National Peanut Butter Cookie Day

Another wonderful holiday follows quickly after National Iced Tea Day: it's National Peanut Butter Cookie Day! Well not today, but it was yesterday. In honor of this most important holiday, I knew I HAD to celebrate by making peanut butter cookies. Unfortunately, I recently ran out of milk and eggs. The obvious alternative? No-bakes! You may feel the need to remind me that no-bakes still DO require milk, but wait and see my strange alternative below!

No Bake Cookies
(From my winter guard's fundraiser cookbook.)
Ingredients
1 3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
(Or you can be a milk-less sillyhead like me and use 1/4 cup dry coffee creamer, 1/4 cup cream cheese, & 1/8 cup water!)
1/2 cup butter
4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
(I used smooth, all-natural peanut butter which left delightful peanut butter chunks throughout!)
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions
1. Mix sugar and cocoa in a mixing bowl. Then, in a medium saucepan, melt butter. Once the butter has been melted, combine sugar, milk (or whatever), butter, and cocoa in the saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 1.5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla first. Then mix in peanut butter and oats.

2. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

Look at those peanut butter chunks! Om nom!

I don't keep wax paper around...yet, so I sprayed some cutting boards with non-stick cooking spray and cooled the cookies on them.

I was pleasantly surprised that these turned out so phenomenally well, considering my strange milk substitutions. I'm convinced they're better than the first time I made them the normal way. I ended up with about 30 delicious little cookies, half of which I hope are being consumed by my coworkers as I'm writing this!

It's hard to outshine a food item that gets its own holiday, but the Asian chicken wraps that I made for dinner SURE DO!

Asian Chicken Wraps
(From Better Homes & Gardens Biggest Book of 30 Minute Meals)
Ingredients
1  2- to 2.25 lb. deli-roasted chicken
8  8- to 10-inch flour tortillas
1/2  cup bottled hoisin sauce
1/4  cup finely chopped peanuts
1/4  cup finely chopped green onions
1/2  cup shredded daikon, well drained
3  Tbsp soy sauce
3  Tbsp Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar (I used rice vinegar.)
1  Tbsp water
1  tsp chili oil or toasted sesame oil (I chose the chili oil option.)

Daikon, chopped peanuts, and chopped green onions.

I had never purchased or prepared a daikon before. It's an Asian radish that should be in the international produce section of your supermarket, and it should be peeled before cooking. If you're wary of trying this, I believe carrots or cabbage would make good substitutes in this recipe.


Instructions
1. Remove skin from chicken and discard. Remove chicken from bones and shred chicken (you should have about 4 cups); set aside.

I had chicken breasts in the freezer, so I thawed them and popped them in the oven on a roasting pan at 375° for about 25 minutes. I then shredded them in the food processor which made the chicken really easy to roll up in the tortilla.

2. Heat tortilla for 20 seconds, 2 at a time on a paper towel in the microwave. Spread one side of each tortilla with some of the hoisin sauce; sprinkle with peanuts and green onions. Top with shredded chicken and shredded daikon.

3. Roll up tortillas; halve crosswise.

4. In a small bowl combine soy sauce, vinegar, the water, and oil. Serve as a dipping sauce with chicken roll-ups.

These wraps with the dipping sauce were SO amazing; I even enjoyed trying the new-to-me daikon! Hubby and I both love Asian food, so I let him know that I'll be making these again for him when he comes home in a couple of weeks. The dipping sauce would be delicious to make and keep in your fridge for any time you enjoy Asian food.

I made coleslaw along with the wraps, and since I only enjoy about half of the coleslaws I ever try, I wasn't too enthusiastic about this recipe. I'll post it just in case you happen to love coleslaw and want a new recipe for a pretty basic slaw.

Dutch Treat Coleslaw
(From the BH&G 30 minute meals cookbook.)
Ingredients
1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
2 Tbsp water
1/4 cup salad oil (I used olive oil.)
1 tsp celery seeds (Found in the spice aisle of the grocery store.)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup dairy sour cream (I used onion sour cream dip left over from the nommy Veggie Mash.)
8 cups shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix)
1 small green sweet pepper, chopped

Instructions
1. For dressing, in a small saucepan combine sugar, vinegar, and the water; heat and stir until sugar dissolves.

2. In a blender combine sugar mixture, oil, celery seeds, salt, and black pepper; cover and blend until well mixed. Add sour cream; cover and blend just until combined.

