Who knew that frozen peas could be so ridiculously delicious and versatile? But before I develop a distinct green tinge, I'll move on to another vegetable. Tomorrow I'll begin anew with another option from my list of vegetable favorites (surf in to see what's in store--no hints!).
The inspiration for recipe # 3 comes from
Food Network . I caught the second half of
Iron Chef last Sunday; Jamie Oliver was in the midst of whipping up his swank rendition of fish and chips (the secret ingredient was cobia; I had heard of it, but have never seen it before the show). Here’s a link explaining more about cobia if you’re equally curious:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/Cobia/Cobia.html Anyhoo, the relevance of the show to this third (and final—for the time being) pea posting is that Jamie made a mash of frozen green peas to accompany his cobia fish & chips. The judges seemed to like the mash as much as the fish, so I’ve had my sights set on making something similar all week. (A quick aside: I thought all of Jamie’s food looked exponentially better/tastier than Mario Batali’s, his iron chef challenger. The latter made very esoteric bits and pieces, like a carpaccio with what amounted to chamomile flower glitter—sorry Mario, I typically love the look of all of your food.)
I digress; on to the peas.
I whipped up a mini batch of mashed peas at about 10 pm last night (I wanted the dish to be one that could stand up to refrigeration and reheating anyway; and yes, I am a loon for mashing up peas just before bedtime). I microwaved the peas until tender, then mashed with a fork along with very small amounts of olive oil and butter.
I quickly discovered that I didn’t like the look or texture—it was something about the pea skin (has anyone discussed pea skin before now?!) that literally did not go down well. Pulverization was the answer--off to the food processor!
So instead of a mash akin to Jamie Oliver’s creation, I offer a delectable pea puree. The pea skin situation was instantly resolved by said processor, which seemed to obliterate them entirely (I was worried that I might need to strain through a fine mesh sieve, but no). The texture is rich and silky, and a gorgeous deep green. I wish I had given this whirl a whirl before Christmas—it would be a fitting holiday side. But then again, it’s suited to spring, too—perhaps alongside Easter ham?
I ultimately decided against the olive oil (it seemed to overpower the peas) and opted for all butter instead (it's still only a tablespoon, less than a teaspoon per serving). Nutmeg and white pepper made their way in, too. I once had a split pea soup laced with a touch of the former and loved it, so I tried it here, too (and loved it); the white pepper further elevated the dish.
If you like mashed potatoes, I’m certain you’ll like these peas, too. Thanks for the inspiration, Jamie!
Elegant Pea Purée with Butter & Nutmeg
2 and 1/4 cups frozen petite peas (from a 1-pound bag)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 tablespoon lowfat milk (or more to taste/preference)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Pinch of nutmeg (or more to taste/preference)
Transfer the peas to a medium microwave bowl and cook 3 minutes on high. Transfer peas to food processor; add the butter, milk, salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Transfer the purée to a serving bowl and adjust seasonings to taste (also, add more milk, if desired, for a thinner consistency). Makes 4 servings.
Camilla’s Note : The purée may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, then reheated.
Nutrition per Serving (1/4 portion of the puree):
Calories 91; Fat 3.4g (sat 1.6g, mono 1.3g, poly 0.3g); Protein 4.3g; Cholesterol 8.3mg; Carbohydrate 11.3g; Sodium 260 mg.
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using
Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1 )
Who knew that frozen peas could be so ridiculously delicious and versatile? But before I develop a distinct green tinge, I'll move on to another vegetable. Tomorrow I'll begin anew with another option from my list of vegetable favorites (surf in to see what's in store--no hints!).
The inspiration for recipe # 3 comes from Food Network . I caught the second half of Iron Chef last Sunday; Jamie Oliver was in the midst of whipping up his swank rendition of fish and chips (the secret ingredient was cobia; I had heard of it, but have never seen it before the show). Here’s a link explaining more about cobia if you’re equally curious:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/Cobia/Cobia.html
Anyhoo, the relevance of the show to this third (and final—for the time being) pea posting is that Jamie made a mash of frozen green peas to accompany his cobia fish & chips. The judges seemed to like the mash as much as the fish, so I’ve had my sights set on making something similar all week. (A quick aside: I thought all of Jamie’s food looked exponentially better/tastier than Mario Batali’s, his iron chef challenger. The latter made very esoteric bits and pieces, like a carpaccio with what amounted to chamomile flower glitter—sorry Mario, I typically love the look of all of your food.)
I digress; on to the peas.
I whipped up a mini batch of mashed peas at about 10 pm last night (I wanted the dish to be one that could stand up to refrigeration and reheating anyway; and yes, I am a loon for mashing up peas just before bedtime). I microwaved the peas until tender, then mashed with a fork along with very small amounts of olive oil and butter.
I quickly discovered that I didn’t like the look or texture—it was something about the pea skin (has anyone discussed pea skin before now?!) that literally did not go down well. Pulverization was the answer--off to the food processor!
So instead of a mash akin to Jamie Oliver’s creation, I offer a delectable pea puree. The pea skin situation was instantly resolved by said processor, which seemed to obliterate them entirely (I was worried that I might need to strain through a fine mesh sieve, but no). The texture is rich and silky, and a gorgeous deep green. I wish I had given this whirl a whirl before Christmas—it would be a fitting holiday side. But then again, it’s suited to spring, too—perhaps alongside Easter ham?
I ultimately decided against the olive oil (it seemed to overpower the peas) and opted for all butter instead (it's still only a tablespoon, less than a teaspoon per serving). Nutmeg and white pepper made their way in, too. I once had a split pea soup laced with a touch of the former and loved it, so I tried it here, too (and loved it); the white pepper further elevated the dish.
If you like mashed potatoes, I’m certain you’ll like these peas, too. Thanks for the inspiration, Jamie!
Elegant Pea Purée with Butter & Nutmeg
2 and 1/4 cups frozen petite peas (from a 1-pound bag)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 tablespoon lowfat milk (or more to taste/preference)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Pinch of nutmeg (or more to taste/preference)
Transfer the peas to a medium microwave bowl and cook 3 minutes on high. Transfer peas to food processor; add the butter, milk, salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Transfer the purée to a serving bowl and adjust seasonings to taste (also, add more milk, if desired, for a thinner consistency). Makes 4 servings.
Camilla’s Note : The purée may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, then reheated.
Nutrition per Serving (1/4 portion of the puree):
Calories 91; Fat 3.4g (sat 1.6g, mono 1.3g, poly 0.3g); Protein 4.3g; Cholesterol 8.3mg; Carbohydrate 11.3g; Sodium 260 mg.
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1 )