Easy Roasted Sugar Snap Peas

Sugar snap peas are a wonderful spring treat for us.  When in season, my daughter has them almost everyday as a part of her lunch.  We usually love to snack on them raw, but this roasted version is fantastic!  It takes just a few ingredients and only a few minutes to make.  They pair nicely with a wide variety of main courses from pastas to burgers and more.  Simple and delicious, what more can you ask for?  :)

Ingredients

10 oz fresh sugar snap peas
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp shallots, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place the sugar snap peas in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle the olive oil over them and toss to coat evenly.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Top with the shallots and thyme.  
3. Bake for about 8 minutes until tender but still firm.  

Chinese Chicken Salad

I love having a big entree salad for dinner, it just feels so clean and healthy.  I try to have a salad dinner several times a month and this salad was a wonderful addition to my line-up.  It has so many textures with the lettuce, cabbage, won ton skins, sugar snap peas, almonds, and chicken.  The dressing was light and the oranges added an extra burst of flavor in every bite.  This will be on permanent rotation in my house from now on.  I hope you try it too!

Ingredients (makes 4 entree salads)

For the salad:

1 large head romaine, chopped into bite sized pieces

1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced

1/2 pound sugar snap peas, sliced into 1 inch pieces

1/2 C cilantro, finely chopped

4 -5 C cooked chicken or Gardien Chick'n Scallopini, cut or torn into pieces

1/2 C scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 C sliced almonds

crispy fried won ton skins

toasted sesame seeds

8 mandarin oranges, peeled and separated

For the dressing

1/4 C soy sauce

1/4 C lemon juice

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

3 Tbsp peanut oil

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing.  Whisk thoroughly and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and scallions.  Pour 1/3 C dressing in with the chicken and scallions.  Toss to combine.
3. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, cabbage, sugar snap peas, and cilantro.  Add dressing (whisking continuously to prevent separation).  Toss to evenly coat.  Add the chicken mixture and toss.  
4. Serve on individual plates and top with almonds, sesame seeds, won ton skins, and orange slices.    Enjoy!