Thai Style Green Beans

Over the weekend I hosted lunch on Sunday with my family. It wasn't until the middle of preparing the food that I realized that I hadn't thought of any small dishes. Starting to panic,  I grabbed the nearest mixing bowl and attempted to think of a fun (and quick!) recipe that was enjoyable. My family loves Thai food, so why not? The result was this delicious, flavorful and super healthy side dish that got absolutely devoured at lunch on Sunday.

Thai Style Green Beans, makes 5-6 servings (as a side dish). 

3-4 lbs fresh green beans

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon honey

1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoon oil (I used canola)

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

3 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

1/3 cup cilantro

First rinse and chop off the ends of the green beans. This is optional, as it's kind of a preference thing. You can leave the ends on if you like. Just make sure to remove any stems that might still be attached to your fresh green beans.

Blanche the beans in boiling salted water for 4-6 minutes. I like my green beans a little more cooked than the average, so feel free to blanche for only 2-3 minutes if you want to really preserve that green bean crunch. After blanching I strain my beans and allow them to just sit in the colander for few minutes while I prep other things. This will continue the cooking process. If you want to stop the cooking process then plunge your cooked green beans into a bowl of ice water.

Next peel and mince the garlic and ginger. In a small bowl or cup stir together the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and peanut butter. Set aside. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the ginger and garlic until very fragrant but not browned, 2 minutes. Add the green beans and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Pour the sauce (the soy, peanut butter mix) over the green beans and toss to coat. 

Remove from heat and garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Serve warm. Enjoy! 

xoxo,

Joanna