Dinner Tonight: Spicy Garlic Green Beans

3/20/2012

A woman (or perhaps a man) calling herself (or perhaps himself ) Chef Mystic Adams writes in to say that she (or he) is a chef who is looking to move to the Toledo area. Noting our call for healthy, quick, and easy recipes, she/he wrote, "As a chef [and a diner], it can be a challenge to find recipes that fit the bill, but I would be happy to share some of the dishes that have worked for me over the years." One of them is this:

2 pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 cloves garlic, minced well

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the green beans and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer the beans into the ice bath. After cooling, drain well.

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the canola oil. When pan is hot add the garlic and stir 1 to 2 minutes, taking care to keep the garlic from scorching. Add the green beans, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, salt, and crushed red pepper, cooking until the sauce reduces and coats the green beans. Serve hot.

-- Chef Mystic Adams

Have a recipe that is fast and healthy? Send it to food@theblade.com or Dinner Tonight, The Blade, 541 N. Superior St., Toledo, OH 43660.