Spring carrot, spring onion and pea braise

Braising your carrots gently in lemon-infused stock with sweet peas and tender sugar snap peas is sure to put a spring in your step.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp	Olive oil
1	Lemon, juiced
2 cups	Vegetable stock
2 cloves	Garlic, finely chopped
200 g	Baby carrots, scrubbed
4	Spring onions, trimmed and cut in half
1 tsp	Marjoram, or oregano, freshly chopped
2 cups	Frozen peas
100 g	Sugar-snap peas, trimmed
100 g	Snow peas, trimmed

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, put the olive oil, lemon juice, vegetable stock and garlic.
2. Bring to the boil and add the carrots, spring onions and the sweet marjoram.
3. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add the peas, sugar snap peas and snowpeas and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes or until tender.
5. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Place the vegetables and cooking juices in a shallow bowl or platter and serve.
7. Serve with grilled lamb loin chops or pan-fried fish fillets.

Make a change

• For extra flavour add a dollop of store-bought herb pesto over the vegetables just before serving.
• Add a few baby new potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half. Place in the saucepan with the oil, juice, stock and garlic and cook for 10 minutes before the carrots are added.
• Use 2 cups frozen broad beans. Cook the broad beans in boiling water for one minute, drain and refresh under cold water. Remove the grey skins and discard.
• Use freshbroad beans and peas as they come into season, if wished. Beautifully fresh broad beans do not need their outer skins removed as they will be very tender to eat, just pod them.