Spicy Edamame Pods

It's official! The Floptimism Kitchen has moved zip codes yet again, and as of 8pm tonight, 98% of it is out of boxes. The bedroom, on the other hand...well, I'm working on it. You can see where my priorities are.

I had every intention of cooking up a storm this last week of the semester, but little did I know what a lofty goal this was in combination with the move. Dinner came at 10pm last night in the form of jalapeno-topped pizza, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like a real college student. But even then, I planned to go to the grocery store today and start up with my more typical cooking habits. Then, something very significant happened (studying), and something equally significant did not happen (unpacking), and I threw in the towel. This week will be one of assembly more than cooking, to say the least. Peanut butter sandwiches? Cereal? Grilled Cheese? Meals of Champions, the dishes that will, this week, allow me to maintain some semblance of sanity. You see, Nutritionists are human, too.
I thought it'd be appropriate, then, to share with you a recipe that can be pulled together without anything except a few handy ingredients and a microwave. Edamame is not a full meal in itself, but prepared this way it certainly could be a tasty snack or memorable side dish / meal component. Ever since first being introduced to this fantastic little legume, I have thoroughly enjoyed a nice bowl of edamame pods sprinkled with some coarse salt. It has protein and healthy fats to tide you over between meals, and it has such a clean and satisfying flavor. Plus, finger foods are always fun. But little did I know just how incredible they could be! With just a small amount of flavoring, these pods can be transformed into a dish that will knock your socks off. My lips were burning by the end of it, but I was smiling to myself, enjoying every bit of it. The flavor was phenomenal, with the "meaty" savory components of the edamame mixed with the tangy lemon juice and spicy red pepper flakes.

Even if you don't like spicy food (which, if you're still reading, I'm thinking you probably do), try this out with other seasonings. Even just microwaving the frozen pods in lemon juice instead of water would be a wonderful change to the standard home edamame preparation. I have no doubt that the remaining few pods I have in my freezer will be making another zesty appearance on my plate before the week is out - they're the perfect solution to easy food prep to break up my insert-ingredient-between-two-slices-of-bread menu I've got going on for Final's Week.

One Year Ago: Happy Biscuits!

Spicy (Or Not) Edamame Pods, adapted from Sippity Sup
Yield: infinitely adaptable!

The Ingredients
handful of frozen edamame pods per person
lemon juice, no more than 1 1/2 tablespoons
curry power and red pepper flakes, to taste
coarse salt, to taste

The Method
Place the edamame in a microwave-safe bowl and add the lemon juice, curry powder, and red pepper flakes. Toss to coat. Microwave according to instructions on the package, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave, check to make sure the pods have thawed and warmed, and top with coarse salt.

No pictures today, but if you're curious, the blogger who posted about the original recipe had some pretty nice ones. Enjoy!

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