Asian-Style Green Beans

After picking up some green beans at our local farmers market, I searched for an easy, yet tasty green beans recipe, in hopes my kids would eat them up.

This is a very simple recipe, which utilizes a lot of pantry and fridge staples - sugar, oyster sauce, and shoyu.

I also threw in some chopped walnuts for some added crunch, as well the fact they contain omega-3s and antioxidants.

I thought the end result was yummy, and my middle son even asked for seconds.

It's a great side to serve with just about any meal!

Asian-Style Green Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 T vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and washed
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts
• 1 T sugar
• 2 T oyster sauce
• 2 T soy sauce

Directions

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
• Saute garlic for about a minute.
• Stir in green beans and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Mix in walnuts, sugar, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. 
• Cook for 3-5 more minutes.

You can find the original recipe here on Allrecipes.com.

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Recipe: Roasted Kabocha

I love kabocha! It's moist, tender, sweet, and its taste resembles a cross between sweet potato and pumpkin. It is packed with nutrients such as beta carotene, iron, potassium, and vitamin C. 

I recently discovered a new way to enjoy kabocha - ROASTING!  It's easy and HEALTHY!

1.  Cut the kabocha in half and scoop out the seeds. Then cut into slices of desired thickness.  Lay on a baking sheet (I use parchment paper for easier clean-up).

2. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle on sea salt or Himalayan salt, and pepper.  

3. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

And that's it!

Serve it as a healthy snack, appetizer, or side dish to a meal.

Recipe adapted from Jennifer Che's Oven Roasted Kabocha Squash

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Easy Side Dish - Garlic String Beans

I'm trying to get our entire family to eat more veggies, so I picked up some string beans and searched for a simple recipe online.  I found this recipe for String Beans with Garlic and Ginger on the New York Times website.

I didn't have any ginger on hand, so I simply omitted that ingredient, and the dish still turned out garlicky and yummy!

All of my kids tried the beans, but only my youngest ate his entire serving of the garlic string beans.

I'm happy my other two at least gave them a try!

Garlic String Beans (recipe adapted from NYTimes.com)

Ingredients:

• Salt
• 1 lb string beans, trimmed
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2 medium-size garlic cloves, minced

Directions:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Boil beans until for about two to three minutes - they will still be crisp and bright green.
• Immediately place beans into ice water to stop cooking.  
• As soon as they are cool, drain on paper towels.  
• Heat oil in a pan over high heat. 
• Add the beans and garlic, tossing often until the beans are heated through
• Sprinkle with sea salt.

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