Roasted Asparagus Salad

We still have snow on the ground here in upstate New York...probably will for several more weeks. Winter does not go away gently for us. Comfort food like mac and cheese, hearty soups and stews tend to make us feel better about being inside...safe and warm....belly happy and full! BUT....all that comfort food can make your belly grow! I was flipping through the March issue of Southern Living .....yes I am dreaming about better weather, and not growing out of my summer clothes...and found this beautiful salad that I had to try. It is a carnival of color and goodness. (I added some roasted baby yellow squash to this.) I will be making this again and again. What I also loved about the dish is that you can prepare it ahead of time and put it together when you are ready to serve. Also, it looks gorgeous on a platter or would be beautiful served on individual plates for a small dinner party. Happy for your palate and healthy for you, this is a must try.





Roasted Asparagus Salad (Picture from Southern Living)


Serves 8
1-1/2 lb fresh asparagus
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1-1/2 TBSP chopped fresh basil, divided
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 head Bibb lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
1 avocado, sliced


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; remove scales with a vegetable peeler, if desired. Stir together 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1-1/2 tsp chopped basil, 1/2 tsp lemon pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt in a large bowl.
Add asparagus to olive oil mixture and toss gently to coat. Place asparagus on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake asparagus at 425 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes or to desired degree of tenderness. Cool 10 minutes.
Whisk together balsamic vinegar, garlic and remaining 7 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp basil and 1/4 tsp salt. Toss together tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and 1Tbsp balsamic vinegar mixture.
Arrange lettuce on platter or individual serving plates. Top with tomato mixture and asparagus. Add avocado just before serving. Drizzle with remaining balsamic vinegar mixture.

• To make ahead, toss together tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion without dressing. Store these ready-to-use ingredients in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 hours. The dressing and asparagus can also be made up to eight hours before serving.

Asparagus Rolls with Prosciutto

First...stop by at the Style Sisters blog for a chocolate giveaway....YUM!

Second, I must be in an entertaining state of mind as I am thinking of and reading about appetizer ideas. This is another easy and elegant idea. My favorite way of serving asparagus is to roast it with some extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. It takes on a nutty and rich flavor and is so delicious. When I read this recipe, it jumped right into my appetizer file because it sounds so good. I can't wait to try it. I think you can blanch these and wrap ahead of time. When you are ready to serve, just place the baking sheet in the oven so they will be fresh for your guests.

Asparagus Rolls with Prosciutto

Trim 2 bunches of asparagus. Cook 3 minutes in boiling water. Take out of the hot water and place in a bowl filled with ice water. Remove from water and let dry.

Sprinkle dry asparagus with 2 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Cut slices of prosciutto in half lengthwise (about a half pound).

Roll up 2 asparagus spears in a prosciutto half and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with all asparagus and prosciutto.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes and serve.

Snap Your Fingers and Snap Those Peas!

I noticed a sign at the local farm stand on my way home that said
"fresh peas". Suddenly the thought of their aroma popped into my mind and I had to stop.
There they were....bright green, fresh, dew still glistening on their tender pods...I had to have them! Before I got them home, I crunched on a couple of the fat pods that contained the sweet peas that I knew I would find. They did not disappoint.

The peas went into a Cooking Light recipe that I found in the May 2009 issue. Chicken Scallopini is a quick night supper that is full of flavor. This particular dish is one that is also filled with healthy benefits! It contains those plump peas and asparagus as an accompaniment. If you can find the small new asparagus, that is the best for a dish like this. After cooking the chicken, you make a little sauce to pour over everything, so I served couscous on the side to soak up all the goodness. The one really nice thing about the way this dinner looked was that it was definitely company worthy. It prepares easily, does not use a whole kitchen's worth of pots, pans and dishes and it presents beautifully. That leaves you a lot of time to enjoy your guests. It can also be easily increased to serve a crowd. We really enjoyed this dinner and I had it on the table in about a half hour. That left plenty of time to quickly clean things up and talk a walk after dinner.

Chicken Scallopine with Sugar Snap Peas, Asparagus and Lemon Salad
3 cups julienne-cut trimmed sugar snap peas (about 1 pound)
2 cups (1-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1 pound)
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 cup fat-free, less sodium cooking broth (I used College Inn...excellent!)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 1/2 Tgbsp. fresh lemon juice
6 lemon wedges

1. Steam peas and asparagus, covered, 4 minutes or until crisp tender. Rinse pea mixture with cold water; drain. Chill.
2. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 breast halves to pan; saute 2 minutes in each side or until done. Repeat procedure twice with remaining chicken. Add broth and wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced ti 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in butter.
3. Combine remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, mint, oil, rind and juice, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle oil mixture over pea mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve pea mixture with chicken and sauce. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Go Green..... Eat Your Asparagus

Now that spring is here and the tender shoots of asparagus are showing up more frequently in the market, I have found some interesting and different ways to use it other than as a side for dinner. Our favorite way is to just roast it in the oven with some olive oil, salt and pepper. But to jazz it up a bit, I found a recipe that used roasted asparagus but with a delicious sounding dressing made from good Parmesan cheese. I also found a great appetizer that uses blanched asparagus spears. Making food fun and interesting is what will set you apart from the crowd and with your kids. Especially with the kids, if you find something they like and can incorporate it with something new (especially if they helped select it) they are more likely to try it. I did not like asparagus until about 8 or 9 years ago. Why? I don't have a clue. Mostly it was a fear of trying something new. It so happened I was at a dinner party where it was served with a lovely light lemon sauce. So I branched out and tried it. What? I loved it! Why didn't I try this before? So my taste expanded. Now I am no longer afraid to use this springtime delight in many different ways. Here are a couple of ideas for you to try that have been successful for me.
ASPARAGUS SALAD

3 1/2 cups of Parmesan cheese, thinly shaved from a block of cheese. (You cannot used the grated stuff from the store)
1 1/2 cups water
5 Tbsp minced shallots (about 2 large)
2 Tbsp Champagne vinegar
2 lbs asparagus, trimmed and thick stalks removed (use all green or green and white)
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Simmer the cheese and the water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until a milky liquid forms. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes. Strain the liquid into a small saucepan and discard the solids. Boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup (8-10 minutes).
Transfer to a small bowl and add 3 Tbsp. minced shallots and vinegar.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook all the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water.
Transfer to bowl of ice water and cool completely. Drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place asparagus in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes until crisp tender.

Meanwhile heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add 3 Tbsp shallots. When asparagus is done, place on a platter and sprinkle shallots and dressing over. Sprinkle with a little more fresh cracked black pepper.

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ASPARAGUS SPEARS WRAPPED IN PROSCIUTTO
1 lb. fresh asparagus
6 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto

5.2 oz pkg Boursin cheese

1/4 cup honey mustard Black pepper

Snap tough end off asparagus, peel and remove 3/4 -in from bottom ends and trim into a point. Place asparagus in a deep skillet of boiling salted water for about 2 minutes until crisp tender. Carefully drain and rinse under cold running water. Blot dry.

Separate slices of prosciutto and cut each slice in half, lengthwise.

Place one strip of prosciutto on a flat surface and spread with 1/2 tsp Boursin cheese, 1/2 tsp honey mustard and freshly ground black pepper.

Place asparagus spears at a 90 degree angle on the shot end of the prosciutto strip. Carefully roll up as tightly as possible. Place on a platter and serve.