Every year I vow to do better meal planning and this year was no exception. I busted out all the cookbooks in my cupboard and did a great job of trying new recipes…for about 3 months. It started to fall apart when the kids after school activities picked up and never quite recovered. That early year diligence did lead to some standard rotations in my meals, one of which was this green bean recipe. It comes out of Chrissy Teigan’s Cravings Vol. 1 cookbook and is so simple and delicious. Recipe and photo courtesy of Cravings.

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted, optional

In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, combine the water, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the green beans, cover, and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar water begins to reduce, 7 to 9 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, tossing the beans, until the sugar reduces to a very light syrup and the beans are no longer crisp but somehow miraculously aren’t mushy, making sure it doesn’t burn (add a splash of water if necessary), 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and top with the butter and pepper. Season with more salt to taste. If using, garnish with the almonds and serve.