Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Spring is Almost Here and That Means Fresh Asparagus!
March 20 is the official First Day of Spring and around eastern North Carolina that means that asparagus begins to “spring” up as well!! Asparagus has rapidly become a favorite green vegetable for many. It arrives in early spring but is available all summer! Asparagus is full of nutrition. Low in calories (only 25 per serving!) and sodium, and has no fat or cholesterol. A serving of Asparagus provides 10 percent of the daily requirement of foliate, eight percent of dietary fiber and potassium, and 100 percent of vitamin C. Including Asparagus in everyday meals and snacks can help prevent cancer, heart disease and hypertension. All good news for this tasty veggie.
Easy Sesame Asparagus
1 pound asparagus washed and ends trimmed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon brown sugar or honey
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds can also use black sesame seeds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut the asparagus spears into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the soy mixture to the pan and stir until asparagus pieces are well coated in the sauce. Cook for 3 to 4 more minutes or until the asparagus is tender, but still crisp.
Remove the pan from the heat and drizzle the sesame oil over the asparagus. Stir well. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 97, Protein 4g., Carbohydrates 7g., Sodium 506mg., Fat 6g.
Cheesy Baked Asparagus
(One of my favorites)
2 pounds of fresh asparagus, stalks trimmed
¾ cup heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Red pepper flakes, options for sprinkling a little heat
Preheat oven to 400º. Place asparagus in a 9"-x-13" baking dish and pour over heavy cream and scatter with garlic. Generously season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with Parmesan, mozzarella and red pepper flakes (if using).
Bake until cheese is golden and melty and asparagus is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes, and serve.
Serves 6, each serving contains; Calories 250, Protein 14g., Carbohydrates 3g., Sodium 340mg., Fat 19g.
Butter Roasted Asparagus
(I always add additional vegetables)
1 pound fresh asparagus, stalks removed
1-2 teaspoons butter
½ cup cherry tomatoes
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
½ cup shredded Parmesan
½ cup fresh mushrooms
Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use your hands to toss the asparagus spears with melted butter. Spread spears out on the baking sheet (try to avoid letting them touch each other). Sprinkle with quartered cherry tomatoes and mushrooms, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Roast until asparagus is barely tender—this could take as little as 6 to 8 minutes if the spears are thin, or twice as long if they are thick. (Go ahead and taste one to be sure.) Transfer the spears to a platter, sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately. (Alternatively, you can sprinkle the cheese on the spears while they’re still on the baking sheet, and then return them to the oven for a couple more minutes.)
Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken and Asparagus
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, (I use tenders)
1 bundle of asparagus, stalks trimmed
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
¼ cup olive oil
To marinate the chicken, combine the chicken, garlic, olive oil, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar in a zip top bag. It's best to marinate at least 4 hours, but overnight would be ideal.
Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Place your chicken and the marinade on the pan and bake for 30 minutes. (depending on how thick your breasts are you may need to cook a bit longer)
Remove the chicken from the oven and put the asparagus on the pan, making sure to coat it in the sauce all over the pan.
Turn your oven to broil, and place the pan in the oven for 10 minutes, making sure to flip your chicken at the half way point. Remove from the oven and serve hot. Serves 4.
Pesto Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Roasted Asparagus
8 ounces wheat orzo
1 pound asparagus, stalks trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
1 cup diced mozzarella cubes, or shredded mozzarella
For the Basil Pesto
2 cups fresh basil
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
½ cup parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
For the Pesto;
Heat pine nuts in a small sauté pan over medium heat, stir once you notice them starting to brown. Once they start to brown the process happens fast so watch carefully and remove from heat once all nuts are roasted (about 5 minutes), and let them cool.
Put olive oil and basil leaves into the container of a high-powered blender. Blend for about 60 seconds until the ingredients are combined but not totally smooth. You may need to pause, scrape down the sides, and then continue blending.
Add the pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and blend or process until you reach your desired consistency (about 30-60 seconds). You may need to pause, scrape down the sides, and then continue blending.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired, pulse to combine.
For the Dish;
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
Place asparagus in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste; gently toss to combine. Place into oven and roast for 8-12 minutes, or until tender but crisp. Let cool before cutting into 1-inch pieces.
In a large bowl, combine pasta, asparagus, pesto, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella. Serves 4.
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