Green Beans with a Sesame dressing and Spinach Rolls

Beans with goma-ae

Green beans with a sesame dressing (Ingen goma-ae)

handful (about 200g) fresh green beans, trimmed

30g sesame seeds (1 to 2 tablespoons), toasted and ground
10-20g (2 to 4 teaspoons) sugar
a little soy sauce (1/4 to ½ teaspoon)

1.       Boil, microwave or steam the beans until just cooked.

2.       Refresh under running cold water in sieve so that the cooking process is halted and the lovely green colour is retained. Set aside

3.       Mix the sesame and sugar in a small bowl. Add the soy sauce little by little to just wet the dry ingredients and make them come together. This mixture is called “goma-ae”.

4.       Toss the beans in the goma- ae or sprinkle with beans with the goma-ae. Serve heaped up in “mountain” shaped piles on plates.

Variations: goma-ae can be used with other cooked green vegetables such as cabbage and asparagus



spinach rolls

Spinach rolls handful fresh English spinach (about 200g)
To Serve:
sesame seeds, toasted
katsuo bushi (dried bonito flakes)
soy sauce

1.       Boil, microwave or steam the spinach until just cooked.
2.       Refresh under running cold water in sieve so that the cooking process is halted and the lovely green colour is retained. Drain.
3.       Place spinach on a chopping board and roughly form into a log shape. Then using a sushi rolling mat, roll it tightly to remove excess moisture. Cut log of spinach into shorter lengths.  
4.       Serve heaped up on little dishes, with sesame seeds, katsuo bushi and soy sauce as desired.
Variations: other vegetable rolls can be made the same way, eg cabbage with carrot and spinach inside.