Wassabi Edamame

Today’s Super Bowl post is dedicated to the one true reason (besides the gluttony of food) that I sit down and watch football games.

Commercials.

And to fully celebrate that truth, let’s begin with this simple video.

Roll it, Budweiser.

If you haven’t guessed it yet – and hey, it’s in the title – I’m paying homage to not only some of the greatest Super Bowl advertising, but one of the greatest bar food bites: wasabi snacks.

Now, traditionally, these crunchy treats are made with peas and loads of sodium. But thanks to a suggestion from one of my food savvy friends, I thought I’d give it a low-sodium go.

First, I found sound green, freeze-dried veggies that would serve as the flavor canvas. I had intentions to use Just Peas (0 mg of sodium), but Whole Foods was out. Luckily, the Ferry Building had some Crunchies Edamame (0 mg of sodium) on hand instead, and I thought that this turned out to be a more appropriate wasabi vehicle.

As for the tangy, eye-watering taste, I did have some wasabi powder on hand. But for some reason, when I mixed it with water, it just didn’t taste right. Perhaps my powder was old. So I approximated the same flavor with horseradish, mustard, and a few other special ingredients.

All that was left was to mix, bake, and eat. It was that simple.

So Jenais and my other Sodium Girl friends, the rest is spicy, snacking history.

This bowl’s for you.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups freeze-dried edamame or peas (0 mg of sodium)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon horseradish (look for brand with 20mg of sodium per teaspoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon brown sugar

Directions:

1. Turn oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl, mix the honey, olive oil, cayenne, horseradish, mustard, garlic powder, and brown sugar.

3. Add the freeze-dried veggies (edamame or peas) to the bowl and mix by hand.

4. Spread the veggies onto a greased/non-stick baking sheet and put into the oven.

5. Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes. Check to make sure it is crisping, not burning.

6. Take the veggies out of the oven and put into a serving dish. Enjoy.