Thursday, July 9, 2009

Green Beans with Sesame-Miso Sauce


From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Farmers, gardeners and CSA shareholders know that when a crop comes in there's no stopping it. That's fine when it's something the family loves, but more difficult when it's a hard sell vegetable. My crew doesn't hate green beans but they don't appear on any of their last meal requests either. To not serve them isn't an option and I've learned the problem can be partially solved by varying the way they are cooked and presented. Green beans are rarely cooked to crisp tender perfection. Overcoming the tendency to over or under cook them nearly solves the problem, but it's also necessary to vary the way in which they're served if you want to prevent palate fatigue. It's possible to sauce beans in a healthy fashion that appeals to the eyes as well as a tired palate. The recipe for green beans with sesame-miso sauce comes from Hiorhiko Awano who is the chef at Kirakutei Restaurant in Paris, France. It costs pennies to serve and it's very easy to make. I love to serve this dish for buffets, potlucks and picnics. It holds up well and contains no mayonnaise, so it can sit without causing harm to it or you. Here's the recipe.

Green Beans with Sesame-Miso Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 pound green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup white miso
2 tablespoons ponzu sauce (see cook;s notes)
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds + seeds to garnish
1 teaspoon dark Asian sesame oil
3 tablespoons mirin or cooking sake

Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add beans and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until beans are crisp but tender. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking and set color. Drain when cooled.
2) Place rice vinegar, miso, ponzu sauce, ginger, sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil and mirin in the jar of an electric blender; process until smooth.
3) Transfer beans to a mixing bowl. Drizzle with sauce; toss gently and taste for seasoning. Drain again. Mound beans in a bowl or on a platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve at room temperature. Yield: 4 servings.

Recipe adapted from The Ethnic Paris Cookbook.

Cook's Notes: Ponzu sauce is usually available in the Asian food section of large grocery stores. If you cannot find it, use 1 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon lemon juice as an emergency replacement.

33 comments :

Anne Fannie said...

yum!

Nina said...

This is "one perfect bite" indeed!
Super!

La Bella Cooks said...

My husband is one of those that actually requests green beans so I know this one would be a big hit with him. What a tasty recipe!

Pam said...

I am always looking for new ways to cook green beans. This sauce looks terrific.

Unknown said...

Just lovely! I can cope with raw or lightly cooked beans when I am robust! They squeak!
For comfort food they need a good cooking! And your dish is just so yum!

Taste of My Life said...

Looks Yummy and with Sesame seeds must be smell nice!

Martha said...

We love green beans but it is always nice to find a new recipe.

Donna-FFW said...

Mary- We must be on the same wavelength today. however, yoyur beans look better than mine. I'll try them this way next time. Love the ginger addition.

Laura said...

I've got a ton of fresh green beans from the garden I need to use. Will definitely be trying this one. Thanks!

Claudia said...

;tis the season for green beans and these certainly beckon! Gorgeous recipe.

My Little Space said...

What a lovely dish and very healthy too!

Heather S-G said...

This is simply delicious...I could go for some right now :D

Creative Classroom Core said...

Great photo! Some really tasty sounding beans!

Anonymous said...

What a delightful blog and I was tickled to have you visit mine. I can't wait to try the shrimp toast...soon! Have a happy and magical day. ~ Lynn

Ann said...

Lovely, simple adn yet a very healthy recipe:) love that picture.

theUngourmet said...

I have green beans growing in my garden this year. I would love to use them for your recipe. It sounds wonderful!

noble pig said...

Miso and beans, what a concept!

NKP said...

Blanching does seem to make all the difference in green beans.
I love your Asian recipe with the beans, they really do have an affinity for sesame.

Julia said...

Luckily my kids eat green beans well when steamed properly. I think you are so right when you say they are under/over cooked too often. I will have to try this sauce on them next time. We eat green beans weekly so it wont be a stretch! Thanks.

Puna said...

With all due respect...ponzu should have vinegar on it. I'm a ponzu sauce snob. Those green beans look yummy though.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Puna...with all due respect adding vinegar to soy sauce or a mixture of soy and lemon will not make Ponzu sauce either. This was not a recipe for Ponzu sauce. It is a quick substitute to bring the salty taste of soy and the citrus taste of lemon to the recipe. Please read more carefully.

Marina Capano said...

so Yummy!!

Lyndas recipe box said...

My family loves green beans fixed several different ways, that way we don't tire of them- this sounds delicious, Mary!

Cathy said...

Great timing. I just bought a big bag of green beans and was thinking about trying something new. Love the Asian flavors with the beans.

chow and chatter said...

this looks awesome always good to learn new recipes LOL

Susan said...

Oh Mary I love this combination. I think the sesame seeds add a little something special to the recipe. MMMMM... I have to try this.

Anonymous said...

These green beans look so good. I usually steam mine but I will try this recipe. I do love green beans. Thanks ♥ I hope you have a nice evening.

Deb in Hawaii said...

I adore ponzu sauce--this looks amazing!

Olga said...

that looks like a perfect side to go with so many things!

Anonymous said...

This dish is so simple and tasty. Very good way of incorporating some more green vegetables into the diet. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

Lori said...

Palate fatigue- ha, I love it.

My Aunt used to make green beans with crackers and butter. OMG what a treat those were.

I make mine with olive oil, garlic powder and sometimes if I am feeling like it, some balsamic. OH YEAH.

Can you tell green beans are not a hard sell for me?

Sara Chapman said...

A fascinating recipe. I have lots and lots of flat peas that I need to use up and think I will try this one.

sara said...

oh, excellent. Now I know how I can use up the rest of the white miso paste I bought for the first time ever last week. Though now I have to buy ponzu sauce - the cycle never ends! :)

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