Rachel Ray's Sesame Green Beans

Rachel Ray's Toasted Sesame Green Beans
Originally uploaded by lools.

People say that they don't entertain or prepare foods that much at home in Manhattan because there are a myriad restaurant options. But that doesn't explain why we have so many gourmet food stores popping up at the corner of every block in the city! So many such establishments exist that we now have a Zagat guide to help us navigate our way through local markets including bakers, caterers, florists and wine shops - it's called the 2005 New York City Gourmet Marketplace Survey.

You can read more about Zagat's Marketplace Survey here.

My gourmet shopping experience this weekend was actually online at freshdirect.com. I ordered plently of groceries, vegetables and fruits from the comfort of my couch on Sunday evening. They promptly arrived at my doorstep at the appointed hour on Monday evening! I was very impressed with the website's simple design and ease of use.

The fresh greens that arrived looked so succulent that I wanted to make something right away. I turned to my favourite chef, Rachel Ray, for inspiration. Luckily I chanced upon an interesting recipe for Sesame Green Beans in the Chinese and Thai section of Rachel's new book - Veggie Meals. I was especially delighted that I could use my leftover toasted sesame seeds from when I had made fig jam!

Use 1 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed, 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil, juice of 1 orange, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, course salt to taste and soy sauce for the table.

The recipe is very straightforward - steam the beans and then toss in the wok and stir-fry in the oil for a few minutes. Squeeze the orange juice evenly over the beans, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and season with salt to taste. You can drizzle the beans with soy sauce if your tastebuds are craving more sodium :)

Serve over a bed of jasmine rice or as a side-dish.

Serves 2 as an entree or 4 as a side.

Bon appetit!