Vegetable Medley

Vegetable Medley from Taste of Home Simple and Delicious Magazine
1 cup uncooked medium pasta shells
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen cut green beans
1 Tbsp corn starch
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp butter
1-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 can (4-1/2 oz) whole mushrooms, drained
1 small tomato, chopped

Directions: In a Dutch oven, cook pasta according to package directions, adding the beans during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch and broth until smooth; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter; add the mustard, basil and garlic powder. Gradually stir in broth mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Drain past and beans; return to the Dutch oven. Add the mustard sauce and mushrooms; toss to coat. Stir in tomato.

Here's what I started with:

Here's how I did it:

#1 I measured out 1 cup of pasta and put water on to boil.  I cooked the pasta according to the package directions.

#2 I poured 3/4 cup of chicken broth into a bowl and added 1 Tbsp of corn starch to it.  I stirred it until it was smooth and then set it aside.

#3 I melted 3 Tbsps of butter in a sauce pan.

#4 I added the Dijon mustard, basil and garlic powder. 

#5 I added the corn starch mixture to the sauce pan and let it come up to a boil for a couple of minutes and then turned it down on low.

#6 I cut up a tomato.

#7 Once the pasta was almost done, I threw in a bag of frozen green beans for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.

#8 Once finished, I drained the pasta and green beans and put them back in the pan and I added the corn starch/chicken broth.

#9 I drained a can of mushrooms and added it and then topped it off with the tomato.

The Finished Product:

Pictured below with Tuscan Chicken and a can of corn.

Review:

This side dish was a nice change from any of the traditional sides that I would normally have with chicken. 

I really liked the flavor of this sauce.  The Dijon mustard gave it a nice tang but it wasn't overpowering.  If I could do anything differently, I think I would have added just a bag of mixed veggies instead of just green beans.  I think it would taste great with some carrots in there, too.  The sauce on the fresh tomato was great and the pasta really kind of played back seat to the green beans, almost like a filler.

Overall, I thought this dish was a good change from the norm.

Hope you Enjoy!
April