sesame stir-fried snow peas
Have you ever taken a break from the gym for almost a year? Sadly, I have. And it’s really, really painful when you get back to it. My body is aching, my legs are killing me and I can barely sit down at my computer desk without tears in my eyes. Yes, it hurts, but it feels so damn good, even though I can barely stand up from how much it hurts.
Going back to the gym was my main New Year’s resolution. After months of thinking about it and never getting to it, I finally signed up for the gym this weekend between shopping during the sales. I’m going to be one busy lady, with work, this blog, taking care of my house and my husband and working out. As a full-time journalist, it’s sometimes difficult to manage it all, but I’m so grateful to be able to do so many things that I truly enjoy!
After my crazy workout Sunday, I treated myself to a flavorful vegetable dish full of vitamin C and A. Meet snow peas: a vegetable that I enjoy in all of its forms, especially when they’re cooked Asian-style. Snow peas are a staple vegetable in Asian cuisine. You’ll find them often in vegetable, chicken or beef stir-fries. They’re crunchy and savory, and their vibrant green color dresses up every dish. Otherwise, they are great eaten raw or added to a salad.
Stir-frying vegetables is a healthy way to give them more flavor without requiring much work. Believe it or not this recipe takes only 15 minutes from start to finish, making it the perfect side dish to quickly whip up when you’re running against the clock.
The sauce I used to create this recipe was inspired by a recipe I saw on Bon Appetit for Wok-Seared Sesame Green Beans. Bon Appetit‘s recipe calls for brown sugar, which I decided not to use to make this version much lighter for a post-workout meal. The rest of the ingredients — soy sauce, rice vinegar, black pepper and sesame oil — are inspired by Bon Appetit and contribute to making these snow peas so surprisingly delicious. Who knew vegetables could be so tasty?
Other Asian dishes that go well with this dish: chinese stir-fried vegetable rice and chinese stir-fry chicken
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
- 3 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons rice vinegar
- Pinch of black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 0.5 pounds (250g) snow peas
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds until lightly browned stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Set aside.
- Combine sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Heat vegetable oil in a wok or in a large skillet. When smoking hot, add the snow peas and stir-fry them for 1 to 2 minutes until softened. Don't let them burn or become golden! They must keep their vibrant green color.
- Pour the sauce over the snow peas and heat through for 1 minute, stirring constantly so that the vegetables don't burn.
- Top with the sesame seeds and serve.
How did your sesame stir-fried snow peas come out? Share photos of your recipe on Instagram by tagging #savormania