from
Paul Lindemann
A quick, low-calorie "stir-fry" that is delicious with rice or noodles.
Preperation tip: The beef mixture (step 3) can be prepared in advance, then
reheated at serving time and combined with the freshly cooked beans. If you
do this, you'll need an extra teaspoon of oil to saute the ginger and garlic. Sauce Main Ingredients In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. Make sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Set the mixture aside. In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil for 30 seconds over high heat, and add the green beans. Stir-fry the green beans for about 4 minutes—the beans should be tender-crisp and lightly charred in spots. Remove the green beans with a slotted spoon, and set them aside. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan, cook them for 30 seconds, and then add the pepper flakes and beef, crumbling the meat with a spatula. Stir-fry the mixture just until the beef loses its pinkness. Drain off all the excess fat from the pan. Stir the reserved sauce once more, and add it to the meat. Cook the mixture, stirring it, for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Fold in the reserved green beans, heat the mixture for 1 minute, and serve.
This healthy dish from Jane Brody's Good Food Book has special significance
to me as one of the first new things I learned to cook fighting back from diabetes
and congestive heart failure several years ago. Jane Brody writes:
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup cooled broth
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound green beans, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 2-inch lengths
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (2 large cloves)
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 pound lean ground beef