Being away from home makes me long for my mom’s wonderful cooking, especially her delicious sautéed string beans. They are soft, but crunchy, and have just a tad bit of charred flavor that elevates her entire dish; and when she adds ground meat, it tastes even better!
While I can’t measure up to her level of cooking expertise, I make do with the resources I have here in Baltimore. I brought some string beans back from NYC so I could have plenty of greens in my diet, and wanted to share the way I cooked it this past weekend because surprisingly, it came out super flavorful even though I only had four ingredients added to the string beans :O (Amazing, I know)
Ingredients:
- string beans
- chicken boullion powder
- sugar
- 1 onion
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
Steps:
- Unless you like fibrous string beans, I would recommend you peel off the ends of the string beans to get rid of that tough, stringy seam that seals the pod. Break off any imperfections from each bean and toss (or compost, if you can!)
- Dice your garlic and your onion into fine pieces.
- Start your fire on medium heat and when your pan is hot enough, add some oil.
- Add the peeled string beans, and about a teaspoon of chicken boullion powder (remember, you can always add more to taste, but you can’t take out the excess if you add too much!)
- Stir in the onion and garlic and cover the pan for about 5 minutes.
- Add a pinch or two of sugar (my mom’s trick: it keeps your greens looking vibrant and green) and stir it all in.
- With the lid half-covering the pan, let the string beans cook for another 2 minutes (or longer, if you prefer them soft).
This recipe is deceptively simple, but I was amazed at how pure the flavor was. It wasn’t too savory, and it had just the right amount of crunch (FYI: the longer you cook your veggies, the more nutrients you cook away!). Hope you enjoy 🙂
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A Healthy Blueprint 