3. In a large bowl combine coleslaw mix and sweet pepper.

4. Add dressing. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Produces 8 to 10 servings. I halved this recipe and still ended up with more coleslaw than I'd like to consume by myself.

Tuna & Pasta Alfredo

Two words that best describe this dish: COMFORT FOOD! Growing up, I always loved those easy summer days of tuna salad, so when the flavor of tuna is combined with soft pasta and creamy alfredo, a big bowl of comfort is the result! This recipe, from the BH&G 30 minute meal cookbook, is quick and easy to make and produces about 6 servings.

Ingredients
3 cups dried mini lasagna, broken mafalda, or medium noodles (I used penne.)
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 cups chopped broccoli rabe or broccoli
1 medium red sweet pepper, chopped (I'm using up bottled red sweet pepper from a previous recipe.)
1 10-oz. container refrigerated Alfredo pasta sauce (I bought a 15 oz. jar in the pasta sauce section.)
2 tsp snipped fresh dillweed (Or 1 tsp dried.)
1-2 Tbsp milk (Optional. I excluded this since I had extra Alfredo sauce.)
1 9.5 oz can tuna (water-packed), drained and broken into chunks (I used two 5-oz. cans.)
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)


Instructions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain well. Return pasta to hot pan. Cover and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add broccoli rabe or broccoli and sweet pepper; cook until tender. Stir in Alfredo sauce and dillweed. If necessary, stir in enough of the milk to make sauce of desired consistency. Gently stir cooked pasta and tuna into broccoli mixture. Heat through.

3. To serve, if desired, sprinkle with almonds.

My tuna alfredo was accompanied by a spinach salad with our homemade balsamic vinaigrette, mushrooms, and cracker crumbles as well as a piece of garlic parmesan toast with olive oil and basil.

National Iced Tea Day
Did you know that June 10th was National Iced Tea Day? Yeah, I didn't either until I found out on Twitter that evening. I couldn't miss out on this opportunity to reconnect with my Southern roots, so I whipped out my iced tea maker and brewed some up!

Water quality makes a big difference! If you make your own ice, use filtered water!

Since it was late in the evening, I made decaf black and Refresh peppermint tea. I only made 1 liter, so I used 3 black and 3 Refresh tea bags with 2 Tbsp of sugar. It was the perfect proportion of black tea, peppermint flavor, and light sweetness.

Down Home Cooking

I recently put together a nice down home meal of pork chops, mashed potatoes, and biscuits and kicked this traditional meal up a notch by trying out Pork Chops with Peppers & Onions (cooked in white wine!),  Veggie Mash, and Cheddar Garlic Biscuits. I love a good twist on an old favorite!

Pork Chops with Peppers & Onions
(From Better Homes & Gardens Biggest Book of 30 Minute Meals)
I'll begin by admitting that this was the least exciting part of the meal. I enjoy the flavor that the white wine adds, and the peppers lend brilliant color, but next time I make pork chops, I'll probably use this recipe as a jumping-off point and add even more flare to it myself!

Ingredients
4 pork loin or rib chops, cut 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (about 1 1/4 lb. total)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into strips
1 medium green sweet pepper, cut into strips
1 medium yellow sweet pepper, cut into strips
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 tsp snipped fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp salt

1. Trim fat from chops. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chops; cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until brown, turning once. Add sweet peppers and onion to skillet. Add the water, wine, rosemary, and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 4 to 7 minutes or until pork is done (160°F) and juices run clear.

The pork chops are under there I promise!

2. Transfer chops to serving plates. Use a slotted spoon to remove pepper mixture from skillet; spoon over chops. If desired, drizzle with some of skillet juices.

Veggie Mash
(From Better Homes & Gardens Biggest Book of 30 Minute Meals)
I'm definitely in love with this recipe and think it will be a staple on our menus from now on. It makes quite a bit, so I think it would be a quick and easy party or potluck dish. These are mashed potatoes you can feel good about!

Ingredients
6 medium carrots, sliced
4 medium red potatoes (1 1/4 lb. total), cut into cubes
1 cup coarsely chopped broccoli
4 oz. onion-flavor dairy sour cream dip
1/2 tsp seasoned pepper (I used garlic pepper.)


