Reviewed: Aug. 5, 2009

This is a good, fairly standard okazu recipe, adapted for the American kitchen. The sugar/soy sauce ratio is a little off, but I fixed that when I made it my substituting 1 tbsp of mirin rather than using sugar. I generally use a 3:1 soy to sugar/mirin ratio for okazu. I also generally add minced garlic and ginger (about 1 tbsp each).

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CNAKAO

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Reviewed: Feb. 11, 2009

My teen and pre-teen both LOVED this! I followed a couple of reviewers suggestions by adding a Tbsp of minced garlic to the ground beef, around a half tsp of crushed red pepper, and a few dashes of onion powder for a bit more flavor. I also used reduced sodium soy sauce and served this over sticky (sushi) rice. We will definitely have this again. Excellent! Thanks so much for sharing.

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LADIELUVLEE

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Reviewed: Oct. 14, 2008

This is a great recipe and easy to prepare. Because I am diabetic, I used 2 packets of Splenda instead of the sugar. I have also added tofu cut into cubes for a variation. Also, broccoli or asparagus can be used instead of beans.

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SASSYCHEFPATTI

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Reviewed: Jul. 7, 2008

It doesn't taste as authentic. I would use half soy sauce and half fish sauce. This will give it more depth.

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JANETVONG

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: May 15, 2008

I liked this recipe. I did add some sweet yellow onions cut into straws. They added a nice flavor. I also boiled my green beans in beef broth using a bouillon cube; which added some earthiness. Thank you for this nice recipe.

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Alta

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Independence, Missouri, USA

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Reviewed: Apr. 15, 2008

This is one of the first recipes I added to my recipe box back in 2002, and I finally made it tonight! I added half a sliced onion, half a pound sliced mushrooms, 3 sliced carrots because I needed to use them all up. I also subbed frozen green beans and 1 1/4 pounds extra lean ground turkey. Because of my additions, I made 1 1/2 times the amount of sauce. We really liked it! Yes, it is kind of sweet, but I expected it to be and was pleasantly surprised by the sauce, which I thickened with corn starch. It isn't company fare and certainly not authentic Japanese food, but still nice. My boyfriend wanted it spicier so put Sriracha hot sauce on his. I'm sure I'll make this a lot in the future because it's healthy, easy and tastes good! It's a good recipe to add pretty much whatever extra vegetables you have to.

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Shiloh

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

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Reviewed: Feb. 9, 2008

Good and easy, used 1/2 the sugar and got the same results, I also added sauteed onion (1 medium) to boost the flavor, greatttt taste!!!

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Kim S.

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Reviewed: Feb. 1, 2008

My family loves this recipe! And on evenings when I am really in a hurry I substitute frozen or even canned green beans for a super fast dish! It's such a joy to find recipes all three of my children like...

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Elaine H.

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Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2008

this was okay. the sauce wasn't thick enough though. i think the other reviews offered some good ideas to add some other ingredients into the mix. i'm thinking it may taste better as 'leftovers' - tbd.

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jo jo

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Columbus, Ohio, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 6, 2008

This was delicious! I boiled fresh green beans for 10 min before adding it to browned ground turkey. I still added the cup of water since I thought there would not be enough sauce to coat everything while in the pot. I ended up with more than enough sauce and drained more than half of it - I would save it if I could!

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candiminess

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Reviewed: Jan. 2, 2008

I love it, but it's a little too sweet and strong flavored for my husband and kids.

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ROWAN12

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Reviewed: Nov. 21, 2007

Good. I forgot to add sugar, and I used ground turkey instead of beef.

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ph2072

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Reviewed: Nov. 10, 2007

I skipped the sugar and instead added 1 cup chopped onions, 4 cloves of garlic and about 2 tsp of sesame oil. This recipe is super easy and you can add or subtract ingredients to taste.

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SNOWDRAGON

Cooking Level: Beginning

Living In: Chicago, Illinois, USA

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Reviewed: Aug. 29, 2007

I used frozen beans. It was way too sweet, so I tried to compensate with soy sauce and sherry which produced inedible results. If you try this, start with half the sugar and add more if needed.

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Angela Y.

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Reviewed: May 11, 2007

This is fantastic and South Beach Diet friendly if you substitute Splenda (I use 1/8 c splenda blend), light soy sauce, and brown rice.

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javamonkey

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Kennewick, Washington, USA

Living In: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

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Reviewed: Apr. 12, 2007

The kids liked it. They told me to rate it 4 stars because it was good, but they still aren't fond of green beans

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summer

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Orem, Utah, USA

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Reviewed: Apr. 2, 2007

I substituted diced chicken breasts for beef. I doubled the recipe but only used half the sugar. I added sliced red pepper, garlic, green onion and thickened with corn starch. Served with basmati rice. I will definately make this again. The family loved it.

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Sherry Silveira

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Smithers, British Columbia, Canada

Living In: Grants Pass, Oregon, USA

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Reviewed: Mar. 21, 2007

It was tasty but fairly bland - I thickened the sauce, but would have liked more of it. It was definitely a great way to get everyone to eat a large portion of veggies!

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HARDROFF

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Reviewed: Mar. 2, 2007

Love this recipe. It is easy to fix and uses ingredients I usually have on hand.

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JCARROLL66

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Reviewed: Jan. 29, 2007

This is a fine meal, although nothing special. I added 1 tsp each of minced garlic, oregano and basil and it was still rather bland. It may have been more flavorfull if I had served it by itself, but over mashed potatoes it really didn't taste like much. I did cut back the sugar to 1 heaping Tbsp and I didn't think it had any sweetness to it at all. It's a good way to get the veggies in though!

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