Asparagus Recipes

Last week I made the Corned Beef from scratch. This is the first time I have tried doing that and I tell you what… I’ll do it again! That turned out great and didn’t take hardly any time. It did take planning, as it takes a few days for it to corn, but it was well worth it. I then used it to make Corned Beef & Cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day and some of the left overs I used for the Strata recipe that I published last week. It turned out great as well. I also made a couple of Reuben sandwiches, which I used ciabatta bread instead of the rye or pumpernickel bread. I like the way it holds together when making sandwiches.
Well, this week I thought I would publish a few recipes using asparagus. My mother told me that when she was growing up they used to pick milk-weed while it was still very young and her mother would cream it and serve it over toast and it tasted just like asparagus. Today all you have to do is go to Van’s IGA and buy it. That’s a lot easier then going out with the ticks!
When selecting asparagus, choose stalks with tightly-colored dry tips that are firm to the touch and bright green in color. Use the asparagus within 3-4 days of buying and store it in the refrigerator wrapped in paper towels inside a plastic bag.

Roasted Asparagus

Toss 1 bunch asparagus with 1 T. olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Arrange spears on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 450º oven until tender, about 10 minutes.

The following recipe a friend gave me and I can guarantee it is good!

Breakfast Strata

8 eggs
3 c. milk
1 T. dijon mustard
2 t. dried basil
1 t. salt
2 T. butter or marg. - melted
2 c. shredded cheddar - (8 oz.)
1 lb. fully cooked ham - cubed
1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen asparagus or 2 c. fresh - (Can also use broccoli)
2 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
10 c. cubed bread
In large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, mustard, basil and salt. Gently stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed. Pour into 9x13x2 inch baking dish. Cover - refrigerate 8 hrs or overnight. Remove and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Bake @ 350º uncovered for about 1 hour or until knife comes out clean.
Let set 5 minutes before cutting. (12 servings)

Asparagus Beef Roll With Teriyaki Sauce

1 beef, loin
Filling:
fresh asparagus, fresh
shitake mushrooms
green onions
Marinade for the beef:
1 t. wine, rice
1 t. soy sauce
1 large egg white
1 dash ginger, ground
1 dash cornstarch
1 dash garlic, minced
1 dash pepper, black
Sauce:
2 T. teriyaki sauce
2 T. broth
Cook the asparagus by boiling, steaming, stir-frying or microwaving until it’s tender. (The whole spear with the tough end cut off should be kept whole.) Steaming takes 2 to 3 minutes. Stir-frying 1 to 2 and so on. Use whatever method you prefer.
Prepare the marinade for the beef by mixing all of the ingredients well and setting them aside.
Prepare some braising sauce for the cooking and set aside.
Slice your beef loin into very thin slices. Put them in a small baking dish or shallow bowl and cover with marinade ingredients. Stir well to mix and set in a refrigerator for ten minutes or more.
Take one of the marinated slices of beef and “fill” it with some mushrooms, a little green onion, and steamed asparagus and roll the beef. Use a toothpick to secure the meat.
Brown in a little peanut oil (two rolls per person as a serving).
Add the braising sauce (Teriyaki and broth) and cover, cooking over medium heat for three to four minutes until done.
Serve rolls with cooked rice, and garnish with drippings from the pan and some mushrooms. Yield: 2 servings

Asparagus and Avocado Wraps

24 spears asparagus
1 ripe avocado - pitted and peeled
1 T. lime juice
1 clove garlic - minced
1 1/2 cups cooked cold long-grain white rice
3 T. plain nonfat yogurt
3 whole wheat tortillas - 10 inches in diameter
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 T. chopped red onion
In a medium-sized saucepan over high heat, bring 2 inches water to a boil. Place the asparagus in a steamer basket, cover, and steam until just tender, approximately 5 minutes. Remove the asparagus and immediately rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain thoroughly.
In a small bowl, mash the avocado, lime juice, and garlic into a coarse puree.
In another small bowl, stir together the rice and yogurt to mix well.
Heat a large dry frying pan (not one with a nonstick surface) over medium heat. One at a time, heat the tortillas in the hot pan until softened, approximately 20 seconds per side.
Lay the tortillas flat on a clean work surface. Spread the avocado mixture equally among the tortillas. Top each with an equal amount of the rice mixture, asparagus, cilantro, and onion.
Fold in both sides and the bottom of each tortilla up over the filling; then roll to close. If made in advance, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 hour. Return to room temperature before serving.
To serve, cut each wrap in half crosswise. Makes 6 servings.

Spaghetti with Asparagus

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
3/4 pound spaghetti
4 T. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, diced (about 1 cup)
6 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Cook the asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. With a spider or slotted spoon, remove asparagus from boiling water to a bowl of ice water to cool and stop the cooking. When cool, strain, cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces, and set aside.
Return the water in the pot to a boil, adding additional water, if necessary. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add asparagus to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the pasta, and if needed, some of the reserved cooking liquid. Toss to coat. Add the prosciutto, mozzarella, and basil, and toss to combine. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve. Print this post