Instructions
1. In a covered Dutch oven or large saucepan cook carrots and potatoes in enough boiling salted water to cover about 15 minutes or until tender, adding broccoli for the last 3 minutes of cooking.

2. Drain vegetables; transfer to large bowl. Mash with a potato masher or beat with an electric mixer or low speed. Add dip and seasoned pepper. Beat until fluffy.

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits
(Submitted by my friend Sarah to our winter guard's fundraiser cookbook.)
I had the most fun making this part of the meal! Having recently taken part in baking cookies for my church's VBS program, I took this opportunity to put my newly-acquired dough-rolling and -cutting skills to the test in my own home! I know...I'm really behind in the baking arena; you should have seen my last attempts at baking biscuits! They worked out much better for me this time -- I think the baby step of using baking mix helped me out significantly.

Ingredients
2 cups baking mix
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450°. Mix together baking mix, cold water and grated cheese. Roll out biscuits on a floured surface. Biscuits should be approximately 1" thick.

Like my rolling pin?

2. Cut biscuits with a cutter and place onto an ungreased baking dish (a tray worked out just fine for me).

Like my cutter?

3. Melt butter and seasoning together. Brush with the butter and spices and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Om nom nom!

Lemony Lemon "Brownies" & Pomaritas

Today I bring you another lemon Pinterest find. Apparently I'm on a lemon fix as of late! I think "Lemony Lemon" is an understatement for the amount of lemon flavor that these bars pack. Where I thought the Lemon Crinkle Cookies could use more lemon, I think these "brownies" could use less. My coworkers devoured them though, so if lemon is your thing, I say go for it!

Lemony Lemon Brownies
"Brownie" Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp lemon zest (I omitted this, and they were still super lemony!)

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Tart Lemon Glaze Ingredients

1 rounded cup powdered sugar

4 Tbsp lemon juice 

8 tsp lemon zest (I omitted this yet again.)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease/Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with butter/cooking spray and set aside. Zest and juice two small/large lemons; set aside. (I used bottled lemon juice. Maybe that's why they were so tart?)

2. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined. (I baked these at my friend Danielle's house and therefore forgot we needed a mixer. I stirred it by hand which seemed to work out!)

Danielle always has plenty of flour on hand; that jar probably holds 3 gallons!

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Pour into the flour mixture and beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. 

4. Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before glazing.  Do not overbake, or the bars will be dry even with the yummy glaze.

Baked "brownies" on the left with a shot of our workstation on the right, complete with candle and Nook!

5. When brownies are cooled completely, make the glaze. Sift the powdered sugar, add lemon zest and juice, and whisk together all three ingredients. Spread 1/2 the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula.  Let glaze set.  Spread the remaining glaze over the bars, and let it set. This glaze does not harden like most.  Cut into bars, and serve!

Since I was at Danielle's house, I forgot to take thorough photos of this dessert, but you can see a nice shot at the original recipe page.


Pomaritas
As a quick side note, I'd like to mention that my friend Meagan and I recently made what I'll now call "Pomaritas!" The Pom adds a softer fruity flavor to everyone's favorite tangy beverage!

Ingredients
1 part tequila
1 part Pom juice
2 part lime margarita mix
Fresh lime juice to taste
Margarita salt for the rim!
Ice

Chicken Stir-Fry with Sesame Tofu & East-West Veggies

One of the most exciting parts of this meal was the grocery shopping because I bought tofu for the first time! I've always enjoyed tofu in miso soup, so I thought I'd stop shying away from this stir-fry recipe. If you're seeking a reduction of meat in your diet, I think this recipe would be a great stepping stone since it contains both tofu and chicken, but almost double the amount of tofu compared to the chicken.

The biggest lesson I learned from the tofu experience? Buy flavored tofu next time. Even with it cut up into 3/4" cubes, that's still a lot of bland tofu in one bite, especially for a tofu novice such as myself. The savory chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil do their part to pep it up though! Needless to say, this recipe came from my BH&G 30 minute meals book.

Chicken Stir-Fry with Sesame Tofu
(Makes about 6 servings. By myself, I was eating leftovers for daaaaays!)


Ingredients
1  12-16 oz. tub firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp bottled oyster sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp peanut oil
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground dried ginger
1 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups broccoli florets
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
3 green onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Hot cooked jasmine or regular rice

Instructions
1. Place tofu in a medium bowl. In a small bowl stir together broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the soy mixture over tofu; toss gently to coat.

