Ginger Garlic & Sesame Sugar Snap Peas

I've been really fortunate to have grown up with my mom as, well...my mom. She had dinner ready on the table every day and it was always a healthy & complete meal mostly consisting of white rice, a protein dominated dish (think steamed ground pork w/ chopped shitake mushrooms, or stir fried chicken of sorts), and a vegetable dominated dish. Wait...hold on just ONE sec....let me take back the "always" a healthy & complete meal. I will never forget that one time when we had popcorn and cheesecake for dinner (seriously)...but that's beside the point.


So back to the vegetable dominated dish, as a kid, I never understood why kids didn't like veggies. I always said that if kids had veggies the way my mom made them, there wouldn't be a problem. From bok choy to broccoli, she always managed to make it tasty. One of my favorite vegetables she made was peas. Not the little round single ones that you can get in frozen bags, but peas of the whole pod, like snow peas or sugar snap peas. I loved their crispy texture and the delicate sweetness that gave way at every bite. I'll also always have the fond memory of me and mom, sitting in front of the TV, preparing the peas for dinner. We'd mindlessly take peas from one pile and split them into 2 steadily growing piles. One was a pile of finished peas, ready to go into the wok, and the other pile was the tough ends and fibers that would get tossed away.

Whether it was just peas by themselves or peas with shrimp, I knew dinner was going to be good. I also now know why we had them so often: they're quick and easy. If there was ever a dish that could carry the coveted title of a healthy, delicious, quick and easy recipe, stir fried peas would be it. Thanks, mom, for making things that are so simple, so memorable! Happy Mama's Day!!!

Ingredients
1 lb of sugar snap peas, rinsed and tough ends peeled off
1 Tbs ginger, peeled and julienned
1/2 Tbs garlic, minced
1 Tbs vegetable oil, split in half
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Salt & White Pepper

Heat half of the vegetable oil in a pan pver medium high heat. Add ginger and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add in snap peas and cook with a pinch of salt for about 2-3 minutes. *Here's my trick to getting yummy garlic flavor without burning it*

Create a well in the pan with the peas. Pour the rest of the oil into the middle of the well and place garlic in the oil. Stir just the two ingredients to let the garlic infuse with the oil. Once the garlic becomes golden brown and fragrant, about 1 minute, mix in the peas. Remove pan from heat and stir in sesame oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Transfer peas to a serving bowl and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top. Total cooking time should be no more than 5 minutes or so to keep peas crisp.