Sweet Simmered Chicken and Vegetables

Here's the second recipe I tried from Let's Cook Japanese Food!

1/2 cup trimmed, cut-up green beans (2-inch pieces)
5 tablespoons mirin
5 tablespoons sake
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 lb ground chicken
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps quartered
1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots
1 carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick half-moons
1 parsnip, peeled, halved lengthwise, and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick half-moons
Salt

Bring a small saucepan filled with water to a boil, add the green beans, and blanch for 1 minute. Drain into a sieve and immediately hold under running cold water to halt the cooking. Place near the stove. In a small bowl, stir together the mirin, sake, soy sauce, and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Place the bowl near the stove.

In a large frying pan, heat the canola and sesame oils over medium-high heat. hen they are hot, swirl to coat the bottom and sides of the pan and add the chicken, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook, stirring, until half cooked, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, carrot and parsnip and cook, stirring until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables have started to soften, 5-7 minutes. Add the mirin texture, mix well, and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes longer.

Season to taste with salt, add the green beans, stir to mix, and heat through. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and serve.

Serves 2.