Fish and chips aren’t the same without mushy peas! Drain a large can of peas and blend briefly until the peas are still partly intact. Then heat in a pan with some butter, crème fraîche or double cream, and salt and pepper.
Peas are fantastic added to risottos. First, make a Risotto Bianco, adding other vegetables such as carrots and French beans halfway through the cooking time. After it has been cooking for 15 minutes, add the canned peas to make a spring vegetable risotto. Alternatively, fry some chopped bacon and add to the basic risotto along with the peas to make a bacon and pea risotto. Serve with grated Parmesan.
Make an easy pea soup by heating some olive oil in a pan, then fry a medium chopped onion and a garlic clove for a few minutes before adding the drained peas and some vegetable stock. Simmer for 15 minutes or so, then take off the heat and blend the mixture until smooth. Then return to the pan and heat through once more. Season to taste and serve with some crusty bread.
Adding peas to tea-time favourite macaroni cheese will add fibre and nutrients. First cook the macaroni and set aside while you make a roux sauce with butter, plain flour and milk. When the sauce is starting to thicken, take the pan off the heat and stir in some grated Cheddar until it’s melted. Add the macaroni and drained peas to the sauce, then put in an ovenproof dish, top with some grated Cheddar and grill until the cheese is bubbling.
For a tasty vegetable curry, fry an onion in some olive oil, then add garlic, some cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder. After a few minutes, add a selection of vegetables including chopped carrots, potatoes and some tinned peas, a can of tinned tomatoes and a vegetarian stock cube and simmer for about 25 minutes. Serve with rice.
To make Cottage Pie, fry an onion and some chopped carrot in some olive oil until they start to soften, then add some beef mince and fry until it’s brown. Add a can of drained peas, season and then put in an ovenproof dish topped with some mashed potato and a sprinkling of Cheddar. Bake for half an hour or so in a hot oven until the top is brown.