Spiiiicy Green Beans

I think I've been craving these green beans since December...when I had a similar version at the Chinese restaurant in the mall food court. These ones, however, don't have MSG and don't sit under heat lamps for any period of time. My mouth is watering now, just thinking about them...mmm, yum! The beans stay fresh and keep some of their crunch. There is nothing worse than a floppy green bean, am I right? I'm a medium heat kind of girl, but the spice level is super easy to control if you like more or less. Make these in 10 minutes and then watch them disappear even faster. I ate an impressive amount all by myself.

 Spicy Green Beans

1 lb. French green beans, washed and trimmed
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 pat butter
1 tsp. garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ginger, grated (I used frozen Pop Herbs)
1 pinch red pepper flakes
salt & black pepper
1/4 cup ginger teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp. sesame seeds

1. Heat sesame oil and butter in a large pan on med-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and sautee for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add green beans to the pan. Sautee until beans begin to develop dark colour (and flavour!), about 5 minutes. Place a lid over the pan during this step to help the beans steam and become more tender.

3. Season beans with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

4. When beans are fork tender, add the sauce and stir to coat evenly. Remove from heat promptly as the sauce will burn really quickly. (I think any sauce with Asian flavours would work in this step - use what you've got!)

5. Transfer beans to serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Enjoy!