Peas

Skip the canned peas!

Canned peas are utterly horrible to eat, especially when you consider that fresh pea pods which are readily available in most supermarkets. Please, eat them fresh.

Oriental Snow Peas

1 tsp sesame oil
½ lb fresh snow pea pods
½ cup thinly sliced carrot
¼ cup water chestnuts, sliced
½ cup canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch

Heat the oil up in a non-stick skillet. Saute the snow peas and the carrots for two minutes. Add the water chestnuts and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & cover and simmer for 5 minutes until the veggies are tender.

Separately, combine the soy sauce and starch and stir until the starch dissolves. Add this to the vegetable mixture and cook until the sauce thickens up. Serve hot.

Scallops With Pea Pods

1 lb fresh scallops
1/2 lb Chinese pea pods
1/4 tsps salt
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots (or canned baby corn)
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
2 tbsps soy Sauce
Dash of pepper
2 tbsps cooking oil
2 tsps cornstarch mixed in 2 tbsps of water

Wash the scallops and pat them dry with a paper towel. Put them in a bowl and combine them with the salt & pepper and 1 Tbsp of soy sauce. Cover, refrigerate, and let marinade for 30 minutes. While they are soaking go ahead and remove the string from the pea pods.

Heat up 2 Tbsp cooking oil in a skillet or wok. Add the garlic and stir fry it for 10 seconds or so. Add the scallops and stir fry them for 3 minutes or until white. Add the peas, bamboo shoots, and broth, cover and cook for two minutes.

Combine the corn starch and remaining soy sauce until the starch is dissolved. Add it to the scallops and stir until it thickejns a bit. Serve hot.