Stir-Fried Green Beans with Lemon, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh green beans, preferably thin French green beans
• 1 1/2 T olive oil
• 2 cloves whole garlic
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 T freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted in hot pan 1-2 minutes

Directions

1. Trim the green beans. An easy way is to hold a small bunch upright on the cutting board so the ends are even, slice off one side, then flip the bunch and do the same on the other side.
2. Cut the beans into pieces about 2 inches long.
3. Place the beans in a glass bowl, cover with saran wrap or cling film, and microwave on high for 2 minutes.
4. As the beans cook, zest the lemon and squeeze out the juice. You will have more juice than you need, so save the extra in the freezer for another day.
5. Put the pine nuts in a dry pan over high heat and toast them for 1-2 minutes, just until they are beginning to color. Transfer them out of the pan and set them aside.
6. Warm the oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat.
7. Add the garlic cloves and stir-fry them for about 1 minute to flavor the oil. Do not let the garlic brown, or it can turn bitter.
8. Take out the garlic and throw it away.
9. Add the green beans and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until they are just starting to pick up a little browning while still staying lightly crisp.
10. Reduce the heat, pour the lemon juice over the beans, and toss them a few times in the pan.
11. Turn off the heat, scatter the lemon zest and Parmesan over the beans, and toss once more.
12. Move the beans to a serving plate, top with the toasted pine nuts, and serve right away.