Sauteed Green Beans with Ginger and Sesame

By norsegal8

This recipe yields crisp-tender beans. If you prefer a slightly more tender texture (or you are using large, tough beans), increase the water by a tablespoon and increase the covered cooking time by 1 minute. To serve 6, increase all of the ingredients by half and increase the covered cooking time by 1 to 2 minutes. Do not attempt to cook more than 11/2 pounds of green beans with this method.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic paste
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound green beans, stem ends snapped off, beans cut into 2-inch pieces
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Step 1

Combine sesame oil, ginger, and chili-garlic paste in small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Add beans, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add water, cover, and cook until beans are bright green and still crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat to high, and cook until water evaporates, 30 to 60 seconds. Add sesame oil mixture and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until beans are crisp-tender, lightly browned, and beginning to wrinkle, 1 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer beans to serving bowl, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.