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Dinner Tonight: Green Peas and Sugar Snap Peas in Sesame Dressing

Posted by Nick Kindelsperger, July 6, 2009 at 4:30 PM

As I mentioned last Wednesday, I'm between apartments at the moment and am basically subsisting on Asian condiments and bags of frozen vegetables. This recipe, adapted from Epicurious, fits exactly into that framework. The sauce is made from standard Asian condiments I have in the fridge, and the peas come straight from the freezer. All I had to buy was some fresh sugar snap peas. Altogether, it's a perfect side for the soy-poached chicken I had earlier this week.

The original recipe was meant to celebrate fresh peas in all their spring glory. I'm sure they taste better fresh from the farm. But for a straight-from-the-freezer side, it's hard to get much simpler. Just toss both of these in boiling water for 30 seconds or so, dunk in an ice bath, and then dry and mix with the dressing. Obviously, the dressing pulls a lot of weight here. And it's a delicious combination of sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar.

Green Peas and Sugar Snap Peas in Sesame Dressing

- serves 3 to 4 -

Ingredients

3 cups green peas (freshly shelled or frozen)
12 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Procedure

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. If you are using fresh peas, toss them in and cook them for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the sugar snap peas and cook for 30 seconds more. If you are using frozen peas, then add both to the pot and cook for 30 seconds. Remove them and drain in a colander. Run cold water over them to stop the cooking. Let drain in a colander and then dry with some paper towels.

2. Whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and pepper.

3. Toss the peas with the dressing and serve at room temperature.

About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a Chicago-based freelance writer and a cofounder of The Paupered Chef.

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Tags: Asian, green peas, peas, quick, sesame dressing, sugar snap peas, vegetables, vegetarian

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