Quinoa with Green Beans

Here is yet another quinoa recipe. This is paired with green beans, which typically overpower any dish they are in. But with the tomato and herbs, the green beans are muted into submission to make a well-balanced and flavorful dish. This is another pressure cooker dish, so adjust directions and cook times accordingly if you want to cook this in a regular pot.

Quinoa With Green Beans

Ingredients

1 c water
1 c quinoa, well washed and drained
¾ lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 c roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlice, minced
¾ t salt
1 T olive oil
½ c fresh basil, minced
1 T lemon juice

Steps

1. Bring the water to a boil in the pressure cooker. Add the quinoa, green beans, tomatoes, garlic, and salt.

2. Lock the lid in place and bring to high pressure. Maintain for 1 minute. Allow the pressure to come down naturally for 10 minutes and quick release any remaining pressure.

3. Stir in the olive oil and basil. Add the lemon juice and fluff before serving.

Hot Sichuan Green Beans

Growing up in Taiwan, my wife ate this quite often. Green beans over there are a little thicker than what we get here, and they typically grew up to 18 inches long. These long beans were a mainstay at the dinner table, and they were usually prepared in this simple fashion, but without the red pepper flakes.


Hot Sichuan Green Beans

Ingredients:

1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut in 2-3 inch pieces
2 T soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar
2 t sugar
¼ t red pepper flakes
1 T oil
2 T garlic, minced
2 T fresh ginger, grated

Steps:

1. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, and white pepper. Set aside.

2. Set a 10-12 inch skillet over high heat. When it is hot, add the beans and ¼ cup water. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until beans are slightly crunchy to bite, about 4 minutes. Remove the cover and cook the remaining water away.

3. Add the oil, garlic, and ginger to the skillet. Stir fry until garlic and green beans are slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir soy sauce mixture into the pan and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until most of the liquid has evaporated, another 2 or 3 minutes. Serve hot or cold.