Two Peas in a Pod

About five years ago, I lived in a studio on 25th and K Street in Washington, DC.  It wasn't much, but it was in a central location, close to a metro and just a short walk from fantastic restaurants and shops.  It was at this time that I started eating a lot of ethnic foods, including Japanese.  I was immediately adventurous with sushi, and with that always came miso soup and edamame.  It was at this time that I also developed a love for Trader Joe's, which happened to be a block from my apartment.  They sold edamame in the frozen section, and soon enough, I became hooked.

The word edamame means "beans on branches"-- which is fitting because it actually grows in clusters on branches.  The superfood has been used in East Asia for more than two thousand years.  As more Japanese restaurants popped up across the US, edamame became a popular appetizer here to accompany sushi and sashimi.  Now the little soybean is catching on in our own kitchens.  You can buy them in the pod or shelled in pretty much any grocery store.  Simple boil or steam them with a little bit of salt for a few minutes.  They cook very quickly, so make sure you monitor them.  You will want to remove them before the pod opens and a pea jumps out.  I almost always overcook them, though, because I'm usually multi-tasking.  

The soybean is a major source of protein and is high in fiber, vitamin C and folic acid.  Some suggest it even has aphrodisiac qualities, but I wasn't able to find any research to support that.  I did find one article that says Victoria Beckham (aka Posh, aka David Beckham's 90 lb wife) apparently swears by edamame to stave off hunger and keep her thin.  Whether that's true or not, nibbling on one thing throughout the day to prevent yourself from eating is pretty much the same thing as anorexia in my book.  So I don't really like the thought of that.  Personally, I like to eat edamame as snacks between meals, or as a side dish with a meal.

Most of the time I eat them plain, but over the holidays I tried a recipe for an edamame and asparagus salad I found in Glamour magazine.  It calls for asparagus, shelled edamame, fresh mint and olive oil.  You pretty just much boil the asparagus and edamame, drain, and toss with olive oil and chopped mint.  Asparagus has a pretty strong flavor as it is, so simply coating the salad with EVOO and mint delights the palate enough.  It's a fresh, spring salad that would pair nicely with a piece of grilled salmon.