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Stir-Fried Long Beans (Nikki Sawyer Moore photo)

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With sizzle and steam this fragrant recipe yields a side dish of intense flavor in minutes. You briefly sauté ginger, garlic, and shallots before you add the long beans (or green beans) to the wok or skillet. Add the sliced green onions and toss everything together just long enough for the long beans to sear in spots before you add chicken broth, soy sauce and a pinch of sugar to the wok. Cover the dish and let it steam until the beans are crisp tender before serving as an accompaniment to your favorite Asian meal.

You can find long beans ^[3] (or yard-long beans) in well-stocked supermarkets as well as Asian grocery stores. A bit tougher than green beans, kids love them since, as their names implies, they are long. While they are usually sold in 15-inch lengths, they can grow up to 3 feet. Just like regular green beans, you should trim the ends before cooking. I also like to cut them down into 3-inch pieces to make stir-frying easier.

Most people cringe in intimidation when asked to be creative in the kitchen. This recipe which highlights Asian flavors is a great example of how easy it is to cook without a recipe. Most of us can easily pinpoint the flavor profile of a particular cuisine. Take Italian food. If I asked you what flavors you find in Italian cooking, you might suggest garlic, tomatoes, basil, and onions. For Mexican food, you might list onions, cilantro, garlic, and peppers. A good place to start when coming up with your own creations in the kitchen is the flavor profile of a particular cuisine. Simply add those flavors together in a logical order and more often than not you’ll have a dish that not only works, but is delicious. Happy cooking!

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Stir-Fried Long Beans (Nikki Sawyer Moore photo)

Stir-Fried Long Beans – Printer Friendly Recipe ^[5]
Serves 2-3

Make this side dish spicy by adding a hot chili pepper or red pepper flakes. If substituting green beans for the long beans, shorten the steaming time. Green beans are tenderer than long beans and won’t require as long to cook.

¾ lb long beans or green beans, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ small shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, minced
3 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced
½ cup less-sodium vegetable or chicken broth or water
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Pinch of sugar

Heat a wok over medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil when hot. Stir in the shallot, garlic, and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add the long beans and cook, tossing frequently, for 2 minutes. Stir in the scallions and add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, and sugar. Cover and steam the beans, shaking the wok occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes until the long beans are tender. Serve.

Nikki Sawyer Moore offers hands-on cooking classes and private dinners in the comfort of your own home through her business, FOOD LOVE (www.n2foodlove.com ^[6]). She also teaches group cooking classes and hosts corporate team-building/private events at The Kitch in Cornelius. When not in your kitchen, Nikki enjoys writing about food and sharing her recipes through her blog (mincedblog.com ^[7]) Reach her at nikki@n2foodlove.com ^[8]