Easy side dish

I admit that I fall into a rut when it comes to cooking vegetables at my house.

We have corn, butter beans, peas and potatoes. Occasionally I make a broccoli dish. My kids convince me to make green bean casserole a few times a month, but I usually stick with the same things my mother cooked — interspersed with a variety of green salads.

I love to find a new way to get our veggies in each day and was excited to see something new on my plate at a church function earlier this month. There on the same plate with my ham, deviled eggs and congealed salad was a serving of colorful marinated vegetables. It was the first thing I tried. I loved the vinegar marinade sweetened with sugar and the mix of canned French-cut green beans, corn, garden peas and pimiento.

I immediately knew I wanted to share this recipe with my readers this month because it would be great for an Easter ham dinner. Not only is it delicious and very pretty, it can also be put together in just a few minutes then stored for several days in the refrigerator. That’s one less thing to do before dinner on Easter Sunday.

I made the recipe for my husband and me last week, and we had the dish with shrimp and baked potatoes. It was a delicious combination.

Don’t be afraid to make a full recipe when you try this. As I was told by Anne Liles when she shared the recipe with me, it keeps for several days in the refrigerator and only gets better with age!


Colorful Marinated Vegetables

• 3 15 oz. cans French-style green beans (some cans are 14 or 14.5 ounces)
• 1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn
• 1 15 oz. can garden peas
• 2 tablespoons diced pimiento
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup oil

Mix sugar, vinegar and oil with a whisk until combined.

Place vegetables in a colander and drain and rinse.

Pour vegetables in a bowl. Pour marinade over and stir to combine. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The vegetables are good for several days.

Anne Liles