What To Do With EDAMAME

Shelled edamame are very low in calories and fat, but packed with protein and fiber. Not only that... they have a nutty flavor and are delicious no matter how you serve them. If you are looking for a great snack for the family that's good for them instead of fattening chips, then try preparing frozen edamame (fresh soybeans) in the shell, it's simple. The frozen edamame comes in large frozen bags, and are already pre-cooked, so all you need to do is take out as many as you want, drop them into a pot of salted boiling water, cook for 3-4 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, then season with sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. If you like them a little spicy, like I do, then buy a bottle of kimchee sauce. Just splash it on, toss and eat. Otherwise, here are a few other ways to enjoy this great product:

Salmon Linguini with Edamame & Wasabi-Soy Butter Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shelled cooked edamame, thawed if frozen
1 clove garlic
1/2 pound fresh salmon, skin and bones removed
1/2 pound linguini dry pasta

1 tablespoon salt for pasta water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
1 tablespoon Tamari sauce

Procedure:

Thaw the frozen edamame, if frozen, and remove the beans from the pods. Reserve about 1/3 of the edamame beans, then finely chop the remaining 2/3. Thinly slice the garlic, and slice the fresh salmon into bite size pieces. 

Put the linguini pasta in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water. Cook pasta for about 9 minutes, or until just cooked.

Meanwhile, lightly sauté the garlic in olive oil in a frying pan over low heat. Add the salmon pieces, and sauté for about 5 minutes or until just cooked. Mix in the chopped edamame beans, butter, wasabi paste, and Tamari sauce for the pasta sauce. Strain the water from the cooked pasta. Toss the strained pasta with the sauce to coat. Plate the pasta, then add the whole edamame beans as a garnish on top of the pasta before serving. Makes 2 servings.

Crispy Shrimp Tempura with 
Edamame-Black Ear Mushroom Salad

Ingredients for salad:
1/4 cup (.5 ounces) dried Chinese black ear mushrooms (also called black fungus)
1/2 cup shelled cooked edamame, thawed if frozen
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Tamari sauce, or soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet cooking rice wine)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Ingredients for shrimp tempura:

8 jumbo shrimps, peeled and deveined (with a knife, make 3 small slices on the bottom of each shrimp to keep them from curling while cooking)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sparkling water (club soda)
1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 cups canola oil for deep-frying

Procedure:
Soak dried mushrooms in plenty of warm water for about 30 minutes or until soft, then drain (they will more than double in size, so use a bowl that will accommodate that). Make the marinade by combining salt, Tamari sauce, sesame oil, seasoned rice vinegar, and mirin, in a medium bowl. Add the mushrooms. Chop most of the edamame, leaving a few whole for garnish. Add the chopped edamame beans to the marinade. Stir to coat everything with the marinade, then let sit in the refrigerator to chill, while you fry the shrimp. When ready to serve, garnish the top of each salad with whole edamame and toasted sesame seeds.

In a wok or large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer, inserted in the oil, reaches 375˚F. While the oil is heating, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the club soda and sesame oil. Stir until just combined and still lumpy. Dip the shrimp in the batter and fry, 3 or 4 at a time, turning the shrimp until the batter is golden and crispy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve tempura shrimp with a sweet chili dipping sauce like Mae Ploy brand, or (see recipe index under sauces) with the marinated mushroom salad on the side. Note: If you like, add a splash of Hawaiian chile pepper water or hot sauce to the mushroom marinade instead of the mirin, for a spicier salad. Serve with a bowl of Jasmine rice, cold beer, or hot tea. Makes 2 servings.

Edamame Wild Rice Salad 
with Cranberries
Ingredients:
1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds, toasted
4 cups cooked wild rice
3 medium scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 cups shelled cooked edamame, thawed if frozen
2 medium carrots, peeled and small dice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons honey
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Procedure:
Place the almonds in a medium frying pan over medium heat and toast, stirring often, until golden brown (do not let the nuts burn), about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl. Add the sesame seeds to the pan and toast, stirring often, until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the almonds.

Add the rice, scallions, edamame, carrots, and cranberries to the bowl with the almonds and sesame seeds and toss to combine.

Whisk the olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Drizzle over the rice mixture and toss to combine. Taste and season as needed with more salt, pepper, and vinegar. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Edamame Salsa Salad with Quinoa

Ingredients for quinoa:
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup quinoa

Ingredients for salad:
3 cups frozen corn
1 16-ounce can black beans
1 1/2 cups frozen, shelled edamame
1 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
6 green onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced

Ingredients for vinaigrette:
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons smooth dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil

Procedure:
Place water and quinoa in a small saucepan and prepare according to package directions (which will probably indicate that you will bring them to a boil and then simmer, covered, for about 10-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed). NOTE: If your quinoa is not pre-rinsed, then before you add it to the saucepan, you will need to rinse it in a sieve, swishing it with your fingers until the water runs clear.

Meanwhile, in a colander, rinse and drain the corn, black beans and edamame, just to wash away the liquid from the beans and help the edamame and corn to begin thawing. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add red pepper, cilantro, green onions, garlic and prepared quinoa.

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine lemon juice, soy sauce, mustard and olive oil in a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine and then pour over vegetable mixture.

Chill for an hour or two before serving to allow the flavors to combine. Makes 7-8 cups.

For even more recipes, check out this previous post "The Addictive Edamame" click here