Ponzu Green Beans with Sesame Shiitake Mushrooms

While I had a wonderful Thanksgiving spending time with family, I’m moving on to things that don’t involve being smothered in gravy or three days worth of meal prep. #THANKYOUNEXT. All that stuffing and pumpkin pie has my body craving Asian inspired flavors, and who am I to deny myself such pleasures?

My ponzu green beans with sesame shiitake mushrooms will be bridging the gap between Thanksgiving leftovers and Christmas cookie hangovers, and I couldn’t be happier about it. If you’ve never had it, ponzu sauce is a Japanese citrusy soy sauce that is bright and packed with umami flavor. I’ve used the ponzu as a steaming liquid to cook the green beans, and it adds a wonderful lemony note that pairs perfectly with the meaty, sesame oil cooked shiitakes and loads of sliced garlic.

The ingredient list for this recipe is short, and the cooking time even shorter. I dare you to not eat the whole plate.

Ponzu Green Beans with Sesame Shiitake Mushrooms

Ponzu Green Beans with Sesame Shiitake Mushrooms

Ingredients:

3 Tbs avocado oil

1 tsp toasted sesame seed oil

8 oz shiitake mushrooms, woody stems removed and halved

8 oz green beans, ends trimmed

1/4 C ponzu sauce

5 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1/2 lemon

Heat avocado oil and toasted sesame oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms to pan, stirring to coat in the oil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, letting the mushrooms rest in between with periods of no stirring, until browned and starting to crisp around the edges. Add green beans to the pan and cook for two minutes. Lower the temperature to medium low and pour ponzu sauce over green beans and mushrooms and cover the pan. Steam for 3 minutes, remove the lid, and add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until softened. Squeeze lemon over the top and serve immediately.