How do you cook a delicious vegetable side dish in five minutes? You use the microwave oven. Recipe for my easy chili ginger vinaigrette is included.
Cook’s notes
Five minutes? Really? No kidding. Note, however, that I used haricot verts. Haricot verts cook faster than regular green beans because they are thinner. Prep time is shorter too because there is no need to snip of the ends and string the sides of each pod.
The bowl was wrapped with cling film then I used a pointed knife to pierce the wrap to create steam vents. Without the cling film, the haricot verts and mushrooms would have lost too much moisture. The bowl went into the microwave and cooked on medium-high for exactly five minutes.
How do I know this? Because I cooked a second batch of the dish in a steamer. I did it just out of curiosity. I was cooking rice for dinner and, with 20 minutes left, I placed salted haricot verts and mushrooms in a heat-proof bowl, dropped the bowl into the steamer basket of the rice cooker then shut the cooker’s lid close. By the time the rice was done, so were the beans and mushrooms. I drizzled the same vinaigrette over the steamed beans and shimeji.
Don’t own a rice cooker? A regular steamer will do. Cook time for the green beans and mushrooms is 20 minutes.
Note: using regular green beans and larger mushrooms will require a longer cooking time whether you use the microwave or the steamer.
Truth be told, the steamed beans and mushrooms were more moist. But it did take 20 minutes to cook them. So, what’s your priority? If short on time, the microwave is the obvious choice.
There are only four ingredients in my chili ginger vinaigrette — rice vinegar, ginger sauce, chili oil (store bought or homemade) and a little sugar for balance. No salt and pepper? The haricot verts and mushrooms had already been salted, remember? And pepper would have been overkill because the chili oil and ginger sauce provide all the heat that the dish needs.
Microwave method (used in the recipe)
The haricot verts were rinsed and, while still wet, dumped into a microwave safe bowl and tossed with salt. Shimeji, with the root ends cut off, went on top of the greens and sprinkled with salt as well.
The bowl was wrapped with cling film then I used a pointed knife to pierce the wrap to create steam vents. Without the cling film, the haricot verts and mushrooms would have lost too much moisture. The bowl went into the microwave and cooked on medium-high for exactly five minutes.
Steamer method
Now, if you’re not a fan of the microwave, you may make the dish using the steamer basket of your rice cooker.
How do I know this? Because I cooked a second batch of the dish in a steamer. I did it just out of curiosity. I was cooking rice for dinner and, with 20 minutes left, I placed salted haricot verts and mushrooms in a heat-proof bowl, dropped the bowl into the steamer basket of the rice cooker then shut the cooker’s lid close. By the time the rice was done, so were the beans and mushrooms. I drizzled the same vinaigrette over the steamed beans and shimeji.
Don’t own a rice cooker? A regular steamer will do. Cook time for the green beans and mushrooms is 20 minutes.
Note: using regular green beans and larger mushrooms will require a longer cooking time whether you use the microwave or the steamer.
Which method is better?
Truth be told, the steamed beans and mushrooms were more moist. But it did take 20 minutes to cook them. So, what’s your priority? If short on time, the microwave is the obvious choice.
About the vinaigrette
What is a vinaigrette? At its most basic, it is a mixture of oil and acid. Seasonings and herbs are optional.
There are only four ingredients in my chili ginger vinaigrette — rice vinegar, ginger sauce, chili oil (store bought or homemade) and a little sugar for balance. No salt and pepper? The haricot verts and mushrooms had already been salted, remember? And pepper would have been overkill because the chili oil and ginger sauce provide all the heat that the dish needs.5-minute green beans and mushroom salad
Equipment
- Microwave oven
Ingredients
- 100 grams haricot verts (3.5 oz)
- 100 grams shimeji (3.5 oz) root ends cut off and discarded
- 1 teaspoon salt
Chili ginger vingaigrette
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ginger sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili oil with the flakes
Optional garnish
- thinly sliced scallions
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Rinse the haricot verts; do not wipe dry.
- Dump into a microwaveable bowl and toss with half a teaspoon of salt.
- Scatter the shimeji on top and sprinkle in the rest of the salt.
- Pour two tablespoons of water into the bowl (pour it along the edges so that the salt you sprinkled in do not get mixed with the water at this stage).
- Cover the bowl tightly with cling film.
- Pierce the cling film in four to five spots to create steam vents.
- Microwave the haricot verts and shimeji on medium-high for five minutes.
- While the haricot verts and shimeji are cooking, mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Take the bowl out of the microwave and carefully peel off the cling wrap.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the haricot verts and shimeji.
- Optionally, garnish with scallions and sesame seeds before serving.
Stir fried noodles, Chinese sausage and bok choy