stir-fried green beans! all phases
Stir-Fried Green Beans with Lemon, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts
(Makes about 4 servings, with inspiration from A Veggie Venture)
1 lb. fresh green beans, preferably thin French green beans
1 1/2 T olive oil (or less, depending on your pan or wok)
2 cloves whole garlic
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 T freshly grated parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted in hot pan 1-2 minutes
Trim ends from green beans. (I do this by gathering a handfull, then standing them up on the cutting board while holding loosely so the beans all line up, then trimming the end. Turn over and repeat with the other end.) Cut beans into pieces about 2 inches long.
Put beans into glass bowl, cover with saran wrap (cling film) and microwave on high 2 minutes. While beans microwave, zest the lemon and squeeze the juice. (You will not need all the juice, freeze the extra to use later.)
In a dry pan, toast pine nuts over high heat 1-2 minutes, until they barely start to brown. Set aside.
Heat oil in wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add garlic cloves and stir fry about 1 minute. (This is a Chinese cooking technique called seasoning the oil.) Be sure not to brown the garlic or it will taste bitter. Remove garlic and discard. Add beans and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until beans are barely starting to brown but are still slightly crisp. (I taste one to see if they are done. I prefer them slightly underdone.)
Lower heat, then pour lemon juice over beans, and stir beans a few times. Turn off heat, then sprinkle lemon zest and parmesan cheese over beans and stir again.
Remove beans to serving plate, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, and serve immediately.
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