Discovering the Crispiness of Fresh Peas

I have known and eaten peas for as long as I can remember but I have always been familiar with the canned where they are preserved in liquid. Hmm just too "Mushy!" I have come across fresh peas sold in packages at the Oakton Market along with the fresh produce when I was living in Illinois but I didn't pay attention to them. And on several occasions, I purchased  the infamous Bird's Eye Frozen peas thinking they were good enough.   

I should have known better that fresh ones are always the best choice.  But it was until recently that I had another encounter with these firm and medium green pods in Morocco which were not even intimidating at all. They lured me actually for their price of 7.50 Moroccan Dirhams (MAD) that is equivalent to $.99 USD per kilo. What an attention grabber!  Not just that! I am in awe every time I snap each pod open just by witnessing it filled with peas. Their crispiness of fresh peas deliver their natural sweetness that they can be a great addition to almost any hearty meal you can stir up in your own kitchen.

So tell me, what dish have you made with peas and which kind have you used? Feel free to share your feedback in the comment section below. In the meantime, allow me to share my scrumptiuous Chicken Stew:

This recipe is good for 5 to 6 people. Feel free to adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil for sauteeing

1 kilo chicken  (parts of your choice)

2 medium carrot, diced

2 cup fresh peas

1 large onion, sliced

2  cloves garlic, minced

4 medium tomatoes, diced

2 Tbsp Tomato paste

1 Chicken buillion cube (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

water for simmering (begin with 3 cups and add as needed)

Directions:

1. Saute chicken with oil, garlic and onions until the chicken pieces are not pinkish.
2. Add in tomatoes, carrots, tomato paste and buillion cube
3. Pour water and let it simmer in a covered pot for about 20 mins. Check occasionally to make sure it does not dry out. Add water as needed until carrots are tender enough for you.
4. Add fresh peas when carrrots are almost ready because they cook fast and you don't want them to get mushy.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Chicken stew is ready when your fresh peas are.

Note: You can add a kick to it with cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes ..

I hope you enjoy it and feel free to ask below if you have any concerns about the dish.