Scrumptious Saturday string beans & coconut ginger skillet rice

Thailand withdrawals are real and I've been seriously craving pad kra prow for days now, but I have yet to get my hand on some Thai basil. It was my first Saturday to myself since I've been back in LA. Of course I planned it around picking up some local produce and cooking up a storm. After a Silver Lake farmers market fail, I decided that I would just make due with the ingredients I had at home (mostly from my Mexican market and Imperfect Produce) for a mean green bean stir fry.  And because I had quite an assortment of ingredients, I pulled together quite an eclectic array of dishes for an afternoon delight.

The rice is inspired from a ginger purple rice I had while staying at Anantara Golden Triangle. It was on the New Years Eve buffet line next to all the Thai barbecue pork belly, chicken, and more meats. I reached for the rice first.

I must say that my green beans came out way more scrumptious than I anticipated. My ground chicken thigh marinade is on point. However, I was still missing Thai basil, fish sauce, and birdeye chilis. But let me tell ya, a little bit of Cajun spice goes a long way. 

Scrumptious Saturday string beans 

1 lb string beans, trimmed and chopped <1" 

1/2 lb ground chicken, marinated*

1 bell pepper, chopped 

1 small red onion, chopped

1" knob ginger, slivered 

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp rice wine 

2 tbsp peanut oil

1 tbsp oyster sauce 

1/2 tsp Cajun spice 

*ground chicken marinade: 

2 tbsp rice wine

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp worcestershire sauce 

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp black pepper

1. In a deep skillet, heat oil and sear ground chicken as a patty on high heat. Once browned on both sides, break up into pieces.

2. Add wine to deglaze pan. Add onions, garlic, and ginger  and brown. 

3. Incorporate string beans and bell pepper. Stir fry for 3-5 min or until cooked. 

4. Mix in oyster sauce and Cajun spice. 

Coconut ginger skillet rice

2 cups leftover brown rice

1 cup carrots, shredded 

1/4 cup coconut flakes 

1" knob ginger, minced

1 tbsp peanut oil 

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1/4 tsp salt 

1. Heat oil in skillet on high heat. Add ginger and sesame. Once browned, add carrots and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. 

2. Mix in rice and salt. Stir fry for another 5 minutes or until crispy.

3. Turn heat down to medium low and add coconut flakes. Slowly stir fry until coconut flakes start toasting. Remove from heat and serve.