Sunday, June 20, 2010

Sugar Snap Peas with Fresh Mint Oil



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of my favorite summer dishes. Sugar snap peas are a cross between snow and English peas and they are one of the easiest of vegetables to prepare. They are crisp and sweet and, unlike the English pea, even the pod is edible. It is, however, advisable to remove the strings from both sides of the peas before cooking. This is done by removing the tip of the pea, pinching the string between your fingers and pulling downward towards the opposite end. I love to make this version of snap peas when I grill lamb chops. The mint oil that is made to dress the peas can also be used as a marinade for lamb chops, assuring that nothing goes to waste. This is a five ingredient recipe that is sophisticated in its simplicity. The peas can be served hot or cold. I usually make them ahead of time and serve them at room temperature. It is one less thing to worry about when trying to get dinner on the table. I must warn you that these are addicting. I have to slap my own hand when I make them. If you are looking for new ways to prepare old standby vegetables, I know you'll love this recipe. You simply can't beat fast, easy and delicious. Here's the recipe.

Sugar Snap Peas with Fresh Mint Oil...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Grace Parisi

Ingredients:

2/3 cup fresh mint leaves
2/3 cup canola oil
Salt and ground pepper
1 pound sugar snap peas, strings removed
Optional: Lemon wedges and sea salt for serving

Directions:
1) Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Add mint and blanch just until it is limp and turns bright green, about 30 seconds. Remove mint from pan with a slotted spoon. Plunge into cold water to stop cooking and set color. Drain mint, squeezing out excess liquid. Place mint in blender jar and pulse until finely chopped. With blender running, slowly add oil and blend until mint is pureed. Transfer to a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2) Add salt to water in which mint cooked. Bring to a boil. Blanch peas until tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Plunge peas into a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons mint oil. Arrange on a serving platter. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt if using. Garnish with lemon wedges. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Sugar Snap Peas with Sesame - One Perfect Bite
Asian Sugar Snap Peas - For the Love of Cooking
Flavorful Sugar Snap Peas - The Baking Beauties
Snap Peas and Feta Salad Dressing - Twin Tables
Honey Butter Snap Peas - Rachael Ray Show

47 comments :

Unknown said...

What a GREAT!!! side dish and the Fresh Mint Oil sound WONDERFUL!!! Just went to Costco today and bought a bag of Sugar Snap Peas, they are a favorite. I'll be adding this dish to my Father's Day meal.
Geri

Ren- Lady Of The Arts said...

Oo I love the idea of mint oil- our mint is so abundant that it is screaming for new ideas- really I can only drink so many mojitos!

Julie said...

I just love the snap you get when you bite into a sugar snap pea! This looks like an awesome way to prepare them :)

penny aka jeroxie said...

I love the naturally sweetness. I always have a bowl by myself!

Deb in Hawaii said...

Yum! I love sugar snap peas and the mint oil is a wonderful touch.

giorno26 ¸¸.•*¨*•. said...

Buono-buono.... lo preparo subito !!!!
Hi Mary, buona giornata... ma dove trovi tutte queste idee ?
Grazie e Ciao
Myriam

Federica Simoni said...

mi piacciono molto i piselli..in questo periodo ne ho raccolti molti nel mio orto....la tua proposta รจ davvero appetitosa!!!bravissima Mary!!un abbraccio!!

Ana Powell said...

Really delicious, even yesterday I made minted pea salad ♥

Rita said...

Looks so good and fresh; I can almost taste them; have to try these soon.
Rita

Diane said...

I love sugar snap peas, the mint addition means they will never get to the table, I will eat them first! Diane

Jeannie said...

Oh my....those snap peas looks so fresh and crunchy! Love it, we called it sweet peas here...wonder if it's the same?

Baking is my Zen...sweet nibbles for the soul said...

Love Sugar Snap Peas...beautiful photo...

Carmen

Joanne said...

I LOVE sugar snaps! Especially when they're fresh and you can eat them as is because they are so sweet! This recipe sounds delicious.

Katerina said...

These sugar snaps look very vivid. Here in Greece we cook them with tomato sauce and herbs. Very summery dish

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Oh Mary - That mint oil is such a great idea. I can't wait to try these out.

From the Kitchen said...

One of my earliest memories is of stringing sugar snap peas. My mother steamed them and treated them with a bit of melted butter, salt and pepper. I've never paired them with mint but it sounds delicious and we'll have them that way after my next visit to the farmers' market. As usual, the mint is taking over the herb garden!

