I peas in reality they are actually legumes but fresh legumes, as we know, have nutritional characteristics that make them assimilate to the large family of vegetables.
Fresh peas are an extremely versatile food and are very suitable both for the preparation of first courses, combining them with pasta, rice, spelled, barley ... and as a side dish and for the preparation of various types of second courses.
Fresh peas are rich in iron, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin CC and vitamin PP.
That beautiful bright green color is given by thehigh presence of chlorophyll, which stimulates the body to produce red blood cells.
Tips for buying fresh peas
When buying fresh peas pay attention to the appearance of the pod which must result from a bright color and not yellowed and appear crunchy and not soft. In addition, it is preferable to choose the smaller ones that generally contain a more tender fruit.
Once purchased, fresh peas can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days but they must be shelled only at the moment of consumption. The pod, in fact, keeps them tender.
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How to cook fresh peas
Peas can also be eaten raw, but it is advisable not to overdo the quantity because cooking makes them more digestible.
To cook them very quickly simply sauté them quickly in a pan and season them with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. At this point they can be used as a side dish or to season rice or other cereals.
There are many recipes that involve the use of fresh peas. For example, you can prepare very tasty salads. A few examples?
> Pea salad, asparagus e radishes. Blanch the peas and asparagus, allow to cool, add to the radishes and season with salt and extra virgin olive oil.
> Fresh pea salad, fresh broad beans e zucchini. Cut the courgettes very thin and grill them, blanch the fresh peas. In a large bowl add the grilled courgettes, cut into not too small pieces, the blanched peas and the fresh raw broad beans. Season with extra virgin olive oil, pepper and salt.
> Tuna and pea salad. Cook the fresh peas for ten / fifteen minutes in boiling water, allow to cool, add the tuna in oil or natural and season with salt and extra virgin olive oil.
The recipe for the cream of fresh peas
Cream of fresh peas is a healthy dish and very simple to make, which even children like.
Ingredients for people 4
> 1 kg of fresh peas (the weight refers to peas already shelled);
> 350 ml of vegetable broth (set aside a little more broth);
> sale;
> 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese;
> 100 g of onions;
> pepe;
> 20 g of extra virgin olive oil.
Preparation
Prepare the vegetable broth. Clean and slice the onion and let it dry in boiling oil, being careful not to burn it. Add the fresh peas, cook for about five minutes and then pour 350 ml of vegetable broth. Continue cooking for another 15/20 minutes and turn off the heat.
Blend everything with an immersion blender and, if you want to obtain a less dense final result, add more broth, season with salt and pepper and continue cooking for another five minutes. Finish the dish with the grated Parmesan. If you want to obtain a perfectly smooth pea cream, before adding the cheese, sift it with a sieve.
If, on the other hand, you want to make it more creamy and greedy, add one or two tablespoons of cow's milk ricotta. Serve with croutons.
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