I’ve started thinking in really, really short-term goals. If the baby doesn’t need to be held for the next minute, I can eat breakfast. (Granola bars, my friends, are one-minute meals.) If he doesn’t need me for three minutes, I can take a bathroom break.

And if he plays happily in his pram for 10 minutes? I can make these sesame green beans. The truth is that you don’t even need 10 minutes, since much of that is cooking time.

Although it might not sound like it, he’s actually a really easy baby, this little guy of ours. I consider myself very lucky, given the horror stories people love to tell. (“Mine screamed for the first nine months straight!” “My baby didn’t let me put her down for the first year!”) But still, a baby is a baby. It isn’t his fault that he can’t feed himself or change his own diapers.

So I love that these beans are very low-maintenance. They’re also incredibly tasty — just a tablespoon each of sesame oil and soy sauce impart a wonderful flavor that will have you reaching for a second helping almost as soon as you take your first bite.

But it isn’t only about ease and great flavor. Sesame green beans also have another of my favorite food qualities: versatility.

I think I’ve used them to round out six of the last 10 Shabbos meals I’ve served. What goes with quinoa, sesame-crusted tofu, and a kugel? Sesame green beans. What goes with tomato quiche, beet salad, and roasted sweet potatoes? Sesame green beans.

Basically, the only thing that doesn’t go with green beans is Pesach. You still have 18 days, though. Go!

Sesame green beans
Yield: 2-3 servings

Ingredients

2 cups (½ lb/265 grams) frozen green beans
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
½ Tbsp sesame seeds

Directions

1. Spread beans out in a dry, 10-inch nonstick skillet. Cover and cook over low heat for 7 minutes, stirring halfway through with a pair of tongs to prevent burning.

2. Uncover. Drizzle sesame oil and soy sauce over the beans; sprinkle sesame seeds over the top. Stir and cook 2-3 more minutes, stirring a few times throughout. Transfer beans to a serving plate and wipe the pan dry for the next batch, if you’re multiplying the recipe. Serve hot or room temp, or snack on them cold.