Sun-dried Tomato & Peas on Endive Spears
This month’s recipe redux is devoted to holiday party food — using beans or legumes! How fun is that? Since I always write about lentils and beans, I thought I’d give peas a star role for once. Most of us grew up in eating peas and to some they may even be comfort food (ha, wishful thinking on my part, I think).
Peas actually get a bad rap. They’re often overlooked as a starchy carb and not worth the effort (kinda like iceberg lettuce – another silly myth). Peas are not even vegetables, they’re legumes — which means they bear fruit in the form of pods, enclosing the fleshy seeds we know as…beans.
Green peas are actually an excellent source of nutrients. Name one other food that contains flavanols (catechin and epicatechin), phenolic acids (caffeic and ferulic acid), carotenoids (alpha- and beta-carotene) and the polyphenol coumestrol. Not impressed? Well, they’re also a very good source of Vitamins K and C; manganese, fiber, folate, iron, phosphorus, niacin, and riboflavin, Vitamin B6, potassium, copper, magnesium, and zinc.
For real. Peas rock.
If you’re trying to impress your friends, I think you may just succeed with this very festive holiday dip. For one, it’s red and green. For two, it’s totally healthy. For three, it’s really tasty. Oh, and for four, it’s super easy to make.
Start with a bag of frozen peas and one jar of sun-dried tomatoes.
Throw the peas, garlic, and some salt and pepper into the food processor. Process this first.
Then add the sun dried tomatoes with some olive oil. Process just until combined. Any longer and the mixture will turn brown.
Your mixture will look something like this. Don’t you love the red and green holiday colors?
Serve it with Belgian endive spears or pita chips! Delish!
Sun-dried Tomato and Peas on Endive Spears
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen peas thawed
- 8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes drained (about 3/4 cup)
- 1-2 cloves garlic chopped (if you don’t love garlic, go with 1)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 heads endive ends trimmed and leaves separated
Instructions
- Combine the peas, garlic in a food processor. Pulse the machine until the peas are finely chopped. Add the olive oil and tomatoes and pulse until the olive oil is incorporated and the mixture is minced but not yet pureed. Transfer to a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve as a dip with the endive spears alongside.
Wishing everyone a healthy and happy holiday season!
