Babe! Welcome to the second week of the Resolution Files! Have you been good? I’ve been trying, and really, that’s anything anyone can ask for, right? Without further ado….
I totally get excited about healthy meals that are, well, exciting! For me that means adding depth of flavor to already star-struck veggies. We’re eating so many green beans for this meal, that we don’t need carbs! Wanna know why? We’ve got Mango Habanero Chicken Sausage up in hurrrrr! I wanted to keep the recipes in this series light, but that still appeal to my carnivorous husband. Let’s face it, we both crave the meats and the carbs, but when you have a dish like this, really you don’t miss it. I’m super serious!
We had this for lunch on the day-of-making, and the hubs was asking for the leftovers come dinner-time. Talk about a jaw dropper! You’re going to love this one. Super crunchy green beans, blanched to perfection. Sticky, sweet, beer-y sauce. Lightened up sausage, and I swear you’re not going to miss the pork in this sausage! The chicken is just as bomb, and with the flavors of mango/habanero.. I mean, c’mon! I got these specific sausages at Fresh & Easy, their own brand – Mango Habanero Chicken Sausages in the 12 ounce package. You can get whatever sausages you like though! If you like sweet Italian sausage, go for it! I’d recommend getting up to a pound of these bad boys. Since the Fresh & Easy brand was packaged at 12 ounces (not quite a pound), I just went for that.
Lets talk about green beans for a spell, shall we? How do I love them so? Let me count the ways:
- Dense in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Folate. These vitamins help the immune system, and help carry away damaging free radicals (which are known to cause cancer and DNA damage) out of your system!
- They taste great! (When cooked properly!) My favorite way to cook green beans is by blanching:
- Immerse in boiling water for about 5 minutes (make sure the water is boiling first)
- “Shock” them in an ice water bath right after, until cool.
Get your ice water bath ready while the green beans are cooking, so you can go from point A to point B quickly! To make an ice water bath, get the largest bowl you have (I used a big stock pot), and fill it with about 4 cups of ice. Fill the vessel with water until the water just passes the ice, and voila! You have an ice bath! The point of blanching is to stop the cooking so your veggies still remain bright green and crunchy. Who wants to eat brownish green beans? Not you!
- FIBER!!! Everyone needs more natural fiber. It’ll keep your bowels regular and happy, and that’s an important part of health!
- They’ll make you beautiful! The vitamins contained within do wonders for your skin, so eat up!
Keep it beautiful honey,
- 1 12 Ounce Package Fresh & Easy Habanero Mango Chicken Sausage (pre-cooked)
- 1 Teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Pounds Fresh Green Beans, stems snapped off
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Orange Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Orange Zest
- 1 Tablespoon Tamari (or Low Sodium Soy Sauce)
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Finely Chopped
- 1/4 Cup Porter Beer
- Sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil for garnish (optional)
- Heat sausages in a very large skillet with the olive oil until browned, about 7-10 minutes. The skillet will be re-used later and will need to hold all of the glorious green beans.
- While the sausages are browning, heat a large stock pot of water over high heat, covered.
- While you’re waiting for the water to boil, make an ice bath using another large stock pot. Fill with about 4 cups of ice, and fill the vessel with water until the water comes to the top of the ice. Set aside.
- When the water starts boiling, add in the green beans, and cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are bright green and still have some crunch to them. Immediately put in the ice bath to stop the cooking, tossing with a spoon to make sure everybody is chillin’ out. I like to wait until all the ice is melted. Drain, and set aside.
- When the sausages have finished cooking, remove them to a plate.
- Combine the lemon juice, orange juice, orange zest, tamari, garlic, and beer in a small bowl, and add to the skillet that contained the sausage. Reduce over medium heat, until the sauce is thick, and nearly all evaporated, about 3-5 minutes. The bubbles will appear “thick” and won’t break right away.
- Once the sausage is cool enough to handle, slice on the bias into rounds.
- Add the green beans and sausage to the skillet containing the reduced sauce, and continually toss until the green beans are coated with the sauce and green beans are just heated through.
- Divide among four plates, and garnish with sesame seeds and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
I am just loving the addition of porter here.. I have to try the recipe out for these delicious beans!