WHB: Three Pea Stir-Fry With Chicken

As I was cooking this dish, I remembered the first time I grew my own sugar snap peas.  They were all the rage for back yard gardeners at the time. One night I asked my husband to go pick a bowl of peas, as I completed dinner.  The water for the peas came to a boil and I waited for him to come back bearing a large bowl of freshly picked peas. I waited and waited. Finally, I walked out to my garden and found him munching on the pea pods, straight off the vines.  The bowl I'd given him was virtually empty, and as I looked at him askance, he remarked, "Hey, these taste really good raw, why do you bother to cook them?"  I never asked him to gather the peas again, but he had a point.  They're delicious raw, or lightly cooked, as in this dish.  I had my own problems as I was trying to take the above picture, eating the peas from the bowl faster than I snapped the shutter on the camera.

This recipe includes the sugar snaps, snow peas and frozen green peas, tossed with garlic, ginger root, soy and sesame sauce.  It makes a great vegetarian meal, but I added sliced chicken thighs.  The dish is fast and simple to prepare, and is one of my favorite meals.  Because the dish includes ginger root, I'm submitting it to Weekend Herb Blogging.  Ginger root is an item I always have in my kitchen, like garlic and black pepper.  Strangely, I'm not as fond of ground ginger.

Of course, the fabulous Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen created Weekend Herb Blogging some time ago, and it's a raging success.  This week it's being hosted by The Well-Seasoned Cook.  So, do stop by  next Monday, when there should be a recap of herby recipes from all around the world.

Three Pea Stir-Fry With Chicken

(Adapted from a recipe in 2003 Gourmet)

Note:  The amounts of the seasonings are a starting point. I used 3 cloves of garlic, a squirt of sirachi, and doubled the soy sauce. 

Makes 4 side dish servings or 2 main dish servings (with rice)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
6 oz sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
6 oz snow peas, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1 cup frozen green peas
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Preparation

Heat vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then stir-fry garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and chicken slices until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add sugar snaps and snow peas and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add frozen peas and stir-fry until hot, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in soy sauce and sesame oil. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and season with salt.

Comments

[Kalyn]

Totally a winner! It reminded me that I've never grown sugar snap peas. I'm going to branch out now that I have the growboxes, but I'm guessing in Utah that's an early season crop. (It gets too hot here too soon for some plants.)

I wish I had some of that to eat right now!

[Rosa]

Super healthy and tasty! A great idea to use three different kinds of peas for that recipe!

Cheers,

Rosa

[MyKitchenInHalfCups]

I love how so many of your dishes are so spectacular!! The snow peas here are gorgeous! And it's so true, these are so good raw but then they are so good cooked!
I'm now beginning to get fresh ginger, I thought I didn't like it for so long.

[Deborah]

I usually have a bag of sugar snap peas on hand to snack on. I should try to grow some this year! This sounds absolutely delicious!

[Glenna]

I am constantly amazed at how many mouth-watering dishes you make. I would love to eat at your table for about a week...or more. Looks divine!

[Lydia]

Yum! This might be delicious with edamame, too.

[Callipygia]

Here is to fresh sugar snaps, sounds great!

[Julie]

I completely agree with Tana and Glenna about how often you post really appealing looking meals -- this looks delicious and healthy all at the same time.

[Kevin]

That looks really good! Nice and fresh and green and tasty!

[Lynn]

This dish looks delicious, but I would eat it alone. My husband calls peas "little green dirt balls" and none of my kids will eat them. Sigh.

[katie]

We've been pigging out on the snow peas, too. I love them and, like asparagus, their season is so fleeting.
This looks so good - plus I love the pretty colors...
Damn, I'm hungry!

[Susan]

Vibrantly colorful and healthy! I'd love some now - so what that it's ten in the morning?

Thanks for joining in WHB!