Peas please! A recipe for an easy side dish any night of the week.

I love peas in the pod.  I have a vivid memory of going to the supermarket with my mom and being allowed to fill a plastic vegetable bag to the brim with peas in the pod.  Then, at home, my dad would sit on the couch, press the seam to open the pod, run his thumb down the inside to empty the peas into the palm of his hand and pop them in his mouth.  We kids were quick studies and dug right in with him.  Those peas didn’t last the day.  I loved those peas and those times sitting together and using my dad’s quick pea-removal method.  Nowadays, I rarely see a bin of loose peas in the pod; they are usually packaged in Styrofoam trays wrapped with plastic.  Much less appetizing than the bin of fresh peas.  So when I was in the produce section this week, I saw the snow peas, and even though they aren’t the same as the peas in the pod I ate with my dad, I couldn’t pass them up.

I promised to post the recipe for the sautéed snow peas that I paired with the cod recipe I shared yesterday.  Since I was pairing the peas with the fish, I figured I would give them an Asian flavor to match the cod dish.  So without further ado, here is the Ginger Snow Peas recipe.  Wait, a little ado: I used snow peas this time, but in the past I have made this recipe using Mann’s Stringless Sugar Snap Peas because the stringless ones save the step of having to trim the peas.  Feel free to use them interchangeably.  Okay, now without further ado…

Ginger Snow Peas

12 ounces snow peas

1 medium red pepper

2 tablespoons scallions, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon roasted peanut oil (or sesame or flavored olive oil)

olive oil cooking spray

salt and pepper to taste

Wash the snow peas and then get ready to trim.  You need to remove the string, so to do that, twist the end with the stem and pull the string down and then the other end with the little tail will come off.  If the other end doesn’t come off, you can leave it, but try to get the string out.

All washed! See the little tails on the opposite side from the stem end?

Cut the pepper into 1/2″ squares and chop your scallions.

Peppers and scallions cut and chopped – check that box!

Next, spray with olive oil cooking spray into a large pan and put it over a medium heat.  Add your teaspoon of oil and give the pan a little swirl.  The spray helps the oil to spread, letting you use less while still coating the pan.   Add the peas, peppers, scallions and grated ginger to the pan and stir occasionally until the peas turn a bright green and get soft.  Be careful not to overcook – no one likes mushy pea pods.  I use tongs to move everything around in the pan; it’s easier to flip the pods while they are still very firm.  When they are just about ready, add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.  Transfer everything into a serving bowl and add salt and pepper to taste and toss.  The final step is to pair it with Asian Cod!  Seriously, it goes well with just about every main course.  It’s even good cold.

Ginger Snow Peas

I hope you try and enjoy this easy side dish.  Let me know what you think and what you pair it with!

xo

B