Saturday, August 10, 2013

What's Cooking at our House: Sichuan Green Beans

This is a standard dinner dish at our house.


When the garden is producing scarlet runner green beans in quantity, one of our standard dinners is Sichuan style green beans. I am not a chef, nor am I an expert on Sichuan cuisine. That doesn't mean, however, that authentic Sichuan dishes are beyond reach.

When we shared this dish with one of our Chinese friends, I told her we didn't tire of it, and she said she understood why: it's a classic combination of tastes and textures that is especially delicious when the green beans are julienned an hour after they've been plucked from the garden.

This is the dish I would choose to make if some famous TV chef showed up at our door asking for a home-cooked meal because it is very forgiving while delivering first-rate taste and visual appeal.

The flavor foundation of the recipe (which is a cobbled-together concoction of various recipes from cookbooks such as Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking by Fuchia Dunlop) is hot chili bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns, both of which can be purchased at any well-stocked Asian market.

Most Asian-cuisine bean pastes are soy-based, but the hot chili bean paste uses broad (fava) beans.

The third key flavoring is oyster sauce, also readily available at Asian markets (or online if there are no Asian markets in your vicinity).

The starting point: scarlet runner green beans, though any green bean variety will do.

Julienne the green beans (about 1 pound or so) and slice some onion and garlic to taste. (For us, that's about a half cup or so of sliced onions and 3-5 sliced segments of garlic.)


In two tablespoons of healthy oil (we use extra-virgin olive oil, but you can use any good oil) heated in a wok, combine 1 teaspoon each of the Sichuan peppercorns and Sichuan hot chili bean paste. Once this is sizzling (10 seconds or so), add the onions and garlic.


Once this has cooked down a bit, add 2 to 3 ounces of sliced precooked pork, chicken, etc., or vegetarian substitute such as pressed tofu. Meat (or substitute) is a condiment in Chinese cuisine rather than the main ingredient.


Remove this mixture from the wok and cook the green beans separately (you may need to add a teaspoon or two of oil to the wok). This enables each set of ingredients to be cooked to the right degree without overcooking or undercooking other ingredients. Toss a couple teaspoons of Chinese cooking wine into the green beans to aid the cooking process (water can be used as a substitute).


Once the green beans are tender but still firm (do not overcook), stir in a few teaspoons of oyster sauce and then stir in the onion/garlic ingredients that were cooked first.

The flavorings can be adjusted to taste; if you prefer mild spiciness, use 1/2 teaspoon of the hot bean paste. The key is the combination of hot, sweet, sour and savory and the varying textures of ingredients.

This dish can be prepped and cooked in about a half-hour, so not only is it delicious, it's relatively quick to prepare.

Serve with your favorite kind of rice. 



Things are falling apart--that is obvious. But why are they falling apart? The reasons are complex and global. Our economy and society have structural problems that cannot be solved by adding debt to debt. We are becoming poorer, not just from financial over-reach, but from fundamental forces that are not easy to identify or understand. We will cover the five core reasons why things are falling apart:

go to print edition1. Debt and financialization
2. Crony capitalism and the elimination of accountability
3. Diminishing returns
4. Centralization
5. Technological, financial and demographic changes in our economy

Complex systems weakened by diminishing returns collapse under their own weight and are replaced by systems that are simpler, faster and affordable. If we cling to the old ways, our system will disintegrate. If we want sustainable prosperity rather than collapse, we must embrace a new model that is Decentralized, Adaptive, Transparent and Accountable (DATA).

We are not powerless. Not accepting responsibility and being powerless are two sides of the same coin: once we accept responsibility, we become powerful.

Kindle edition: $9.95       print edition: $24 on Amazon.com
To receive a 20% discount on the print edition: $19.20 (retail $24), follow the link, open a Createspace account and enter discount code SJRGPLAB. (This is the only way I can offer a discount.)

Terms of Service

All content on this blog is provided by Trewe LLC for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information. These terms and conditions of use are subject to change at anytime and without notice.


Our Privacy Policy:


Correspondents' email is strictly confidential. This site does not collect digital data from visitors or distribute cookies. Advertisements served by a third-party advertising network (Investing Channel) may use cookies or collect information from visitors for the purpose of Interest-Based Advertising; if you wish to opt out of Interest-Based Advertising, please go to Opt out of interest-based advertising (The Network Advertising Initiative). If you have other privacy concerns relating to advertisements, please contact advertisers directly. Websites and blog links on the site's blog roll are posted at my discretion.


PRIVACY NOTICE FOR EEA INDIVIDUALS


This section covers disclosures on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for users residing within EEA only. GDPR replaces the existing Directive 95/46/ec, and aims at harmonizing data protection laws in the EU that are fit for purpose in the digital age. The primary objective of the GDPR is to give citizens back control of their personal data. Please follow the link below to access InvestingChannel’s General Data Protection Notice. https://stg.media.investingchannel.com/gdpr-notice/


Notice of Compliance with The California Consumer Protection Act
This site does not collect digital data from visitors or distribute cookies. Advertisements served by a third-party advertising network (Investing Channel) may use cookies or collect information from visitors for the purpose of Interest-Based Advertising. If you do not want any personal information that may be collected by third-party advertising to be sold, please follow the instructions on this page: Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information.


Regarding Cookies:


This site does not collect digital data from visitors or distribute cookies. Advertisements served by third-party advertising networks such as Investing Channel may use cookies or collect information from visitors for the purpose of Interest-Based Advertising; if you wish to opt out of Interest-Based Advertising, please go to Opt out of interest-based advertising (The Network Advertising Initiative) If you have other privacy concerns relating to advertisements, please contact advertisers directly.


Our Commission Policy:

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn a commission on purchases of precious metals via BullionVault. I receive no fees or compensation for any other non-advertising links or content posted on my site.

  © Blogger templates Newspaper III by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP