I’m a sucker for classic food combinations: peanut butter and jelly, rice and beans, chocolate and almonds, eggs and toast, and–of course–peas and carrots.

One of my favorite gems of the early summer garden, sweet peas make their way into my cooking every week. When I was a kid and my mom would send me out to the backyard to pick peas for dinner, rarely would I come back without having eaten several handfuls of pods. True, shelling peas is not a task for the impatient, but the reward of all those tiny sweet orbs is worth every second.

It will be a few months before fresh peas make their appearance at my farmers’ market, but thankfully they are one vegetable I don’t mind buying frozen. Peas still retain a good bit of sweetness and bright color in the freezer, and in the time it would have taken me to shell several cups of peas, I can have an entire meal hot and ready on the table.

With spring holidays approaching, I thought a simple side dish of one of my favorite culinary combos—peas and carrots—was in order. Add this to your Easter menu, or serve it up on Mother’s Day with a seasonal frittata (maybe this one?) and some Lavender Almond Tea Biscuits. What mom wouldn’t love waking up to that kind of meal?

A few notes about the ingredients. If you’re not used to working with mint in savory dishes, start out with less than what I have in the recipe. It has a strong, bright flavor that I love, but too much will quickly turn a side dish into toothpaste to some palates. If mint isn’t your thing, try any other fresh herb here. Chives, dill, or parsley would all be perfectly acceptable substitutes. Also, you can use olive oil in place of the coconut oil if you’d like, but I think the coconut oil adds a great layer of nutty flavor and fragrance to the dish.

Minty Peas & Carrots

Serves 4

1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil

3 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced into half-moons

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

1 (16 ounce) package frozen peas, thawed

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

 

Heat coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add carrots and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and heat through for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the mint and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Find more nutritious recipes at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.