1 pound whole green beans

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

Red-pepper flakes

1 teaspoon sugar

  Steam the beans for 5 minutes, or until bright green and partially cooked. Drain well. Warm the oil in a large no-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the beans, soy sauce, black pepper to taste, red-pepper flakes to taste and sugar. Toss until the beans are well-coated. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the beans are tender.  Preparation and cooking time: 20 minutes.