Stir-fried Green Beans with Almonds

My mother is half Chinese and half Portuguese...she advocates cooking anything and everything in a wok. Watching her cook is what lead to me stir-frying all sorts of vegetables with various sauces--each stir-fry comes out differently because I make sauces from scratch and usually without a recipe (and then I subsequently wish I had measured everything out beforehand so that I could replicate it)...but here is an excellent recipe for one of my favorite side dishes!

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound green beans (wash them and cut the tips on both ends)
* 1 Tbsp. butter
* 2 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1 tsp. minced garlic
* 1 tsp. soy sauce
* 1/4 cup slivered almonds
* salt & pepper (to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

* Blanch (flash boil) the green beans and drain (blanching vegetables preserves texture, color and flavor).
* In a wok or skillet, heat butter, oil, garlice and soy sauce.
* Stir fry the green beans until tender (but be careful not to overcook!)
* Add salt, pepper and almonds and mix.