Chinese Buffet Green Beans :: recipe ::

You know those amazing green beans that you can find on most Chinese buffets anywhere you go? The ones that are slightly crunchy yet fully cooked with a light sauce that is out of this world? Well, those are my faves.  I make a bee line straight to the beans every time I go and pile them sky high til they are falling off my plate on the walk back to my table.  

I haven't always loved them so.  In fact, it was my sister-in-law, Joicey Poo, who introduced them to me for the first time many many years ago.  All three of us Holden girl wives went on a little weekend retreat to a women's conference with our mother in law and my mom.  Now, I have always loved Joice from the start but two things made me wonder about her that weekend.  First, she went on this retreat on her way home from her honeymoon!  She hadn't even been home yet and she piled in with us…all the women in her new family she inherited 5 days earlier…and off we went 4 hours away for 2 nights.  And secondly ….when we went out to eat that night for Chinese, out of all the yummy deep fried stuff  covered in amazing sauces she comes back with a plate full of green beans.  Green beans!??  I couldn't imagine?  She chose green beans over sweet and sour chicken?  

Well ironically, years later when I finally tried them myself when I was on a diet and needed to cut back on the fried biscuits dipped in sugar, I discovered what Joicey-Poo has known all along.  Those green beans are the bomb diggity.   I can't get enough of them when I go. (those and the coconut macaroons but lets not talk about those.)  So this started my quest in trying to figure out how to make them at home.  And I'm happy to say that Nick finally figured it out for me and now I'm gonna share this happy news with y'all.

First you got to start off with fresh green beans.  

This is a must if you want them perfectly cooked yet still slightly crunchy.

 I recommend cutting the tips off the beans but you don't have to.

I didn't in these pics but have started doing that the last several times I cooked them.

Now…hold on to your black yoga pants.

Here are the secret ingredients to that light sauce that makes them taste sooo good.

Oyster sauce and honey.

Now don't tune out if you think the word oyster is just disgusting and that any kind of sauce made from it must be from the devil.  I'm telling you, it's good stuff.  It doesn't taste like you're eating oysters. I'm not a huge oyster fan myself but love cooking with this stuff.  It's just a super rich and wonderful flavor that you need to have in your life. We have begun to use in a lot of our dishes. And when you add the honey, the two flavors come together perfectly.

Now I'm not a measurer when I'm cooking. I just do it by taste and looks.  This is why I don't put recipes on here much.  I realize that frustrates some of you.  It does my girls too and that's why they now call their daddy when they want a recipe because he's so good with details.  Me, not so much.

I start with some olive oil. It barely covers the bottom of the pan…like just enough to coat the beans when I toss them around. (sometimes I use a little sesame oil with it but it's not necessary if you don't already have any)  I mince two toes of garlic and throw that in there with the green beans.  I stir them and add salt and a little garlic powder. ( we like garlic) 

After they have cooked for a few minutes and start to lose that raw bean taste. ( you will have to sample a few as you cook), then I drizzle the oyster sauce and honey.    I have no idea how much to tell you.  Drizzle enough that all the beans are covered once you stir them up.  More oyster sauce than  honey.

Now just keep stirring these on med to high heat until the beans are the right texture for you.

Some people like them crispy.  Some like them cooked down a little more. 

Then serve them up while they are nice and hot.

 I can honestly say I've almost eaten my weight in these beans.

Which is better than the Flaming Hot Cheetos that I used to consume in the same matter.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Happy Friday!  I hope you have a great weekend.