Edamame

Edamame 

Edamame (枝豆^?) (/ˌɛdəˈmɑːmeɪ/) or edamame bean is a preparation of immature soybeans in the pod, which commonly are found in the cuisines of Japan, China and Hawaii. The pods are boiled in water together with condiments, such as salt, and served whole. Occasionally they are steamed.

Outside East Asia, the dish is most often found in Japanese restaurants and some Chinese restaurants but it also has found popularity elsewhere as a healthy food item.

Edamame

The Japanese name, edamame (枝豆^?), is used commonly to refer to the dish. It literally means, "twig bean" (eda = "twig" + mame = "bean") and refers to young soybeans cropped with their twigs. Edamame also refers to the salt-boiled dish because of its prevalence. Edamame is a popular side dish at Japanese izakaya restaurants with local varieties being in demand, depending on the season. Salt is a typical condiment for edamame. In Japan, arajio is the preferred salt, because it is a natural sea salt. This coarse salt is wet with brine, thus loaded with marine and mineral flavors.

In Chinese, young soybeans are known as maodou (Chinese: 毛豆; pinyin: máodòu; literally "hairy bean"). Young soybeans in the pod are known asmaodoujia (Chinese: 毛豆荚; pinyin: máodòujiá; literally "hairy bean pod"). Because boiling in the pod is the typical preparation for young soybeans, the dish is usually identified via a descriptive name, such as "boiled maodou", or "salt-boiled maodou", depending on the condiments added. Simply saying the name of the bean, maodou, in a Chinese restaurant will produce salt-flavored, boiled maodou.

In Pakistan, edamame beans are known as "photas". They are usually fried in a pan with salt and served slightly burnt. Photas are also a common offering for street vendors, who cook them in heated salt and serve them in paper bags.

Edamame

The earliest documented reference to this green vegetable dates from the year 1275, when the well-known Japanese monk, Nichiren Shonin, wrote a note thanking a parishioner for the gift of "edamame" he had left at the temple. Edamame appeared in haikai verse in Japanese in the Edo period (1603 – 1868), with one example as early as 1638. The earliest recorded usage in English of the word edamame is in 1951 in the journal Folklore Studies. Edamame appeared as a new term in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2003, and in the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2008

Edamame

Green soybeans in the pod are picked before they ripen in order to prepare edamame. The ends of the pod may be cut before boiling or steaming.

Then the pods are boiled in water or steamed. The most common preparation uses salt for taste. The salt may either be dissolved in the boiling water before introducing the soybean pods, or it may be added after the pods have been cooked. Usually, boiled soybean pods are served after cooling or freezing, but they also may be served hot.

Other condiments also may be used. Jiuzao (Chinese: 酒糟; pinyin: jiǔzāo; literally "wine dregs"), made from the highly fermented grain residue left over from the distilling of rice wine, may be used to add fragrance and flavor. Some recipes also call for Sichuan pepper and Five-spice powder may be used for flavoring as well.

Along with eating the beans whole, they may be served as a dip. Packets of seasoning for edamame dip may be found in many Asian or Oriental sections of food markets.

Edamame

The United States Department of Agriculture states that edamame beans are "a soybean that can be eaten fresh and are best known as a snack with a nutritional punch".

Edamame and all preparations of soybeans are rich in carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, and micronutrients, particularly folates, manganese, and vitamin K (table).

The balance of fatty acids in 100 grams of edamame is 361 mg of omega-3 fatty acids to 1794 mg of omega-6 fatty acids.

Edamame beans contain higher levels of abscisic acid, sucrose, and protein than other types of soybeans, and may contain carotenoids.

Edamame

Recipe:

Crispy Edamame 

1 (12 ounce) package frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans) or fresh edamame
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste. 

15 min. in a 400 oven



Pistachio-Encrusted Salmon with Edamame Mash

3 cups shelled edamame
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari
1 tablespoon fish sauce (make sure it’s gluten-free. we like “>Red Boat.)
1/4 cup sesame oil (you might even need more)

1 cup pistachios, shelled
4 4-ounce salmon fillets (we prefer wild Alaskan salmon)
kosher salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour mix
2 tablespoons grapeseed or coconut oil

Preparing to cook. Heat the oven to 450°.

Making the edamame mash. If your edamame are frozen, boil them until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Drain immediately. Pour the edamame into the bowl of a food processor. Add the ginger, rice wine vinegar, tamari, and fish sauce. Whirl them all up in the food processor. They will be a pretty chunky puree. With the food processor running, drizzle in the sesame oil until the edamame mash is smooth and holds together well. (If you the hash still needs more liquid, you can add more sesame oil or a bit of water.) Taste the edamame mash. Season to taste with any of the ingredients you wish. Move the mash to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel.

Chopping the pistachios. After you rinse out the bowl of the food processor, pour in the pistachios. Whirl up the pistachios until they are very finely ground. (See photo above.) Watch out to not grind them too fine. You don’t want pistachio butter.

Cooking the salmon. Season the salmon with salt. Put the beaten eggs in a wide bowl, the flour in another, and the ground pistachios in another. Set a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in the oil. Working quickly, dip the side of the salmon fillet without skin in the flour, then the beaten eggs, and finally the pistachios. Lay the salmon fillet down in the hot oil. (Be sure the lay the fillet away from you, to avoid splattering yourself with hot oil.) Repeat with the remaining salmon fillets.

Sear the salmon until the pistachios are slightly browned, about 3 minutes. Flip them over in the pan and slide the pan in the oven. Cook in the oven until the internal temperature of the salmon has reached 120°. (Depending on the size and thickness of your fillets, this could take anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes. Watch them carefully.)

Dollop some of the edamame mash onto a plate and top with the pistachio salmon. Serve immediately.

Feeds 4.

Source : http://glutenfreegirl.com/pistachio-encrusted-salmon-with-edamame-mash/

Tortellini with Edamame and Smoked Sausage

Ingredients

1 pound frozen cheese tortellini
1 cup shelled edamame*
1 cup diced red pepper
1 pound smoked sausage
1/2 cup Italian dressing

Directions

1. Set 6 quarts of salted water to boil in a large pot.
2. Meanwhile, chop red pepper and slice the smoked sausage into 1/4 inch-thick rounds.
3. Stir-fry red pepper and sausage together until heated through -- about 5 minutes.
4. Add tortellini to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add edamame to water and boil for another 2 minutes. Drain tortellini and edamame well.
6. Toss everything together with the Italian dressing and heat through one final time.

*Ingredient Tips
Edamame (ed-ah-MAH-may) are boiled green soybeans commonly served as a mild, crunchy appetizer in Japanese restaurants. They have become more common in Western culture in recent years. Most often sold in the U.S. frozen in shelled or unshelled form, they are packed with vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, calcium, protein and fiber. For this recipe, frozen shelled is best. If you must buy them in the pod, take the prep time of shelling them into account, it can get very tedious.

Source : http://family.go.com/food/recipe-790972-tortellini-with-edamame-and-smoked-sausage-t/