Asian Green Beans

Cook the green beans in a pot of boiling salted water until JUST crisp-tender (about 3 minutes) plunge into an ice water bath to cool completely.

Drain well and pat the beans dry using paper towels.
NOTE: You can store the beans in a paper towel lined Ziploc bag, and assemble the dish the following day. Frozen green beans don’t work as well as fresh green beans.

Heat sesame oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat; add in garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir-fry the garlic mixture for 1 minute. NOTE: I keep a jar of Chili Garlic sauce on hand, and add about 1 Tablespoon of this, along with the soy sauce mixture. It kicks up the heat a bit.

Add in beans and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.

Add in soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and black pepper; cook until the sauce reduces slightly and coats the beans (about 1-1/2-2 minutes longer).

If you want a thick sauce mix a small amount of cornstarch (make sure to first mix it with a small amount of cold water and add the mixture towards the end of the stir-fry process).

Add in the almonds or sesame seeds; toss to coat and transfer to a bowl.