Asian chicken breast with sauteed green beans
The green beans
Ever since I was a kid I have loved green beans. My grandparents would bring cans and cans of them when they would come to visit and I would happily eat them. As I have gotten older, though I am more aware of the sodium content that canned vegetables can have. So, I have switched to fresh or frozen. But, the love lives on!
Easy Sauteed Green Beans
https://www.thespruceeats.com/easy-green-bean-saute-recipe-2394856
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 1 to 2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
- 2 to 4 small cloves garlic (pressed or very finely chopped)
- Dash salt
- Dash black pepper
- Dash cumin
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Optional: 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Trim or snap off the ends from the green beans, removing any stringy fibers which may run the length of the bean. Not all beans will have this fiber. If the beans are excessively long, they can be cut or broken in half for easier eating
- Wash and drain the beans.
- Boil or steam the beans just until crisp-tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- If boiling, drain and submerge the beans in an ice-water bath for a minute or two, and drain again.
- Melt the butter or heat the olive oil in a sauté pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté just for 1 minute until fragrant; do not burn.
- Add the green beans to the pan and season to taste with salt, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Toss gently and cook just until the beans are heated through.
- If using parsley, gently stir it in and sprinkle over the top as a garnish.
- Serve immediately.
The chicken
I have been cooking chicken for as long as I can remember. And honestly, it can get a little boring! But, the good thing is that it is incredibly versatile meat to work with. So, for this dinner, I chose to make an Asian inspired chicken recipe in an attempt to shake things up!
Asian chicken and scallions
https://www.food.com/recipe/asian-chicken-and-scallions-73355
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 10 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (can also use veg or canola)
Instructions
- Whisk together first 7 ingredients in a small bowl in a wok, heat 1 tsp oil until very hot stir fry the scallions until they start to look golden (30 sec- 1 minute) and remove heat remaining oil, stir fry chicken until it is browned and almost done (2- 3 min).
- Remove, pouring any juices over chicken add the mixture from the small bowl to the pan and boil until it gets syrupy add chicken and juices and cook until chicken is done and the liquid looks like it is glazing the chicken (about 1 minute) remove from heat and fold in scallions.
This delightful and distinct meal ended up being quite delicious and a welcome change to my palate. I feel inspired and can’t wait to try more Asian inspired recipes!
