Okay, so I am becoming quite adept at adapting recipes. Here is my latest, adapted from this recipe which apparently was reprinted from The Compassionate Cook Cookbook. (On a semi-related note, has anyone ever seen anything on the About.com website posted since 2007? seriously, why is everything so out-of-date over there?) The original recipe called for rice wine or sherry — I substituted lemon juice and I love it! Very refreshing and tangy. However, I overcooked the beans a bit so if you do try this, I hope your beans turn out more crisp than mine!
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tbsp safflower oil
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth (I used homemade, as I had some in the fridge, but you could easily substitute with a bouillon cube following package directions, or use my new favorite, Better Than Bouillon)
- 2 tbsp tamari
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 1/2 tbsp of brown rice syrup* (you could also use 1 tbsp of regular sugar)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Preparation:
Heat the water in a wok or a large saucepan. Carefully add the beans and steam until tender but crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the broth, tamari, lemon juice, and the brown rice syrup, stirring to dissolve the syrup.
Wipe the excess water from the wok or saucepan, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Add the beans and sauce, and cook for two minutes, stirring often.
Serve over rice or quinoa.
Serves 3-4
*in case you are wondering why I'm using brown rice syrup instead of sugar — it is an unrefined sugar, and healthier because it means your body does not metabolize it as quickly. This means your blood sugar level does not "spike" but rather it is more gradual. Other healthy, natural, and unrefined sugars are agave nectar, jaggery, molasses (widely regarded to be "the best"), and maple syrup. You will probably want to choose which sugar you use based on the flavors of the recipe you're using it in. And adjust the amount, too — some are sweeter than others. Honey can also be in this list, although it does have the same "spiking" effect as refined sugars. I'm very sorry that I don't have references for all this information — I have read so many websites and 3 different books that I cannot remember exactly how / where I found this information, only that it was repeated so many times that I obviously remember it well enough to write it here from memory!