans we'll eat in the spring and summer.  Like I mentioned in a previous post, it goes great with trout!

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 pound green beans
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Place the green beans in a steamer basket set over a large saucepan of boiling water. Steam until bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil. Add the shallot and cook over high heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and sugar; stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add the beans. Season with salt and pepper, toss well and serve.