a taste of tuesday: Pea Shoot BLT Salad

BLT Pea Shoot salad

Pea shoots are basically the leaves of young pea plants. I got ours from our local farmer's market.

But I borrowed this picture from here

Everything tastes better with meat candy. That's what my brother, Gene, calls bacon. Meat candy.. and there is good reason for it. This recipe (from Everyday w/ Rachael Ray) is fun, easy and delicious, but not one that I would recommend eating everyday. Even though 3 of the 4 main ingredients are veggies, the bacon (and accompanying grease) makes this dish far from what I'd call 'healthy'... but it was delicious none the same! Did I say it was delicious? 

Ingredients

• 4 ounces sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
• 12 ounces fresh pea shoots
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a wok or large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat, stirring, until nearly crisp, about 3 minutes. I prefer to cook my bacon in the toaster oven at 400 for 15-18 minutes - less mess and you can control the amount of grease that ends up in your final dish. Cook and then transfer bacon and a little bit of it's geasy goodness into a large skillet.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the pea shoots and stir-fry until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

What's your favorite pea shoot recipe?