summer green

One of my many favorite things from Costco is their large bag of sugar snap peas. It’s nearly impossible for me to walk through the cold produce room without snagging a bag!  And it is really c-o-l-d in that room. I see people shivering and little kids in shopping carts whining to their parents about it.  I linger, take my time and try to soak it up! I’m the same way at shopping malls and movie theaters. Other people (including my dear daughter, Marissa) endlessly complain and even plan ahead and bring along sweaters to warm their little bones. It’s 110 degrees outside and they are carrying a sweater! And they say I’m the crazy one, go figure.  But I digress – in that sweet produce room, I get my bag of sugar snap peas (and it’s a really big bag!) come home and either eat them raw and straight from the bag as a snack or cook them up into an “easy-breezy” worthy dish such as this.

Orange-Sesame Sugar Snap Peas

Vinaigrette
1 large orange
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon hot chile sauce (such as Sriracha)

Salad
2  teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced seeded red bell pepper
3/4 cup  thinly sliced peeled carrot
12 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup green onions (white and green portions) cut on diagonal
6-ounce package fresh baby spinach
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Vinaigrette: Finely grate 1 teaspoon orange rind; set zest aside.  Squeeze 1/3 cup of juice from the orange and pour it into a medium bowl. Whisk juice, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and chile sauce in a small bowl to combine.

Salad:  Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and carrot slices to pan; sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Add reserved orange zest, sugar snap peas, and salt; sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a large bowl; cool for 5 minutes.

Add green onions and spinach to the bowl and stir to combine. Pour vinaigrette over salad; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Serves 8