Garlic Ginger Green Beans with Beef: How to Say Goodbye

To dear Husband, without whom I could not have gone

I did something this past weekend, something that I have never done since becoming a mother; I left Son and Daughters at home and I went on a mini-getaway. Granted there are two other occasions when I did leave kids at home, but both were when I was in the hospital delivering a child, so in terms of something purely for my pleasure, going somewhere, this was it. Husband generously told me to take a weekend off, go away and enjoy myself and he would man the fort (with some assistance from grandma). At first I didn't believe him, but the opportunity seemed too amazing to pass off, so with two girlfriends, we decided to leave town for 48 hours.

However, leaving is NOT as simple as it seems, for although I was leaving the family behind, I had a seemingly harder time leaving responsibilities. The day before, hen I informed Daughters that I was leaving, Daughter #1 exclaimed, "But what are we going to EAT mommy, when you are gone?" I had already planned to leave some things in the fridge for them to eat, but didn't realize how much that meant to the kids until hearing her worry about the food. It added additional pressure on me to think about what Daughters, Son, Husband, and Grandma would eat while I was away.

This is one of the dishes I prepared and left behind for Son and anyone else who wanted. It is a variation on Green Bean Bits but I just throw in some beef and ginger to change it up. Son can have just this with rice and I feel he is getting a balanced meal. It is simple and easy to prepare and yummy enough so that all can enjoy. And I could say good-bye, just a little bit easier with it ready for my family.

Garlic Ginger Green Beans with Beef
Serves 5

1 lb fresh green beans (I like French green beans - pretrimmed at Costco)
1/2 lb beef, finely chopped (I used bulgogi cut beef, but ground beef or turkey would be equally good)
5-6 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
2 tablespoons ginger, grated
2-3 tablespoons mild flavored oil (I like canola or can even use olive oil)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut green beans into 3/4 inch bits. The easiest way to do this is to grab a handful, line them up and slice through the bunch.

2. Heat a fry pan over medium high heat. Add oil. Add garlic, ginger, beef, and a pinch of salt. Saute for a minute until beef is almost cooked and then add the cut green bean bits. Saute over medium high heat until green beans are tender and slightly blistered, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Serve and enjoy!

Printable recipe

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