A Healthy Recipe with Peas and Endives

In this healthy recipe the sharp and bitter taste of endives is mellowed with the combination of delicately sweet green peas. Serve this as a side dish to meats and fish. Or serve this as a very light and nutritious meal topped over rice. For a healthy lunch or dinner this also makes an excellent appetizer. Only basic ingredients are used in this recipe including green peas, endives, onions, water, butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

The green peas need to be shelled or removed from the pod and washed well before making this recipe. The endives need to be also washed and shredded. Slice the onions into thin strips. Both endives and peas are low in calories and make a highly nutritious dish that can be made part of a healthy diet. Often added to salads endives are eaten raw. It is cooked in butter until tender in this recipe together with the peas. Use fresh peas instead of frozen, canned or dried peas for superior flavor.

Endive is a good source of minerals and vitamins, particularly vitamins A and K and folate. It helps maintain a healthy digestive system and is also high in fiber. There are different varieties of endives. Sometimes chicory and endive are used interchangeably. Curly endive or frisée and escarole or broad-leaved endive are the two main varieties of cultivated endive. The curly endive has narrow leaves that is bright green in color and is curly on the edges. Curly endive is also known as chicory in the United States. It is called chicorée frisée in French. Escarole, on the other hand, has broad leaves that are pale green in color and are less bitter than the curly endive. It also include many varieties known by different names like Bavarian endive, Belgian endive, Batavian endive, scarola, grumolo, and scarole.

 

Ingredients

14 oz. green peas, shelled

2 endives, washed, shredded

1 medium onion, sliced

4 cups water

1 tablespoon butter

Seasonings to taste

1. To a pan add all ingredients and cook for 20-25 minutes. Stir often. Cook covered over medium heat.

2. Add the seasonings near the end of the cooking. Stir well. Serve hot in a soup bowl.

Delicious Peas Loaf

Pea loaf is a delicious and nutrient-rich side dish to meats and fish which is a simple healthy recipe to make requiring only a few pantry staples namely green peas, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, and salt and pepper to taste. The green peas need to be mashed and the milk needs to be scalded before adding to the other ingredients. To make this healthy recipe you can use fresh or frozen peas. To make pea loaf you can also use canned or dried peas healthy recipe. The method for mashing peas depends on whether the pea is fresh or processed.

You need to take the peas out of the pod by pricking the ends of the shell and splitting the pod open to reveal the peas since fresh peas are often sold in their pods. Place the peas in a colander and wash them under cold water. Then in a pot of boiling water, just enough to cover the entire volume of the peas, boil the peas for about two to three minutes until tender. Drain the water. Mash the peas with a fork or puree them using a blender or food processor. Do not overcook the peas or they will lose their bright green color and their flavor will be diminished. Frozen peas cook about the same time as fresh peas. You can place them in the boiling water straight from the freezer. Prior to freezing most frozen peas have been partially cooked.

You can heat the peas using the liquid that they were soaked and preserved in if you are using canned peas. Drain the water out after heating it for a bit. Canned peas have already been cooked and are ready to eat so you only need to heat it. You can mash it straight from the can or heat it for a little bit before mashing. Then add to the other ingredients to make pea loaf.

Ingredients

8 5/6 mashed green peas

Bread crumbs

Milk, scalded

Egg

Seasonings to taste

1. Over the breadcrumbs pour milk to form a soft paste. Then let it stand for 5 minutes.

2. Then add the peas, egg and seasonings and mix. Pour into a buttered loaf tin.

3. In a 350 degrees F oven bake for 30 minutes. Serve as vegetable.

Peas and Bacon

Any vegetable taste extra good if bacon is used with it. In this simple cooking recipe of peas and bacon, the peas are cooked in bacon fat. The rich and savory taste of bacon enhances the delicate sweetness of the bright green peas. You need precooked peas and thinly sliced bacon to make this recipe. You no longer need to add salt since the bacon is already salty but if you find it a bit bland, season the dish with salt and pepper near the end of heating process. This simple recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. Serve it as a side dish to your regular meal to add vegetables to your diet.

Delicious Peas are good to consume it on a regular basis since they are low in saturated fat and cholesterol and a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Protein, Thiamin, Niacin, Riboflavin, Folate, Phosphorous, Manganese, and Copper, as well as of Dietary Fiber. The bacon makes peas taste a whole lot better even the kids won’t be able to resist eating them.

Prior to making this recipe the fresh peas need to be cooked. Fresh peas are often sold in their pods. You need to split the shell first by trimming the ends and pulling out the string and splitting it open to reveal the peas. Place the peas in a colander and wash them with cold water. To retain most of their nutrition, full flavor and bright green color one of the best ways to cook peas is to steam them for two to three minutes. You can also cook the peas in boiling water for two to three minutes or until tender.

In a frying pan fry the bacon until it becomes golden and crispy and so its grease oozes out of the pan. This grease is very flavorful and will coat the peas to give it amazing flavor.

Ingredients

2 cups precooked Green peas

Bacon, sliced thin

Seasonings to taste

1. Fry the bacon in a frying pan until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

2. Add the peas. Warm them slowly in the bacon fat. When they are nearly done season to taste.

3. Place the cooked peas on a serving plate. Top with the slices of bacon.