READY IN 20: EASY CHINESE TAKE OUT STYLE ROASTED GREEN BEANS AND SHRIMP

I was first introduced to the gluttonous magic that is Panda Express in college. I know, I was so late to the orange chicken party. Needless to say, whatever addictive additive they put in their food had me hooked. Panda Express is what I crave more than any other fast food, with the exception of Five Guys. Before I realized that their two-entree meal could comfortably serve a family of four, I loved to treat myself to a hefty orange chicken, beef and broccoli, and chow mein combo. Such wonderful, glorious carb overload!

Now that I'm older, my body can't quite handle that epic meal so I had to figure out a way to satiate my fast food Chinese take out craving at home. My first foray into beef and broccoli was such a fail that I couldn't even sit at the table while Warren tried to choke it down. But then, praise be, I found Iowa Girl Eats. And her beef and broccoli recipe is pretty spot on and terrifically simple. 

To accompany the beef, I wanted to try and replicate one of my favorite take out dishes--green beans and shrimp. Since I'm terrible at stirfrying everything, I went for my favorite veggie prep method: roasting. This meal takes about 20 minutes. Serve on a bed of steamed white rice and you will be one happy camper. Unless you don't like seafood. Then I would highly recommend making beef and broccoli by Iowa Girl Eats.  Or just omit the shrimp to have a lovely Asian-inspired veggie side dish. Regardless, this meal is a total win.

Looking for more quick meals? Check out other recipes in the Ready in 20 series such as Thai Turkey Burgers with Mango Sauce and Avocado or The Anti-Winter Avocado Mango Chicken Salad. 

CHINESE TAKE OUT STYLE ROASTED GREEN BEANS AND SHRIMP

• 1 pound fresh green beans, poky ends snapped off
• 6-8 oz. frozen cooked shrimp (large), thawed in warm water
• 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• sesame seeds for garnish

Preheat oven to 425. Dump green beans on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with vegetable oil and grind pepper over the beans. Stir with a wooden spoon to make sure all the beans are covered. Roast for 10-15 minutes. Add thawed shrimp and roast for 5 minutes more. Drizzle pan with sesame oil and fish sauce and toss to incorporate. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over steamed rice. Easy peasy. Bonus: This is a totally satisfying gluten-free meal and won't leave you with post-Panda Express lethargy. Win!

A note on fish sauce: yes, it smells disgusting but it doesn't taste fishy once it's in a dish. It has that umami thing going on that makes this dish sing. You can easily find Thai Kitchen brand fish sauce in pretty much any market. It's kind of a weird thing to have on hand but if you want to explore more Asian-style cooking, it's a great ingredient to have on hand. 

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