Asian Style Beans

Where to Find it: Kayotic Kitchens

Green beans, snap beans, string beans, French beans, whatever you want to call them, they’re in season, they’re cheap, tasty and healthy. Go for it!
We’re very high on vegetables here. We easily eat 10 oz a day (per person), so I’m always trying various ways to prepare vegetables making them slightly different every time we eat them. These have a little Asian twist to them and rank high on the ‘yummy delicious’ list here (‘yummy delicious’ being the English expression for my Dutch 2 year olds favorite foods, thanks to Dora).
For some reason the combination pine nuts & green beans works beautifully in this side dish.

Ingredients:
String beans
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
Garlic (I used 1 clove, grated)
Ginger (thumb sized piece, grated)
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
1 dsp chili sauce
Chili powder
Handful pine nuts
Oil
Directions:
Coarsely chop the bell pepper and the onion. Trim the beans and break the long ones in half. Give them a good wash.

Parboil the beans in lightly salted water. I like a little bite to them, so I boiled them for about 13 minutes. You can give them a few minutes longer if you like, just don’t over-cook them!

Grate the ginger and garlic. I keep lots of ginger in the freezer, this way I always have some on hand. It works great! The flavor seems to intensify once frozen, so you even need less to get the same result. It’s also easier to peel and grate when still slightly frozen. Nothing but benefits!

Use vegetable oil rather than olive oil because you can use higher temperatures that way, which is much better for stir-frying. I use this oil – it’s an oil that has a slightly Asian flavor to it already. Seems they infused it with garlic, fenugreek, cardamom, cumin, celery, turmeric, coriander etc resulting in an amazingly fragrant oil.

Sautee the bell pepper for about a minute or two, then add the onion. Add the ginger and garlic as soon as the onion turns slightly translucent, not before or you’ll burn the garlic. Don’t let the onions brown, it just doesn’t look good in this dish.

In the mean time the beans will be ready. Drain them and quickly rinse them with cold water – this will stop the cooking process, leaving your beans fresh and green rather than all sad, shriveled up and brown.

Add a pinch of chili powder to the onion mixture. I use incredibly hot chili powder, no clue where they got those chilies from, and have a toddler eating this as well, so I only use a pinch (literally, see?) but feel free to use more. I always sautee my spices for a minute or so, it really gets the flavor going.

Add the beans to the bell pepper/onions and give them a good swirl. Add a tbsp soy sauce. I used sweet soy sauce, but you can also add regular soy sauce and add some additional sugar. Is this a Dutch cooking products 101 or what?

Add a heaping dinnerspoon chili sauce. You don’t want to drown the beans, you just want to coat them. It gives them a real pretty shine. Hey, I’m a girl, I’m all about the bling-bling. Let it all simmer for a few minutes now so the flavors can incorporate.

Toast the pine nuts in a hot skillet. Roughly 30 seconds should do, then shove them around a bit. Give them another 30 seconds and they’re done.

Serve the beans on a pretty platter, sprinkle some of the pine nuts on top and serve with a little extra soy sauce on the side. If you, unlike me, happen to like Coriander, this would be your cue to use it. I can’t stand the smell or taste of coriander, so I don’t even want to use it as garnish.


These taste absolutely great with steamed rice and stir fried chicken or beef strips!

Spices Spices Spices!

I have always wanted to know about spices and what would go well with the things I'm cooking. I love using flavor rather than salt. I'm so excited to be able to refer to this, when I'm cooking new yummy things!

