As the cost-of-living rises, members of the UK public are looking for easy ways to make nutritious meals on a budget. And frozen peas offer nutrition, good value and low wastage, making them a crucial addition to any freezer.
Did you know that Britain is 90% self-sufficient in pea production? Eeach summer growers up and down Britain's East Coast harvest and freeze 2 billion portions of peas to feed the nation for a full year.
There are 35,000 hectares of peas grown in the UK annually, producing 160,000 tonnes of frozen peas.
In the six-week British harvesting season farmers work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using viners to harvest, shell and transport the peas from field to frozen as quickly as possible.
Alongside your below feature, we thought it would be great to include some low-cost recipes in addition to energy saving tips!
We want to make peas the star of the dish rather than just a last-minute addition, and the following recipes do just that. These recipes, which can be credited to the Yes Peas! campaign, are a great way to feed your family on a budget, at under £1 per serving. We’ve done all the calculations for you below!
£0.76 P(EA) PER SERVING: CHICKPEA AND TURMERIC PANCAKES WITH CRUSHED PEAS, ROAST BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND TAHINI DRESSING
Vegan. Serves 4.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PANCAKES
100g chickpea (gram) flour
100g frozen peas, defrosted and crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp sea salt flakes & freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
FOR THE DRESSING
300g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp tahini
4 heaped tbsp chopped fresh mint and coriander
1 garlic clove, crushed
Zest and juice of 1 lime
FOR THE SQUASH AND PEA FILLING
½ butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp chilli flakes
250g frozen peas, cooked
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
To make the pancakes, put the flour, peas, oil, turmeric, salt and pepper into a bowl and whisk together. Add 150ml of cold water and whisk to make a smooth batter. Set aside for one hour.
Combine all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl, adding a little water to thin down and cover with cling film and put in the fridge to chill.
Spread the chopped squash and onion in a single layer in a baking tray. Drizzle over the oil, then sprinkle the cumin seeds, garam masala and chilli flakes over the squash and onion, seasoning with salt and a little pepper.
Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning the vegetables half way through until golden and tender. Take out of the oven and mix in the peas. Keep warm.
To cook the pancakes, heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and add a little of the vegetable oil. Turn the heat down to a medium heat and pour a quarter of the batter into the pan, swirling the pan so that the batter covers the base. Cook until the pancake sets, this should take around a minute, toss the pancake and cook for about 10 seconds longer.
Transfer to a plate and keep warm by covering loosely with foil. Repeat with the remaining batter until you have 4 pancakes.
To serve, divide the roasted squash and red onion mixture between the pancakes and spoon over some dressing. Lightly fold the pancakes over and serve immediately.
£0.80 P(EA) PER SERVING: PEA, SWEET POTATO AND FETA TRAYBAKE WITH THYME AND LEMON
Vegetarian and Gluten Free. Serves 4.
INGREDIENTS
500g sweet potatoes, washed and cut into small chips
2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks
1 bunch spring onions, washed and trimmed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried red chilli flakes
Juice and rind of 1 lemon
300g frozen peas
400g Feta, broken into chunks
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 210C/190C Fan/Gas 7.
Place the sweet potato, red peppers and spring onions into a bowl and season with some salt and pepper. Toss in the olive oil along with the thyme, chilli flakes, lemon juice and rind.
Place on a large baking tray or ovenproof dish and roast for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are just cooked and slightly charred.
Remove from the oven stir in the peas, top with the chunks of Feta and return to the oven and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Serve immediately: delicious with bread, roast meats, or simply on its own.
TIP: You can replace the Feta with vegan Feta and top with toasted pine nuts.
