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Vegetables

Minted peas with garlic butter

Prep time 25 minutes | Cook time 10 minutes
serves 2 people

Photography by Tracey Creed
Recipe by Amandine Paniagua and Tracey Creed
Words by Tracey Creed

Published March 14 2023

Ingredients

500 grams frozen peas, blanched
2 tsp olive oil
50 grams of vegan butter, softened
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 shallots, finely minced
handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Method

Prepare your garlic butter by mixing the crushed garlic clove with the butter in a small bowl. Set aside.

Place a saucepan over moderate heat and add the olive oil. Gently sauté the minced shallots for 2 minutes, then stir in 2–3 tablespoons of the garlic butter mixture.

Once your butter has melted, add the peas and mint, stirring for a minute or so, until heated.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately with ‘fish’ and chips or a potato mash.

Frozen peas. Stepped up

The upheaval of our food system will touch all of us, even those living in food-secure countries. Food prices are set in efficient global markets. All countries face similar costs, whether sellers into those markets or buyers from those markets. If the price goes up for anyone, it goes up for everyone. Not equally, of course. I have been following various Reddit discussions regarding food prices, what people are cutting, et cetera, and it is difficult to read; people are deciding whether they will skip meals.

Here in Aotearoa, eating local produce has not translated to more accessible produce, with flooding impacting many of our growers more recently and frequently. So a lot of people turn to frozen vegetables. And it makes complete sense. You will get high-quality nutritional content from frozen veggies, so you’re not sacrificing your diet and dabbling in low-quality processed foods.

I always have peas in the freezer. As a kid, I was kind of obsessed with peas—perhaps still? Due to budget restraints, we’d eat frozen veggies frequently, often paired with mashed potatoes and mint sauce. For the longest time, I had intended to share all the various ways of eating peas. The minted butter peas pay homage to my childhood and are delicious, but I’ve also included why peas are worth adding to your grocery shop.

Are peas healthy for you?

Peas are elegant yet humble vegetables, rich in various macronutrients, vitamins and minerals, especially C and K, which have been shown to boost brain health. Keep a bag on hand, knowing that a healthy (and satisfying!) meal is just around the corner.

High in fibre Plant fibre moves the products of digestion more efficiently through the digestive tract, which helps us have regular movements and to cleanse. Aiming for 25 to 30 grams of fibre daily also helps to create a healthy, balanced microbiome and helps protect against various diseases, and peas contain 7 grams of fibre per cup (145g).

Good source of plant protein Given the current dilemmas with meat consumption, the state of farming, GMOs and climate impacts, diet and nutrition are equally fundamental to this conversation. If you are embracing the health and environmental benefits of eating more plants, peas are another whole food on your grocery list, containing 8 grams per cup (145g).

High in Vitamin K This fat-soluble vitamin helps produce various proteins, including Prothrombin, that are directly involved in blood clotting. Osteocalcin—another protein that requires Vitamin K, is required for the production of healthy bone tissue.

Good source of Vitamin C. Essential for immune function and collagen production, Vitamin C is an antioxidant that repairs at the cellular level, providing increased overall free radical protection—the molecules derived either from normal essential metabolic processes or associated with exposure to environmental pollutants.

4 delicious ways to use a bag of frozen peas that I found on the internet

Dressed Peas. This brilliant combination of red wine vinegar, basil and Dijon mustard makes for a thoroughly modern take on a freezer staple. All the ingredients last months, so it’s easy to keep them on hand. Add into salads or use alongside mashed potatoes.

Spring Minestrone. This lighter version relies on leeks, fennel, sugar snap peas, and peas and comes to life with the addition of spices, toasted garlic, and miso. Cook a big batch over the weekend, then keep it on hand for busy days.

Chilled Pea Soup. One of our recipes and a favourite, this soup is uncomplicated and unpretentious. Just add toasted sourdough. And while the title implies this soup might be best served chilled, it is as wonderful served straight from the blender— hot.

Plum and Heirloom Tomato Salad. The brilliant food photographer and stylist—Flora Manson shares a Plum and Heirloom Tomato Salad recipe with CAP Beauty that nourishes all the senses. Visionary and delicious, this is food acting as an art. It looks delicious.

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