2. For sauce, stir cornstarch into the remaining soy mixture. Set aside.

3. Pour peanut oil into a wok or large nonstick skillet. Heat wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Stir-fry ginger and garlic in hot oil for 30 seconds. Add chicken. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from wok or skillet.

4. Add broccoli, sweet pepper, and green onions to hot wok. Stir-fry about 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Return chicken to wok or skillet. Stir sauce; add to chicken mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

5. Drain tofu; add to chicken mixture. Cook and stir gently about 1 minute or until heated through. Serve over rice.

This is the wok my mom used when I was growing up; I'm so glad I have it!

The stir-fry was tasty, but it was truly outshone by the East-West Veggies I made with it!

East-West Veggies

(Also makes 6 servings!)

Ingredients

1 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges

6 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 Tbsp bottled hoisin sauce

1 tsp paprika

1 15.25 oz can whole kernel corn, drained

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup chopped celery (I omitted this. Don't like celery, bleh.)

1/2 cup finely chopped red sweet pepper

Instructions

1. In a large skillet heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onion wedges; cook about 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in green onions, hoisin sauce, and paprika. Cook and stir for 1 minute more.

2. Add corn, beans, celery, and red sweet pepper. Cook and stir until heated through.

This dish looks like it leans more towards the "West"ern part of its title, but it tastes decidedly Asian. I love the texture of black beans and corn with the unexpected taste of hoisin sauce; I think I'll make this veggie dish many times more!

(This recipe is also from my BH&G cookbook.)

Carrot Cake

Growing up, carrot cake was my mom's homemade cake of choice, so I've always been biased towards carrot cake, especially NOMMY carrot cake! While trying not to brag, I must say that this carrot cake from that all-knowing tome of cooking knowledge, "The Joy of Cooking," is one of the best carrot cakes I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. It could very well be the best...and it came out of my kitchen!

This cake is very inexpensive to make; usually the only ingredient I have to purchase for it is cream cheese (for the mouth-watering frosting). As I've mentioned before, I typically have carrots hanging out in my fridge, and the recipe uses about 4. I only purchased my first bottle of allspice recently (for stuffed French toast), so I didn't have to pick it up on this shopping trip, but if you don't have any, I recommend making the approximately $3 investment, even if just for carrot cake. Those "Joy of Cooking" people really know their stuff, and as one of my friends observed, the blend of spices in this cake are just perfect.

My friends and I enjoyed this cake so much that I made it again just two days later for church potluck!

Cake Ingredients
(Have all cake ingredients at room temperature.)
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves (I omitted this.)
1/2 tsp freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups finely grated peeled carrots
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (Did not include these.)
1 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, lightly drained (optional)

Cake Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9 x 2-inch round pans or two 8 x 8-inch pans or one 13 x 9-inch pan or line the bottom(s) with wax or parchment paper. (I greased and floured two 9 x 2-inch round pans.)

2. Whisk together thoroughly in a large bowl: flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.

3. Add and stir together well with a rubber spatula or beat on low speed: vegetable oil and eggs.

4. Stir in: carrots, walnuts, and any other optional mix-ins.

"Finely grate" your carrots in the food processor!

Scrape the batter into the pan(s) and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes in round or square pans, 30 to 35 minutes in a 13 x 9-inch pan. Let cool in the pan(s) on a rack for 10 minutes. Slide a thin knife around the cake to detach it from the pan(s). Invert the cake and peel off the paper liner(s), if using. Let cool on the rack.

(The first time I made this cake, I baked it for 25 minutes. The cake had a bit of a hard crust, but I wasn't sure if that was the result of cooking time or the fact that I left it in the pan for too long after removing it from the oven. So I reduced the second cake baking time by just one minute and made sure I inverted it from the pan after 10 minutes of cooling. It was perfect!)

Greasing and flouring your pans is so important for ease of removal!

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
(Have cream cheese cold and butter at room temperature.)
8 oz. cream cheese
5 Tbsp unsalted butter (Optional, but I included it!)
2 tsp vanilla
2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (I used all 2 1/2 cups!)
Ground cinnamon to taste

Frosting Instructions
Combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse just until smooth and creamy. Do not overprocess so as to maintain its smooth, spreadable consistency. Stir in cinnamon.

Frost between cake layers and on top and sides. You'll have plenty of frosting to do so!

