In the November 2009 issue of Burke’s Backyard magazine, on sale from Monday, October 26, you’ll find a terrific article on how to grow beans of all shapes and sizes: climbing beans, runner beans and dwarf bush beans. Now’s the time to get your bean seeds sown, and if your kids are keen to do a bit of vegie growing this summer, beans are one of the best choices for kids to grow at home.
For Don Burke’s 2UE listeners, we have a bonus recipe for you – Chinese stir-fried green beans. This quick and easy recipe is a great way to cook beans as a side dish for an Asian meal. It only takes 5-10 minutes to prepare, and the cooking takes just 5 minutes.
Chinese stir-fried beans
• 500g green beans (or snake beans)
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed (see note)
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
1. Wash the beans and cut them into 5cm lengths. Prepare the garlic and ginger and place in a small bowl, ready to add to the wok.
2. Heat the wok or frypan, add the oil, then add the ginger and garlic and fry for just 30 seconds, stirring all the time.
3. Add the beans, salt and stock and continue cooking over high heat, stirring all the time. The beans should be ready in just 2-3 minutes, and most of the liquid will evaporate. Serve immediately as a side dish with any meal.
Note: the Chinese way is to use a fair bit of garlic with stir-fried beans, but you could try just 2 cloves for starters, if you like it less garlicky.