Spicy Szechuan Green Beans

½ lb trimmed fresh green beans
1 shallot, finely diced
2 small Serrano peppers, finely sliced
2 tbs canola oil
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs Szechuan sauce
fresh ground pepper
kosher salt
Place a large pot of water high heat. When water comes to a boil, blanch beans by adding to water and cooking just until water comes back up to a boil. Drain immediately. This step preserves, and even brightens, the colour of the vegetables.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large wok set over medium high heat. Into hot oil, add shallot and peppers. Sautee lightly, then add beans and toss until heated through. Add soy and Szechuan sauces. Toss to coat beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to dishes and serve immediately. Makes an excellent appetizer served on it’s own, or as a side dish to a main course.

Where to find it: Not all soy sauces are created equal. Real soy sauce is brewed. Buyers beware, imitation soy sauce will have some version of “hydrolyzed soy protein” on the label. Put that one back and look for one that claims to be “naturally brewed”. Both supermarkets and Asian markets often carry both, so always inspect the label.