Italian Turkey Sandwiches

This recipe creates a great base for sandwich exploration. I added my remaining dilled havarti, and I think the simple addition of cheese really pulls it together into a nommy lunch!

Of course, this recipe is from my BH&G 30 minute meals cookbook. I promise that a recipe from another source is coming very soon!

Ingredients
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed
2 turkey breast tenderloins, halved horizontally (about 1 lb. total)
(As you can see, I bought small turkey tenderloin strips and just layered them on the sandwich.)
2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp snipped fresh basil or 2 tsp dried basil
1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
8 1/2-inch slices Italian bread, toasted
1 cup bottled roasted red &/or yellow sweet peppers, cut into thin strips

Instructions
1. In a large resealable plastic bag combine bread crumbs and Italian seasoning. Place a turkey tenderloin piece in the bag; seal and shake to coat. Repeat with remaining turkey tenderloin pieces.

2. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add turkey; cook about 10 minutes or until tender and no longer pink (170°F), turning once.

3. In a small bowl stir 1 Tbsp of the basil (or 1 tsp dried) into mayonnaise.

4. Spread mayonnaise mixture on one side of each of 4 of the bread slices; top with turkey pieces, sweet pepper strips, and the remaining 1 Tbsp (or 1 tsp dried) basil. Top with remaining bread slices.

Of course this sandwich pairs well with a salad dressed with Italian dressing, parmesan cheese, and whatever else you'd like! I usually have carrots on hand for a healthy, crunchy topping.

Browned Butter Salmon & Potatoes & Sugar Snap Peas

If this salmon and the French toast were to engage in a duel, I'm not sure which would come out on top.... It's easy to predict that the cream cheese-filled and apricot-drizzled French toast will taste just as good as it looks, but a lonely little salmon steak leaves a lot to the imagination.

I'm pretty sure I audibly exclaimed, "Wow!" when I took the first bite of this Browned Butter Salmon, taken from my BH&G 30 minute meals cookbook. The butter, maple syrup, and my substitution of orange honey all join forces to create a warm, rich flavor that doesn't overpower the yummy salmon.

Ingredients
4 fresh or frozen salmon or halibut steaks, cut 1" thick (about 1.5 lb. total)
(I bought one salmon steak that weighed a little over 1 lb and cut it into four pieces which were each a perfect serving size.)
Salt
Black pepper
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
(I used the store-brand maple syrup that's not "pure" maple, and I think it tasted just fine!)
1 tsp finely shredded orange peel

I know I mentioned in the Lemon Crinkle Cookie post that I hate zest, and I cannot be fooled by finely shredded orange peel! I don't want to do it! I remembered that we have a jar of orange blossom honey that  was given to us, and we've hardly used it because...we have A LOT of honey. (But that's another story!)

Instead of using 2 Tbsp of maple syrup, I cut back to 1 Tbsp syrup and then substituted the orange peel for 1 Tbsp of the orange honey. Judging by the end result, it was a very nommy decision!

Instructions
1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of each fish steak with salt and pepper; set aside. Ins a small saucepan cook the butter over medium heat about 3 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes. Stir in maple syrup and orange peel/orange honey (mixture may thicken).

3. Meanwhile, line unheated broiler pan with foil; grease rack. Place fish on prepared rack of broiler pan. Spread both sides of each fish steak with the browned butter mixture.

4. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 5 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully turn fish over. Broil for 3 to 7 minutes more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

What pairs better with rich, buttery salmon than fresh red potatoes and sugar snap peas??

Potatoes & Sugar Snap Peas

As usual, this recipe is from my handy BH&G 30 minute meals cookbook.

Ingredients

8 small red potatoes (1.5 lb. total), quartered

12 oz. fresh sugar snap peas

(Try cutting the end stems off with scissors instead of a knife!)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed, or dried dillweed

(I tried the thyme option and look forward to trying it with dill!)

1/4 tsp salt

I always cut any little eye sprouts out with the pointy end of a peeler. They're toxic, dontcha know!

Instructions

1. In a covered medium saucepan cook potatoes in a small amount of boiling lightly salted water for 12 minutes.

2. Add sugar snap peas. Cook, covered about 3 minutes more or until sugar snap peas are crisp-tender and potatoes are tender; drain.

3. Add oil, thyme/dill, and salt. Toss to coat.