Edamame Snacks

Snacking is always fun, Unfortunately it's not always healthy which is a pain. That problem can be solved by making those yummy soy beans or edamame. These beans are not only fun but good for you. They make a great treat for movie night or during football games.

The beans were the subject of Mark Bittman's column How To Cook Anything in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. Edamame is an excellent snack along with any other bean as Mr. Bittman points out, He seems like an avid vegetable gardener as he describes the variety of his homegrown legumes from black beans to scarlet runners. Any bean can be turned into a snack, All you do is just boil them, drain them and then sprinkle them, preferably with coarse sea salt. They're an excellent source of protein which are rich in proteins and good carbohydrates.They're also devoid of all that fat and transfat most snacks have.

Now here's th e fun part. Use spices and sauces to jazz up them and any other bean. Most people like edamame just with a sprinkle of sea salt and maybe dipping the pods in a rich dark soy sauce. However , there are other dips that work just as well, Try rice vinegar or lemon juice for a tart variation.Toast sesame seeds til they pop and sprinkle them onto the shelled beans. You could also add a few chiles for some bite.Toast nori or Japanese seaweed and crumble on top. You can also toss the shelled beans with curry or chili powder for some fun fire,. Another idea is to  sweat some garlic or ginger in peanut oil. Drizzle this over the edamame.

Edamame is a good and healthy snack. Have them plain or with a variety of sauces for a different kind of nibble. They're fun and unusual , but better than the usual fare.