Wilted Pea Shoots over Quinoa for One

It’s summer and the farmer’s market is full of delights. Besides the figs that I’m obsessed with, the variations of peas that are available makes me very happy indeed. This quick little dish whips up in no time, and takes advantage of the bounty of the season.

½ cup fresh shiitake mushrooms (or blend of more domestic varieties)

1 TBLSP vegan butter

1 clove garlic, minced finely

1 cup pea tips (or other delicate green, such as arugula or dill fronds), chopped roughly

1/3 cup snap peas, cut into thirds

2 green onion, diced

1 TBLSP fresh tarragon, chopped loosely

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 TBLSP water

1 TBLSP rice vinegar

1 TBLSP soy sauce

½ cup cooked red quinoa

1 TBLSP raw cashews

1. Chop the mushrooms loosely. You’ll want to break them up, but not lose their essential mushroom shape. Sauté them in the butter until they soften a bit. Toss the garlic in and sauté a bit more. It should smell pretty amazing.
2. Toss in the pea tips and let them wilt while you prepare the snap peas. Add the snap peas and the green onion, and then sprinkle the tarragon on top of that. Stir it all up so that the pea shoots wilt prettily. Grind in the pepper.
3. Add in the water, and stir it around until the water is pretty much evaporated away. Then add in the vinegar and soy sauce. Pull it off the heat just as the soy sauce begins to boil, which should be almost immediately.
4. Toss the cashews into the now empty but still hot pan and give them a shake or two.
5. Prepare the plate by making a circle or a mound of the quinoa and settle the pea shoots on top of it. When the cashews begin to smell nutty, sprinkle them over the top.

Variations:

• This would be nice would sesame oil instead of butter and sesame seeds instead of cashews.
• Toss in some red pepper flakes if you swing that way.
• You could add some faux meat, such as beer brats or kielbasa with the water and vinegar if you were looking for a more substantial meal.