Happy Father's Day to the fathers in your life.

Best,
Bonnie

Monet said...

Mary,
This is such a great summer side dish (as everyone has already mentioned). The combination of mint and snap peas? Genius!

The Words Crafter said...

What a fun post! And I love every form of pea out there...this will be interesting to try! Thanks for the recipe, and the smile!

Maggie said...

I'm not sure I'd have any left either- these looks like such a perfectly wonderful side! Yummy!

Unknown said...

These look really beautiful!

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

Mary, are you kidding? How I wish I could taste this right now. What a wonderful idea.

Anonymous said...

just wanted to say how much i love your blog... found it via another great food blog (always the way) and I think your recipes are delightful... I now need to find a spare month to read them all... wonderful photography also.

looking forward to more!

Claudia said...

Love mint with peas. The mint oil is a great idea. When the peas are fresh, the simplest preparation works.

Sushma Mallya said...

Looks so fresh and i love the flavour of mint in it..very nice and simple recipe..

Adventures in Domestic Cooking said...

How nice and fresh!

Erica (Irene) said...

What a great side dish......anything with mint my husband loves. I'll be sure and make this for him. Lovely photo. Have agreat day!!!!

Priya Suresh said...

Fantastic dish, love that mint oil, very interesting..

Julie said...

Beautiful! Such a pretty green. I have mint in the garden and peas in the frig! I will be making these soon!

Megan said...

This sounds like a perfect recipe. LOVE IT! I'll be making these as soon as I get my hands on some sugar snap peas! Thumbs up!

Rachana said...

So refreshing and nice!

Have a lovely week ahead :-)

nancy at good food matters said...

Hi Mary,

I grew sugar snap peas for the first time this spring and loved watching the vines tendril up the trellis. The peas were so sweet, barely needed cooking. (just occasional "stringing" as you point out.)

Your mint oil, though, is a perfect accent for this vegetable.

Thank you for visiting my blog; I look forward to visiting yours again soon!

Nancy

Unknown said...

I love sugar snap peas. I like to eat them raw. I never had them with mint before so I'll try it.
I hope you are well. Have a nice day. Michael

Linda Starr said...

I love snap peas, thanks for the reminder on a great combo: mint and peas and mint goes well in lemonade too.

Faith said...

This is such a fresh, bright dish. That minted oil is brilliant and it sounds like the perfect pair with the sweet peas!

Lori said...

Fresh sugar snap peas are always a treat for me this time of year. I am heading off tomorrow to the farm where I usually buy them.

Pecados da mesa said...

Olรก minha amiga;
ร“tima, great!!!
Maravilhosa!
Wonderful!!!
Beijo!!!
Kiss!

Maria Paula-BRASIL-

chamki said...

Hi Mary, though i have no this kind of peas here i love the mint oil and i am going to make it, and i will try it with green beans - i know it is not the same. How is it possible that i always love your recipes?
Big hug and have a wonderful day.

Laura said...

thanks for stopping by my blog! I have followed yours for awhile, I've gotten several great ideas from yoU!

The Cilantropist said...

Wow, I am not surprised they are addicting! The crunchy taste and combined with lovely mint, outstanding. :)

pigpigscorner said...

The fresh mint oil sounds very intriguing!

FOODESSA said...

Hubby is not too crazy about mint...but I love it. Hence, guess who'll be making these soon;o)
Thanks for sharing and flavourful wishes, Claudia

Eliana said...

I love simple side dishes that pack the flavor. This looks great Mary.

RamblingTart said...

Oh Mary, I'm absolutely charmed and delighted by this dish. "Fresh mint oil" just the name is enchanting! :-) Can't wait to try it. :-)

Sarah said...

Mmm. a perfect combination

Jen_from_NJ said...

I rarely make sugar snap peas but I need to give this a try. Fresh mint oil sounds fantastic and you are right that this is a perfect side for grilled lamb chops.

scrambledhenfruit said...

Sugar snap peas are one of my very favorite vegetables and I'm always looking for new ways to prepare them. What a great summer dish! Thanks for the recipe.

Lana said...

Mary, this just might make me change my mind about snap peas. When I was a child, my mother went away for a couple of days to visit her aging father. Grandma, who was a decent cook and an excellent baker, made us a chicken with sugar snap peas, without removing the strings! The Serbs tend to cook the green veggies until they become grey, and we spent hours trying to eat this dish. It was horrible! That was the first and the last time I indulge in snap peas. But, I am willing to be converted!

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