It’s that time of the year when the warmth of the kitchen fills the house with smells of the holiday season! One of the most difficult and most enjoyable tasks is preparing to serve that perfect Thanksgiving meal to your entire family. What a feat it is to have everything presented beautifully, come out warm, and taste absolutely delicious! However, as most of us seasoned cooks know, that unfortunately is not always the case. This is why I try to make all of my Thanksgiving side dishes as easy as possible to put together and to serve deliciously hot!

Of course we know that the Chinese do not celebrate Thanksgiving. There are however many versions of recipes for a Chinese dressed turkey as well as Peking duck and other fowl. What I love to add to my Thanksgiving meal to give it both a traditional feel and add a bit of variety are various ethnic side dishes. One of my favorite Chinese side dishes is stir fried green beans with almonds. This dish is super easy to make, looks inviting, and tastes delicious!


1 pkg frozen green beans
1/3 cup of slivered almonds
2 tbsp sesame oil
½ tsp pre chopped garlic
½ tsp ground ginger

1. Microwave the green beans on high for about 8 minutes or until completely defrosted.


2. Toast the almond slivers by cooking them on high in a non stick pan without any oil. Toss them consistently until they are slightly brown. You can do this either by moving the pan around slightly so that the almonds seem to “jump,” or you can use a spatula to flip them.


3. Once the almonds are toasted, take them off the burner and add 2 tbsp sesame oil and the chopped garlic. Return to heat and cook for about 2 minutes.


4. Stir in the green beans and the ground ginger and cook on high for about 10 minutes.


5. Serve as a side dish. Makes about 4 servings.

This is both a delicious and wonderfully presented side dish to accompany any Thanksgiving dinner. I love serving this dish among oyster stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and spinach. It gives the meal an ethnic taste, as well as adds variety to the side items. This dish is a quick and easy side that can be made the night before, refrigerated, and then heated in the microwave at the time the meal is served. I hope it adds flavor to your table this Thanksgiving! Enjoy!