Edamame Beans with Olive Oil

1. Pour the water into a medium cooking pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, add the frozen beans, and cook, covered, for 6 minutes, until firm but tender. Remove from the heat, drain and divide beans equally among four soup bowls.
2. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the beans in each bowl, and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and a generous pinch of pepper. Serve immediately.

Variations: This recipe has lots of room for improvisation, so play around. For example, when cooking the beans in the water, try adding 1 tablespoon dried minced onion, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or other spices and seasonings of choice. Or, you can also use butter instead of olive oil: melt 1/8 pound of sweet butter in a small saucepan, add 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, stir well, and pour over the beans just before serving; omit the pepper. Finally, you can sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped herbs such as chives, mint, dill, fennel, sage, tarragon, or lemongrass over the beans just before serving.