Edamame Succotash



It's feeling warm again and I feel like eating light food and salads, so I decided to make an Edamame Succotash.  This is a dish that I often get when I run into Whole Foods Market to pick up a quick bite for lunch.  I love everything they have there from the produce, cheese, meats, prepared foods and honestly there really isn't anything I don't like there.  Everything they have is superb! 

In fact, while I was picking up some items to grill for dinner this evening I needed more ground cumin and noticed it said "non-irradiated" on the bottle.  You'll know what I'm talking about if you read my previous blog post.

If you've never tried Edamame before you might be wondering what it is.  Edamame is a green vegetable more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the "hardening" time.

The word Edamame means "Beans on Branches," and it grows in clusters on bushy branches. To retain the freshness and its natural flavor, it is parboiled and quick-frozen.

Edamame which is high in protein is consumed as a snack, a vegetable dish, used in soups or processed into sweets. As a snack, the pods are lightly boiled in salted water, and then the seeds are squeezed directly from the pods into the mouth with the fingers. 

The recipe below however, uses just the shelled edamame bean not the pod.  These can be found just that way, in packages, in the frozen food section of your supermarket.

I hope if you try the Edamame Succotash, you like it.  Instead of using lima beans as in the traditional dish, Edamame (soy beans) have been replaced.  Plus the added dried cranberries give it a little bit of a sweet flavor while the chili sauce gives it a bit of a kick.

As always if there's something in the ingredients for this dish or any I post, that you don't like, then replace it with something that appeals to your palate.

This is delicious served on the side, as a meal with chicken added, although, you don't need to add anything, since it's already packed with protein.

Edamame Succotash
serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 (4 ounce) packages gourmet mushroom blend or fresh mushroom variety, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste
1 (16 ounce) package Edamame shelled soy beans, thawed
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced (use fresh or jarred if you prefer)

Dressing:

2 tablespoons Sweet Chili Sauce
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Thai Red Curry Paste
2 tablespoons  Mirin
1 1/2 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil

Directions:

Sauté mushrooms over medium-high heat in olive oil with salt and pepper for 7 to 8 minutes or until mushrooms give up their liquid. Place edamame and corn in a large serving bowl. Add hot cooked mushrooms, cranberries and peppers.

Make dressing by whisking together Thai sweet red chili sauce, Thai red curry paste, mirin, and toasted seame oil. Gently toss together and adjust seasoning to taste.

Enjoy!

Edamame Salad

The other day I hiked my first 14,000 foot mountain out here in the Colorado Mountains. I was exhausted but thrilled that I climbed the mountain especially after attempting it 2x before. The first time bad weather came in and we had to turn back and the second time my head started to throb. This time I took it slow and I achieved what I set out to do.

When I returned from my hike I was in the mood for some healthy food. So I grilled up some chicken and made an Edamame Salad along with some fresh fruit. It all tasted great, just what was needed after a day of hiking.

Then yesterday for lunch I took my Edamame Salad and sliced up the grilled chicken and put it on top. The two mixed together tasted perfect and light for an afternoon lunch or light dinner.

I'd never made an Edamame Salad before but just gathered up some ingredients at the store that I thought would go well together. I love eating Edamame with the pods or without plus they are so good for you.

Here's how I made my salad. Of course feel free to add whatever ingredients sounds good to you. When I was gathering up my ingredients I had to keep in mind what the rest of my family would eat. They typically aren't as adventurous as I am.

Edamame Salad
(serves 6-8 as a side dish, 4 as a main dish)

1 package frozen Edamame, shelled, and cooked (according to package)
1 cup (approximately) frozen corn, thawed or roasted and removed from the cob
1 red pepper, cut into 1/4 inch dice
2-3 scallions, sliced
6 basil leaves, sliced chiffonade style
zest from 1/2 a medium orange
juice of a medium size orange
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
salt and pepper to taste

Mix first 6 ingredients together. Then blend together the dressing and pour over the Edamame mixture and stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let flavors meld together.

This is delicious served as a side dish or top with chicken or fish to make a nice entree salad. Cilantro would also be a nice addition to this salad but some of my family members aren't fond of the flavor.

Edamame Pesto

I love pesto. When I was making dinner last night which was a roasted turkey with carrots and potatoes, I was in the mood for some pesto. Unfortunately I didn't have any basil. So I looked around to see what I had that maybe I could substitute for the basil.

I looked in my freezer and saw a bag of shelled Edamame. So I thought, "hmmm" would that work? I decided what the heck, why not try. So I set the Edamame out for a bit to defrost a little and then decided to whip up a batch. To my surprise it tasted fantastic and the color was such a beautiful bright lime green. Plus with the added Edamame it provides lots of nutrition.

Here's what you'll find in a half-cup serving of shelled edamame (or 1 1/8 cup edamame in the pods):

•120 calories
•9 grams fiber
•2.5 grams fat
•1.5 grams polyunsaturated fat (0.3 grams plant omega-3 fatty acids)
•0.5 gram monounsaturated fat
•11 grams protein
•13 grams carbohydrate
•15 mg sodium
•10% of the Daily Value for vitamin C
•10% Daily Value for iron
•8% Daily Value for vitamin A
•4% Daily Value for calcium
As you can see, that little serving of edamame gives you a bunch of fiber: 9 grams, about the same amount you'll find in 4 slices of whole-wheat bread or 4 cups of steamed zucchini. It has almost as much protein as it does carbohydrate. It contains around 10% of the Daily Value for two key antioxidants; vitamins C and A. And for a plant food, it's quite high in iron; it has about as much as a 4-ounce roasted chicken breast.

Edamame alone makes a delicious soy snack besides providing your body with so many health benefits.

Eat it alone or try my version of Edamame Pesto. To add even more freshness to this already delicious pesto add some fresh chopped tomatoes on top.

Edamame Pesto
Makes 2 1/2 cups

1 (10 oz) package shelled Edamame, defrosted
3 tablespoon Pine Nuts
1 clove Garlic
pinch of Sea Salt
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 1/4 cup extra-virgin Olive Oil

In a food processor, place Edamame, pine nuts, garlic and sea salt and process to a paste. Add cheese and drizzle in the olive oil. Store in an air tight jar. Will keep for about a week.

Enjoy!