here is the Site that I got all the information from! The Kitchen


DRIED HERBS AND SPICES
• Allspice - Similar to cloves, but more pungent and deeply flavored. Best used in spice mixes.
• Bay Leaf - (also: Indian Bay Leaf) Adds a woodsy background note to soups and sauces.
• Cardamom - This warm, aromatic spice is widely used in Indian cuisine. It's also great in baked goods when used in combination with spices like clove and cinnamon.
• Cayenne Pepper - Made from dried and ground red chili peppers. Adds a sweet heat to soups, braises, and spice mixes.
• Cloves - Sweet and warming spice. Used most often in baking, but also good with braised meat.
• Coriander - Earthy, lemony flavor. Used in a lot of Mexican and Indian dishes.
• Cumin - Smoky and earthy. Used in a lot of Southwestern US and Mexican cuisine, as well as North African, Middle Eastern, and Indian.
• Fennel Seed - Lightly sweet and licorice flavored. It's excellent with meat dishes, or even chewed on its own as a breath freshener and digestion aid!
• Fenugreek - Although this herb smells like maple syrup while cooking, it has a rather bitter, burnt sugar flavor. Found in a lot of Indian and Middle Eastern dishes.
• Garlic Powder - Garlic powder is made from dehydrated garlic cloves and can be used to give dishes a sweeter, softer garlic flavor.
• Mace - From the same plant as nutmeg, but tastes more subtle and delicate. Great in savory dishes, especially stews and homemade sausages.
• Nutmeg - Sweet and pungent. Great in baked goods, but also adds a warm note to savory dishes.
• Oregano - Robust, somewhat lemony flavor. Used in a lot of Mexican and Mediterranean dishes.
• Paprika - (also: Smoked Paprika) Adds a sweet note and a red color. Used in stews and spice blends.
• Rosemary - Strong and piney. Great with eggs, beans, and potatoes, as well as grilled meats.
• Saffron - Subtle floral flavor. Used mostly as a coloring agent.
• Sage - Pine-like flavor, with more lemony and eucalyptus notes than rosemary. Found in a lot of northern Italian cooking.
• Smoked Paprika - (also: Paprika) Adds sweet smokiness to dishes, as well as a red color.
• Sumac - Zingy and lemony, sumac is a Middle Eastern spice that's great in marinades and spice rubs.
• Turmeric - Used more for its yellow color than its flavor. Can be used in place of saffron.
• Thyme - Adds a pungent, woodsy flavor. Great as an all-purpose seasoning.
• Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon - Sweet and spicy. Can be used in both sweet baked goods and to add depth to savory dishes.
FRESH HERBS
• Chervil - Delicate anise flavor. Great raw in salads or as a finishing garnish.
• Fenugreek - Although this herb smells like maple syrup while cooking, it has a rather bitter, burnt sugar flavor. Found in a lot of Indian and Middle Eastern dishes.
• Marjoram - Floral and woodsy. Try it in sauces, vinaigrettes, and marinades.
• Mint - Surprisingly versatile for such an intensely flavored herb. Try it paired with lamb, peas, potatoes - and of course, with chocolate!
• Oregano - Robust, somewhat lemony flavor. Used in a lot of Mexican and Mediterranean dishes.
• Rosemary - Strong and piney. Great with eggs, beans, and potatoes, as well as grilled meats.
• Sage - Pine-like flavor, with more lemony and eucalyptus notes than rosemary. Found in a lot of northern Italian cooking.
• Tarragon - Strong anise flavor. Can be eaten raw in salads or used to flavor tomato dishes, seafood, or eggs.
• Thyme - Adds a pungent, woodsy flavor. Great as an all-purpose seasoning.
SPICE BLENDS, RUBS, AND MIXES
• Baharat - Black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and cloves. Used to flavor soups, tomato sauces, lentils, rice pilafs, and couscous, and can be a rub for meats. (Middle Eastern)
• Bouquet Garni - Thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Used to flavor broths and soups. (Classic French)
• Chinese Five Spice Powder - Star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, fennel, cassia, and clove. Adds sweetness and depth to savory dishes, especially beef, duck, and pork. (Chinese)
• Curry Powder - Typically includes tumeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and red pepper, but mixes can vary. Used primarily to quickly flavor curry sauces. (Indian)
• Dukkah - Includes nuts (most often hazelnuts), sesame seeds, coriander, and cumin. Great spice rub for lamb, chicken, and fish. (Egyptian)
• Garam Masala - Typcially includes cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, and pepper. Sweeter than curry powder. Also used to season curry sauces. (Indian)
• Herbes de Provence - Usually savory, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and sometimes lavender. Use as a marinade or dry rub for roast chicken, fish, and vegetables.
• Pickling Spice - Most often, bay leaf, yellow mustard seeds, black peppercorns, allspice, coriander. Used for pickling vegetables in vinegar.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix - Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Used for seasoning pumpkin pie, but also great in other spiced baked goods.
• Ras el Hanout - Cardamom, clove, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, cumin, mace, nutmeg, peppercorn, and turmeric. Use as a spice rub on meat or a simple condiment. (North African/Moroccan)
• Za'atar Seasoning Blend - Thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds. All-purpose seasoning for many Middle Eastern dishes like grilled meats, grilled vegetables, flatbread and hummus. (Middle Eastern)
Are there any herbs or spices you've been wondering about? Let us know and we'll start adding them to the list!
Related: Good Question: Storage for Spices