Sylvia’s Green Beans with Sesame Dressing

Another very easy recipe inspired by Japanese home cooking to accompany my Japanese Simmered Beef with Potatoes and Peas. Seasonal vegetables served simply are appetising additions to any meal. This dish dressed with ground sesame seeds has its roots in classic Buddhist vegan cooking also known as Shojin Ryori Japanese monastic cuisine. Green beans, spinach or other leafy green vegetables go deliciously well with this sesame dressing and the edamame add a pop of texture. Complete the meal and dining experience by adding this delicious Miso Soup with Silken Tofu. Taste and experiment with different nutritious green vegetables and enjoy the simplicity of this classic dish. Sylvia xx

METHOD

• Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a dry frypan.
• In a bowl large enough to take the beans and edamame, combine the light soy sauce and mirin.
• Whilst still warm, grind about 1/3 of the toasted sesame seeds with a mortar and pestle to obtain a coarse dry ‘paste’. Mix this paste into the soy sauce and mirin mixture with 1/3 of the toasted sesame seeds. Use the remaining 1/3 of toasted sesame seeds for garnish.
• Blanch the beans and edamame, if using, in salted boiling water until just just tender but still with a nice bite to them. Drain well. Cool a little or quickly refresh under cold water.
• Add the vegetables to the dressing in the bowl and mix well.
• Place into a serving dish and garnish with the remaining toasted sesame seeds, just like the photo above.

Enjoy! Sylvia xx

Mirin is sweetened rice wine available in larger supermarkets or Asian grocers.
Edamame (young soy beans), in the pod or podded, are available frozen from larger supermarkets (hiding in the frozen peas and vegetable section) or from Asian grocers.

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