Recipe video above. My latest "wow-factor" green bean side dish invention which is quick, easy and a make-ahead dream. Blanched beans smothered in a pillowy tahini yogurt sauce piled high with a mountain of parmesan panko breadcrumbs - hence the name!The sauce acts like a glue so you get a stack of crunchy parmesan panko in every-single-bite. Supposed to be a vegetable side dish but I snack on these like fries!!
Toss blanched beans with oil, salt and pepper. Whisk Tahini ingredients, microwave 20 seconds, whisk again. Toast Panko mix on stove. Assemble - beans, sauce then panko. Attack!
Full directions:
Cook beans - Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add beans, let it come back to the boil, cook for 2 minutes, then drain in a colander. Rinse under cold running water for 10 seconds to stop cooking (there is NO NEED to use ice!).
Season - Spread beans on a tea towel then dry with a 2nd tea towel. Transfer into bowl, toss with the oil, salt and pepper.
Panko Mountain - Mix the ingredients in a bowl. Preheat a large non-stick pan on medium high. Add the panko mixture and stir for 4 - 5 minutes until golden brown. Transfer back into the bowl then let it cool.
Whipped Tahini Yogurt - Whisk ingredients in a heat-proof bowl just to combine. Microwave for just 20 seconds on high, then whisk again for 10 seconds - it will resemble softly whipped cream. (Note 4) Use immediately or at room temperature.
Assemble - Spread green beans on plate. Pour over sauce, pile on panko. Attack!
Notes
1. Bean trimming - If you're making an effort, just trim the stem end. The pointy end doesn't need to be trimmed and I think it looks pretty to keep it attached. But trimming just one end is a pain. Easy to do both ends!2. Tahini - A paste made with sesame seeds. Usually found in the health food aisle at grocery stores. Use hulled tahini (more common), not un-hulled which is darker and more bitter. The jar label will specify whether the tahini is hulled or un-hulled.Use Chinese sesame paste as a sub if you have leftovers from another recipe I’ve shared, like this one or this one!3. Panko breadcrumbs – A Japanese breadcrumb favoured for the extra-crispy coating it gives crumbed foods. You can buy it at most big supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths) in the Asian foods section and Asian stores. Substitute with regular breadcrumbs if you can’t find it.4. No microwave? Use a bain-marie set up. Put the bowl on a saucepan filled with 1"/2.5 cm of simmering water. Then whisk - as the mixture warms up slightly, it will transform into the whipped cream texture.5. Make-ahead: Cook beans, fridge up to 24 hours. Make tahini sauce day before, panko toasted up to 2 days before. Bring everything to room temp, toss beans in oil, salt & pepper. Whisk tahini, 20 seconds in microwave, whisk again. Then assemble!Leftovers will keep for 2 days but the panko in contact with the yogurt does lose crunchiness. You can always make a big batch then reserve some of each component to assemble tomorrow. :)Nutrition per serving assuming 5 servings.