Spicy Edamame

spicy edamame
spicy edamame

Edamame are baby soybeans and are very versatile.

Spicy edamame is a “go to” Super Bowl snack for me. The health benefits of edamame are many, including a significant protein boost!

You can adjust the heat level in this spicy edamame recipe, as desired. I prefer to use fresh edamame, but frozen (in the pod) beans will work, just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

ingredients
  • 2 cups of fresh edamame (in shell)
  • 1 tsp red chili flakes
  • 2 tsp roasted sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp oregano
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1/2 tsp sambal
  • 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbs soy sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 3/4 cup vegetable stock
cooking instructions
  • If using fresh edamame, heat oil and garlic in a wok over high heat
  • Once the oil is hot, add the edamame, salt, pepper, chili flakes and oregano
  • Stir fry for about 3 minutes–be sure to keep the beans moving to avoid scorching
  • Add vegetable stock, lower heat to medium and cover wok; let beans steam for about 10 minutes
  • Remove cover, add vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and sambal; stir fry until sauce thickens to coat edamame evenly
  • Remove from heat; plate edamame and garnish with toasted sesame seeds
  • Serve immediately; note that the pods are inedible–simply put the pod in your mouth and push out the edamame–that way you get the taste of the sauce and the beans remain very tender

Variations: If you prefer, use honey or light brown sugar in lieu of white sugar. You can make this with shelled, frozen edamame if you cannot find them in the shell; simply adjust cooking time so that they are tender, but not mushy. If you want a creamier sauce, add 1 tbs Japanese mayonnaise. Japanese mayonnaise is made with only the egg yolk–unlike American mayonnaise which uses the entire egg. If you don’t have access to an Asian market, you can easily order it online.

“Goat Toasties”

Hungry and looking for a quick snack idea? Want to make a tasty and easy starter? Goat cheese toasties are one of my favorites — it’s a variation on bruschetta that is tangy and flavorful. These are also great paired with tomato soup!

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

  • Crusty baguette
  • Olive oil
  • Goat cheese crumbles
  • Roasted garlic (enough to smear toasted bread before covering with goat cheese and melting the cheese)
  • Sprinkle of paprika
  • Pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

  • Slice baguette into 1/2″ slices
  • Brush with olive oil (mix pepper and paprka into oil before applying to bread)
  • Toast bread at 350 degrees until golden brown; be careful to keep an eye on the bread–it can easily burn if left unattended!
  • Remove bread from the oven and smear rounds with a thin layer of roasted garlic
  • Cover the rounds with a generous layer of goat cheese crumbles
  • Place bread back into the oven until the goat cheese is toasted and slightly browned; this should take about 10 minutes
  • If desired, garnish with a thin strip of pimento, or sundried tomato (use the type packed in oil)

Note: Roasted garlic is easy to do and this recipe assumes that you have some on hand. Simply take several heads of garlic and slice off the top third–or pre-peeled cloves–drizzle with oil, place in covered, oven safe baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes, until the garlic is easily mashed. I keep roasted garlic on hand for use in recipes; it gives a much richer taste than fresh garlic in recipes and keeps well if kept in a sealed container