Recipe: Green Beans with Sesame Seeds (Saya-ingen no Goma ae)

From “Japanese Cuisine for Everyone” by Yukiko Moriyama
Presented August 21, 2010 during the "Japanese Cooking with Terry and Mike" Cooking Demo

Salad Ingredients: 

½ lb. green beans, washed and trimmed
4 C. boiling water
2 tsp. salt

Sesame Dressing Ingredients:

4 T. black or white sesame seeds (preferably black sesame seeds)
2 T. sugar
1 T. soy sauce (preferably light soy sauce)

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan boil 4 C. water with 2 Tsp. salt, add beans and cook over high heat until done. Beans should retain color and still be crisp.  Rinse beans under cold running water immediately.  Drain and cut each bean into 2 or 3 diagonal pieces.  Set aside.  In skillet, toast the sesame seeds over moderate heat.
2. Grind seeds using mortar and pestle.  This brings out the aroma and flavor of the sesame seeds.  Add sugar and soy sauce and mix well.
3. Add the beans and toss lightly.  Serve in 4 small bowls.