Happy Snow Pea Day!

Blogger of the Day: Miss Lexy at Vegan Miss

So appropriate for a day when it's snowing in the South and still deepfrozen in the North...even my good friends in Galveston are all bundled up! Winterhappy snow peas are those sweet flat totally edible pea pods that are often found in Asian cooking. They're a good source of B vitamins, fiber and a little hit of protein, plus they punch up any dish with their brilliant green color. Look for clean unblemished pods, firm not floppy. There's a fibrous string along the inner edge that's easy to remove...just snap the tip off, pull down like a zipper and the string should come along with it. If not, try again from the other end. Here's a quick demo. I love snow peas in stir fries and sandwiches, cut up in soups, salads and scrambles, even in vegan frittatas. If you do get some floppy ones, roll 'em up in a wrap. Or just snack on snows plain or with bit of dip or hummus...yumza!  :)

Snow peas also shine in Buddha's Delight, a traditionally vegetarian dish found in most Chinese restaurants and also featured in many Lunar New Year celebrations (which start this Friday). The cool deal with Delight is you can use what you've got...stick to your recipe or sub in whatever is staring at you in the fridge. I like simple broccoli/snow pea/sesame seed/cashew combos but I've thrown in all sorts of fresh and leftover veggies and nuts like parsnips and pistachios. You can use pre-mixed veggies too like Trader Joe's Asian veg mix or La Choy canned mixes. Serve over classic white rice or go for something really exotic but don't forget the snow peas!  :)

Miss Lexy is a model vegan...she works for Mercy For Animals, volunteers at her local animal shelter and cooks and bakes up a vegan storm! She also reviews restaurants and products, plus she posts at VegWeb too. Currently she's less about blogging and more about earning a second college degree but she's sure to return soon...til then, enjoy her Buddha's Delight (and the Jiaozi Dumplings she's got posted with them) and dozens more yumful recipes!  :)

Buddha's Delight

Jiaozi Dumplings

Fried Rice Vegan Style

Mongolian Beefless Beef and Szechuan Snow Peas with Shiitake Mushrooms

"Beef" and Mushroom Casserole with Vegan Sour Cream

Mystery Cheese Ball Spread

Stuffed Crust Pizza

Deep Dish Pizza

Rawtella Stuffed French Toast

Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling & Cream Cheese Frosting

What would you stir in your Buddha's Delight? Do you celebrate the Lunar New Year? How do you eat snow peas? Are you cursing, enjoying or ignoring the snow?  ;)

Check out the rest of our 2014 Daily Food Holiday and Featured Blogger Series!