Cooking with Chef Jo: Snack Green Peas No Wasabi

 My #2 grandson loved these since he was a toddler, now 18.He could eat a whole bag every time he visited on average of two or three times a week. At the time, they were $1 a bag plus shipping. Being an absolutely fabulous grandmama, I tended to keep whatever each grandchild liked on hand. But it began eating away at my pocketbook. So I learned how to make them from frozen green peas.

Now you can find Wasabi peas everywhere, but the no wasabi peas are still a specialty order thing.

It's that time of year when the snap or English peas are ready to be picked or soon will be. It's time to empty the green peas out of my freezer for this year's crop. Once roasted and vacuum sealed, they will keep for an additional 6 months to a year in an air tight container or vacuum sealed bag. Warning: they are additive!

This recipe is for 5 lbs of green peas. Sounds like a lot? It isn't. Trust me. I used to do 10 to 20 lbs at a pop.

Jo's Kasugai Style Roasted Peas
5 lbs frozen peas, rinsed under cold water and strainec
2 cup Mochiko flour, recipe to follow
2 TBS Tahini pasta
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBS sea salt, fine
Spray oil

• Rinse peas under water and spread peas on layers of paper towels
• In large bowel, mix Mochiko flour, sugar, and salt.
• Lightly spray peas with oil spray. Toss well to cover the peas well.
• Roll peas into tahini paste until lightly coated..
• Place a couple handful of peas into the flour mixture and coat well.
• Repeat until all peas are covered.
• Place peas on parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Do not over crowd the pan.
• Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Shake pan occasionally to rotate the peas while roasting.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool before bagging them for storage.

Mochito Flour
2 cup short grained rice
2 cup hot water
1/8 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

• Dissolve sugar and salt in hot water.
• Pour over rice in microwave safe container with vented lid.
• Microwave 100% power for 2 minutes.
• Stir well.
• Repeat the process until there is no visible liquid in the container (about 4 times)
• The rice will be tender and mushy.
• Remove rice from the container and spread thinly on parchment lined baking sheet.
• Flip the mixture several times a day or place in the dehydrator until dry and hard.
• Grind pieces into fine flour.
• Store in air tight container.

Enjoy!

Have a blessed day!

Jo