Is anyone as holidayed (I just made up a word!) out as me? I made this a couple of weeks ago, but have been behind on posting – something that the holidays can do. I am hoping that two weeks off from work can get me back on track…in any event – I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday!
When I was growing up, my most favorite home cooked meal was Chinese Dumplings and Ants Climbing on Trees (ground pork with thin noodles). I would often ask for this meal for my birthday dinner. When I grew up, I made this for my friends, and it was always a huge hit. So, the other night when I made this dish – which in my mind was very similar to my childhood favorite except that the noodles were substituted with the green beans – it was just as good as I remember. We had to come up with a different name – and we felt like the green beans looked like branches – therefore the name. I found this recipe in Cooking Light – but heavily adapted it below to be more like the one I remember.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 teaspoons peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 pound lean ground pork
- 1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
Preparation
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, and pepper; sauté 30 seconds. Add pork to pan; cook 2 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add beans; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar and cornstarch; stir with a whisk. Stir broth mixture into pork mixture; cook 1 minute or until thickened. Add green ovens and cook for one more minute. Serve over steamed rice.
For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Ants Climbing on Branches
First Look, Then Cook 