Best Snack you ever had!! (Vegas Style)

So not too long ago, my girlfriends and I took a trip to Vegas!!! Celebrated her (not mine…yet) thirtieth birthday in style!!! Vegas is notorious for its food and I was not about to miss out. We stayed at the Palms and went to this amazing restaurant called Simon! Named after chef Kerry Simon who we had the pleasure of meeting. (See pictures at the bottom of this post) It is modern American cuisine, but they had some very cool desserts, apps, and spectacular sushi. We opted for the sushi, but first we had their Edamame!! It was amazing. This edamame was wok charred so the outside skin of the edamame had an incredible flavor and the edamame itself was soft and is the perfect protein for a mid afternoon snack.

So now what? I know you don’t have a wok at home but here you will find a simple way to prepare your edamame and enjoy the same wonderful flavors from Simon in Vegas!

1 pound edamame in the pod (just steam in the bag)
3 TBSP Sesame Oil
1 tsp fresh minced Garlic
1 tsp fresh minced Ginger
1 to 2 tsp Togarashi
A splash of rice wine vinegar
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste

(Note: If you are wondering about Togarashi, it is a Japanese spice blend, Shichimi Togarashi is a (seven spice blend) powdered assortment of dried chili peppers and other seasonings. Some ingredients include red chili pepper, yuzu peel (citrus), sesame seeds, Japanese pepper, ginger and seaweed. You can purchase it online for about $2-3, or shop at your local Asian market.

Prepare your edamame and steam in the bag either by microwave cooking instructions or boiling in the bag. Just cook enough to get the edamame soft and tender. Then remove from the bag and set aside. In a medium to large saute pan add the sesame oil and bring to a medium to high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, then add the edamame. Saute for just a minute until the skin starts to brown a bit, add the togarashi, and toss for another minute. It should be sizzling by now. Now add just a splash or two of the rice wine vinegar to help remove any brown bits off of the bottom of the pan and remove from heat. Sprinkle with Sea Salt and Black Pepper (optional). Serve immediately. If you are taking it to work for a snack, let it cool, put it in a microwave safe container and reheat at work. I know you will enjoy this one and again it’s simple and delicious!

Some fun pics from Vegas I thought you might enjoy.

Sushi Simon Style