Emergency green beans

One of the more challenging aspects of parenthood these days I'm discovering is the tension between adolescents who are able-bodied and those who are not. As with all children this age, all of them desire chances to be independent. For many children, this independence is facilitated by bicycles. For other children, though they can ride a bike, distance and hills are challenging enough that it makes using the bike to get places pretty much a non-starter. The challenge comes when you want to allow children this very typical experience because it is appropriate for them, yet dealing with the blatant unfairness of it all with the child(ren) who just cannot manage it. I'm not sure this is a right answer, but we have decided to say yes to bike trips occasionally while at other times find different, more inclusive ways that everyone can participate. I find it to be an exceedingly fine line to walk. 

Today was a day where I agreed for some people to ride their bikes to McDonalds to get themselves lunch (with their own money). It's four and half miles from our house and there are several hills on the way. This makes it an inaccessible option for some children. There was some great unhappiness as a result. This was compounded by the fact that I have misjudged exactly how much food we need for lunch these days and the cupboard was looking a little bare. I decided to rummage around in the freezer to see if anything had miraculously appeared that I could fix those left behind. No, but I did see some packages of frozen green beans which gave me an idea. 

Our three daughters from China all adore stir-fried green beans. All of them ate the dish nearly continuously when we were in China with them, including every morning for breakfast. It is a real comfort dish for each of them. I figured out early on how to recreate it here with Y. giving it her stamp of approval. I decided to try to make it with the frozen green beans, thawing them in the microwave first. I knew I had onions, so we were all set. 

Disappointment was still so great that even the suggestion of their favorite green bean dish for lunch was met with mild grunting. By the time the onion was cooking, they were starting to perk up, and by the time I was adding in the seasonings, there was eager anticipation of their favorite dish. Two helpings a piece turned things around, and we all went outside to enjoy the gorgeous weather. I shall always be keeping frozen green beans on hand from now on.

Would you like the recipe? It's pretty easy.

Stir-fried Green Beans
(Serves six, unless it is your entire meal, in which case it serves three)

2 packages frozen green beans, thawed in microwave (using fresh green beans uses the same recipe and tastes better, but this works in a pinch)
2 onions, chopped
Vegetable oil

Heat the oil and cook the onions until they are translucent. Add the beans. Stir-fry until they are starting to turn a little brown on the edges. Add some sesame oil, hoisin sauce, and oyster sauce (how much is really up to how much you like these things, I probably put in more hoisin than the other two) and stir to warm sauces and mix well. You can add in some sesame seeds if you like. If you have people who like spice, you could also add some garlic-chili paste. 

That's it. It's extremely fast and easy. Enjoy!



Comments

Julie said…
The title alone was just too good to not read! We shall be trying this dish! Big green bean lovers over here! X
5/08/2022 8:52 AM
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