Recipe - Stir Fried Bean Sprouts

4 servings

Mung beans are small dried green beans with yellow flesh. Like all beans, they're rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus and iron, but they're mainly grown for sprouting. Mung bean sprouts have long been a familiar ingredient in many Asian dishes. Traditional Chinese medicine maintains that mung beans have a "heat-clearing, toxin-resolving" effect that eases conditions such as diarrhea and painful swelling.

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh mung bean sprouts
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 scallions, split lengthwise and cut into 1-inch strips
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh gingerroot
1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
Salt to taste
Red pepper flakes, natural soy sauce or rice vinegar

Instructions:

1. Wash, drain and dry the bean sprouts in a kitchen towel or paper towels.

2. Heat the canola oil in a wok or skillet; add the scallions and ginger, and stir-fry over high heat for a few seconds. Then add the bean sprouts and stir-fry for 1 minute. Do not overcook; sprouts should remain crunchy but lose their raw bean taste.

3. Add the brown sugar and salt to taste. Mix well and serve. Add pinches of red pepper flakes or dashes of natural soy sauce and rice vinegar for additional flavor.

Nutritional Information:

Per serving:
70 calories
4 g total fat (0 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
8 g carbohydrate
4 g protein
2 g fiber
250 mg sodium