stir-fried snap peas with orange, ginger, and sesame seeds

prep: 10 MINUTES | cook: 10 MINUTES | total: 20 MINUTES | serves 4

The Two Peas love peas! With their fresh, sweet flavor, snap peas are by far the favorite vegetable around here in the springtime. When the weather warms up and we find them piled high at the farmers market or grocery store, we know we have to stir-fry. I don’t like to do too much because the peas are pretty perfect just the way they are, so I just toss them in a simple Asian-inspired sauce with orange juice and fresh ginger that brings out their bright flavor, and then cook them super-quick so they’re still nice and crisp. I serve them up as a side dish with fish, chicken, beef, tofu—pretty much anything!—or I just make a panful and serve them on their own for us to eat with our fingers. They’re that good!

4 garlic cloves, minced

1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger (see Notes)

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

⅓ cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1½ teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 pound snap peas, strings removed

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (see Notes)

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 In a small bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, orange zest and juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Whisk until smooth.

2 Heat the garlic mixture in a large skillet over medium heat until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the snap peas and stir-fry, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the peas are tender but still crisp. Remove the pan from the heat and garnish with the toasted sesame seeds and pepper flakes. Serve immediately.

NOTES: We keep fresh ginger in the freezer—that way we always have some handy, and it’s much easier to grate with a Microplane or finely chop. Just peel it first! To toast sesame seeds, place in an even layer in a small skillet and heat over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking or stirring constantly until they’re nice and toasty brown.