Friday, June 4, 2010

Snap Pea, Bell Pepper And Sesame Salad


It's June, summer is here, the temperatures are creeping up the mercury.  Every year, when I feel the weather shift, I shift my diet, too.  I stop braising and start grilling.  I trade in roasted vegetables for all manner of salads.  Here's a great one I made the other night as a side dish.  It's simple--filled with raw snap peas and yellow bell peppers--and tossed with lemon juice, sesame oil and sesame seeds.  The combination is stunningly scrumptious and refreshing.

It's also super healthy.  For starters, snap peas are bursting with health benefits.  They're loaded with 8 vitamins, 7 minerals, dietary fiber and protein.  Brightly colored bell peppers, like the yellow ones used in this recipe, are health superstars, full of Vitamin C and A, as well as a host of other nutrients.  Meanwhile, sesame seeds are no slackers in the health department.  Not only are they "a very good source of manganese and copper, but they are also a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber." 

Snap Pea, Bell Pepper And Sesame Salad
Serves 4 people
Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups raw snap peas, larger ones halved
2 yellow, orange or red bell peppers, julienned
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
salt and pepper

Directions
Toss the snap peas and bell peppers with the sesame seeds, lemon juice and sesame oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!

Source For Ingredients
snap peas, organic yellow bell peppers and organic lemons from Trader Joe's

black sesame seeds (Gomasio) and toasted sesame oil from Whole Foods

Music On Tap
The National - High Violet

"High Violet, the new full-length record by the National, is a nervy, melodic, explosive and beautiful set of songs that find the band at the height of their collaborative powers. The music is wide-ranging in its moods, by turns intimate and rough, expansive and spare, full of stark angles and atmosphere."
--From Amazon

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