Fresh Green Bean Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans

1 medium red bell pepper

1 medium yellow bell pepper

1 small yellow onion

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons canola oil

2-3 fresh garlic cloves, diced

Yield:

8, 1 cup servings

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash beans. Trim the ends off the green beans and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Place green beans in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes or until beans are tender crisp. Drain and pour beans into a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain and pat dry. Core peppers and cut into thin strips. Peel onion and slice into thin strips. Spread the sliced almonds on a baking sheet, bake with the rack in the top position at 400 degrees F until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix the flour, black pepper and brown sugar together in a small bowl; stir in soy sauce and lemon juice until smooth. A tablespoon of cold water can be added if sauce is too thick. In a large skillet or wok, add the canola oil and heat to medium high. Add onion and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add garlic and peppers and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add beans and stir-fry for an additional 2 minutes. Add sauce and toss/cook until sauce evenly coats the beans. Remove to serving plate and sprinkle with the sliced almonds.