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.

Walnut Brownie, Bailey's and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

On my dessert plate you will find a gold flakes garnished moist walnut brownie topped with a tiny scoop of Bailey's Ice Cream and a semi-sweet sesame cracker. I never thought that the original flavor of Bailey's ice cream will work so well with the sesame cracker. But it surely did.

As an accompaniment, a vanilla bean quenelle is drizzled with a chocolate shell. The shell hardens while the ice cream melts. And when it does, it makes it perfect to eat everything while you make them all meet with your fork to your mouth.

The brownie doesn't dry up at all because the ice cream melts.... try it!!! you'll love it.

I wish I had fresh strawberries or raspberries to serve it with.

Chicken, Portobello Mushrooms, Mozzarella

I wanted something mild for my taste buds for lunch today so I thought I'd make something out of few ingredients I have at home.

I pan-fried a chicken breast that I pounded thinly and dusted with flour with a garlic-infused butter. Topped it with sauteed portobello mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. Broiled for cheese to melt. And finally served with a pasta on the side.

I love to use the pastina not just for soups/stews as my side dish because I get to eat enough of my entree before getting stuffed with pasta. It's how I enjoy my food. I want to make room for the entire course I make. So a little of everything makes me happy.

I had the option of using Sundried tomato pesto or basil pesto but I went for basil pesto today. Either would work.

Skewered Caprese Salad

I needed a starter while I was waiting for the main entree to be ready but this is the first that I can think of that I can make in 5 mins.

Good thing I had some sweet vine-riped cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and a package of fresh Ciliegene Mozzarella (cherry sized) cheese in the fridge. I marinated them with Olive Oil ,seasoned them with salt and pepper before skewering.

Brunch

Most of the time I don't get to eat breakfast because of having too much coffee. I get hungry around 11:30am which is almost time for lunch. So I made a little bit of what I can find.

Bacon is something I won't leave out so I have a few on the plate.
Tossed some arugula salad with the same balsamic vinaigrette (my favorite dressing by the way).
Pastina is a small pasta used normally for soups or couscous but I cooked a bit and tossed it with my pesto sauce I have stored in my fridge. Topped it with some grated Parmegiano Grana. The cheese can always be substituted with a regular parmesan cheese.

The idea here is to have a little bit of everything from carbs to protein.

SALAD NICOISE

This is what I consider a hearty salad. That means not just greens because it comes with a Salmon, hard-boiled eggs and roasted potatoes too.

I used balsamic vinaigrette for my dressing. Other recipes would call for a white wine vinegar but you can always make something according to your preference.

I left the green beans out for a good reason. My capers and olives were hidden unintentionally. I will make my plate better next time.