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Chinese-style Sticky Green Beans

These got eaten very quickly.


I rarely buy green beans, because I've so often gotten ones that were dry and flavorless. But when we got some in our CSA box, I was excited to make something good with them. And since I was missing the good ones at a recently-closed Chinese restaurant that we loved, I thought I'd try my best imitation.

I worked from this recipe from Fine Cooking. I made no changes, except for making the sauce directly in the pan (rather than combining those ingredients in a bowl first), and eliminating water from the sauce. 


The Recipe:
12 oz green beans, trimmed
1 tb soy sauce
1 tb honey
1 tb butter
2 tb olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
  • In a saute pan, heat butter and olive oil
  • When butter is melted, add green beans and salt.
  • Cook, turning the beans occasionally, for about 7 minutes until they are slightly browned and tender.
  • Reduce the heat to low.
  • Add garlic and stir for 15 seconds.
  • Add soy sauce and honey.
  • Cook, stirring, until the liquid glazes the green beans evenly.

The Verdict: 
Overall grade: A-
Overall reason: Easy and delicious, but not the most healthy
Time to prepare: 15 minutes
Toddler reaction: "Yes, I ate my green bean." (Later we found it completely intact on the floor. This is the first time he's pulled this trick.)
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