Orthodox Union
www.ou.org
Recipes with Peas
Eileen Goltz
The pea is just about the most perfect food to get your really young children interested in finger food that’s good for them while simultaneously being perfect for them to flick at their siblings. Peas are great sources of vitamin A, C, thiamine, foliate, iron, and phosphorus and one pound of peas in a pod equal approx 1 cup of shelled which equals about 120 calories.
Fresh is always best so look for pea pods that are firm and bright green. Forget the really large pods, as those peas tend to be somewhat starchy. You’ll need about a pound for every cup of peas you want. As peas age after being picked, the sugar content turns to starch, making the peas less sweet, it’s best to use them within a day or two of buying them.
While I’m advocating using regular shelled peas in the recipes below you can, for the most part substitute snow peas or sugar snap pea if the recipe doesn’t call for the peas to be pureed. All peas (shelled, snow, sugar-snap) can be prepared with just a little water or broth. The less liquid you use and the less time you cook them, the less vitamins are lost in the cooking process.
HOW TO COOK FRESH PEAS
I like really crispy fresh peas so this is how I cook them when I’m serving them as a side dish.
For a pound of peas bring 3 cup of water/broth to a boil. Add a pinch salt to the water and then dump in the peas. Remove the peas from the heat and let them sit in the water for about 60 seconds (longer if you want them softer) and then drain them in a colander. Place in a serving bowl and serve. Serves 4.
CREAMED PEAS WITH LEEKS AND MUSHROOMS (dairy or pareve)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 leeks, washed very well then thinly sliced
2 to 3 portabella mushrooms, diced
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup water or pareve chicken broth
1/2 cup milk or nondairy substitute
1 lb. fresh peas, blanched
nutmeg to taste (optional)
black pepper to taste
salt to taste
In a saucepan melt the butter/margarine and saute the mushrooms and leeks, stirring, until mushrooms and leeks are soft. Stir the flour in making sure to coat all the leeks and onions. Add the chicken broth and milk/nondairy substitute. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened. Add the peas and mix to coat. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper and serve immediately. Serves 4.
FRESH PEA AND BREAKFAST BEEF SALAD (meat)
1 lb fresh peas
4 stalks celery, diced
6 green onions, chopped
8-10 slices of kosher breakfast beef drained and crumbled (you can substitute turkey pastrami)
2/3 cup salted sunflower seeds
3 to 4 cups romaine lettuce, shredded
2 hard-cooked eggs cut into quarters for garnish
Dressing:
2/3 cup pareve sour cream
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 teaspoons dried dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
In a large mixing bowl combine the lettuce, peas, chopped celery and chopped green onions. Toss to combine. In another bowl combine the pareve sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Sprinkle the cooked breakfast beef the top and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and then serve. Garnish sunflower seeds and slices of the egg before serving. Serves 8.
PEA AND CORN SALAD (dairy)
3 cups fresh peas
3 cups fresh corn
1 can (8-oz. size) sliced water chestnuts, drained, rinsed
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
4 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 lb pepper jack cheese, diced into bite size pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper
In a bowl combine the peas, corn, water chestnuts, red pepper, green pepper, green onion and cheese. Mix to combine. In a bowl combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, sugar, rice wine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to coat, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Serves 8 to 10.
FRESH GREEN PEAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS IN SESAME DRESSING (pareve)
3 cups fresh peas (from 3 pounds peas in pods)
12 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oriental sesame oil
1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cook shelled peas in large saucepan of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add sugar snap peas to same pan and continue boiling 30 seconds. Drain; rinse under cold water and drain again. Transfer to large bowl.
Whisk vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. (Peas and dressing can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand separately at room temperature.) Pour dressing over peas in large bowl; toss to coat. Season salad to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8
Bon Appétit July 2004
CHICKEN, PEAS AND PASTA (meat)
(You can leave out the chicken and make this pareve)
2 cups grilled chicken cut into bite sized pieces (this is great for leftover chicken)
2 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups fresh peas
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth or water
2 tablespoon margarine
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 to 1 lb bow tie pasta, cooked according to the package directions
1 cup pea pods cut into thirds
Saute the garlic into one tablespoon of margarine just until it’s soft and starts to brown. Immediately place it in the bowl of a food processor. Cook the fresh peas in 2 cups of boiling water for 3 minutes, just until they are tender. Add the peas, the remaining water the peas were cooked in, the remaining tablespoon of margarine, lemon juice and tarragon to the food processor with the garlic. Process the mixture until the sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set it aside and keep it warm. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package and drain it. Place the pasta a serving bowl and add the sauce, chicken and pea pods. Toss to combine and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.
LEMON TILAPIA WITH PUREED PEAS (fish)
1-1/2 to 2 lb tilapia filets
3 tablespoons lemon zest
4 tablespoon white wine or fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
3 tablespoon water or pareve broth
1 lb. fresh peas
4 tablespoons ground almonds
salt and white pepper to taste
Grease a 9X13 baking dish. Preheat oven to 400. In a bowl combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper. Rub tilapia with the lemon mixture and place in baking dish and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile in a skillet saute the onion and garlic in the butter until soft. Add the water or broth, almonds, peas, salt and pepper, and heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Puree the pea mixture in food processor or blender, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula from time to time to mix well. Serve the fish over the pureed peas. If there is a little juice in the pan, you can drizzle it over the fish and peas. Serves 4.
Modified from about.com
COLD FRESH PEA SOUP (dairy or pareve)
1 pound fresh peas
1/4 cup minced onion
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup milk or 1/2 and 1/2 or nondairy substitute
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dill
fried onions
Shredded carrots
In a sauce pan combine the peas, onion, sugar and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 8 to10 minutes. Cool slightly and puree in an immersion blender or in batches in a blender or food processor. Return the soup to the pan and whisk in the milk and season with dill, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve cold garnished with carrots and fried onions. Serves 6.
Submitted by Marcus Stirlitz, Detroit, Michigan