Sesame Snap Peas and R.I.P. Old Lady Cart (2007-2011)

Yesterday, HOTUS and I hosted (HOTUSted?) our first official family holiday, if you don’t count that one time everyone came over and sang karaoke for Arbor Day. We were celebrating Easter, as well as the debut of our wedding dishes ™, a monumental event in any aspiring adult’s life. My sister and her lovely man friend brought us roses, which were promptly made into a cat appetizer (catpetizer?).

Alas, we were also commemorating the loss of our Old Lady Cart (2007-2011), a beloved and highly useful member of the family. If you’ve ever been to New York, you’ve seen an old lady cart, probably pushed around by a baby boy. (Just kidding.) The four-wheeled device is kind of like a shopping cart, but smaller, more colorful, and incredibly prone to catching a wheel on sidewalk cracks, which then causes it to pitch forward, which then causes you to fall into it (shins first), which then leaves you with a bruise that lasts longer than the Roosevelt presidency. (Franklin Delano, not Theodore No Middle Name).

Our particular Old Lady Cart bit the dust on Saturday, the victim of overloading after a trip to CostCo. What began as, “I’m just getting a hunk of brie for my parents,” turned into, “Why WOULDN’T we want 90 ounces of Palmolive?” The right front wheel snapped 60 blocks north of my apartment, in the rain, after a nasty bump. It wasn’t pretty. And neither was I, at the end of the journey. Badness.

(Also, if the nice man who helped me lug the disabled cart up three flights of subway stairs happens to read this blog – thank you. And I’m sorry I almost dropped it all those times.)

Anyway, back to Easter. We feasted on many delectable hors d’oeuvres, drank much Gruner Veltliner, and dug into a homemade pie from my Ma and Pa, the finest purveyors of homemade pie in three states (Alaska, South Carolina, and Wyoming). But the centerpiece was Dave Lieberman’s Braised Hoisin Beer Short Ribs with Creamy Mashed Yukons and Sesame Snow Peas. It’s neither cheap nor healthy, but sweet Bea Arthur, was it ever good.

Well, I take some of that back. That last part – the Sesame Snow Peas – fall quite nicely into the parameters of this here blog. Due to a mix-up at the grocery story (meaning: I got mixed up), we used snap peas instead of snow peas. No big whoop. Thing still came out dang fine. Crisp, tender, and just the right counter for extra-heavy potatoes and beef.

If you should make it yourself, feel free to reduce the oil, possibly by quite a lot. We used a nonstick skillet, and didn’t need anywhere near the prescribed amount (3 tablespoons). I think about half would do it.

And that’s it. Hope y’all had a happy (also hoppy) Easter, and that your old lady carts live forever. *sniffle*

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If this looks quite tasty, you will most definitely enjoy:

• Broccoli Almond Stir Fry
• Sautéed Shrimp and Asparagus with Sesame Seeds
• Vegetable Lo Mein

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Sesame Snap Peas
Serves 6
From Dave Lieberman.

1 lb. snap peas, washed and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted if preferred

In a large skillet, heat oils over medium-high heat. Add peas and sauté about 2 or 3 minutes, until they are bright green. Remove to a bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
99 calories, 7.7 g fat, 2 g fiber, 2.2 g protein, $0.46

NOTE: Honestly, you could probably cut the oil in half and still have a really nice dish here. Give it a shot.

Calculations
1 lb. snap peas, washed and thoroughly dried: 191 calories, 0.9 g fat, 11.8 g fiber, 12.7 g protein, $1.99
2 tablespoons vegetable oil: 265 calories, 30 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.18
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil: 119 calories, 13.5 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.40
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted if preferred: 17 calories, 1.5 g fat, 0.4 g fiber, 0.5 g protein, $0.17
TOTALS: 592 calories, 45.9 g fat, 12.2 g fiber, 13.2 g protein, $2.74
PER SERVING (TOTALS/6): 99 calories, 7.7 g fat, 2 g fiber, 2.2 g protein, $0.46