Tag Archives: asparagus

ASPARAGUS AND PROSCIUTTO PHYLLO ROLLS

Posted in Appetizers, Small Dishes, Veggies by

This is easy but so elegant and tasty, hard to come up with a better idea to impress guests or just enjoy a beautiful side dish on a warm Spring evening. I caught the recipe during a recent episode of TheKitchen, courtesy of Alex Guarnaschelli.

ASPARAGUS AND PROSCIUTTO PHYLLO ROLLS
(very slightly modified from FoodTV Network)

Kosher salt
18 medium stalks asparagus, ends trimmed
24 to 28 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted
olive oil spray
1 cup finely grated Parmesan
12 thin slices prosciutto

Prepare an ice bath with a medium bowl half filled with water and ice cubes.
In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil. Add salt until it tastes like mild seawater. Layer a baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel. Drop the asparagus into the boiling water and cook until slightly tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a large slotted spoon to remove the asparagus from the water, transferring them immediately to the ice bath so that they cool down and don’t continue cooking. Let chill 5 minutes, then drain the asparagus and spread them on the baking sheet with the towel.


Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place one sheet of phyllo on a flat surface with the short end closest to you. Spray the phyllo with olive oil. Sprinkle with a little of the Parmesan. Place another sheet of phyllo directly on top. Brush with additional butter and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Arrange 2 slices prosciutto in a single layer closest to you on the phyllo. Place 2 to 3 stalks of asparagus in bunches along the short side of the phyllo on top of the prosciutto and tightly roll the asparagus up in the prosciutto and phyllo to form a log. Trim the ends of the phyllo to fit the asparagus perfectly. As you make the asparagus rolls, arrange them on a baking sheet with distance between each so that they brown when baking. Spray their tops with olive oil right before baking.

Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until golden brown on the outside, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with salt.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I wrote the recipe as published, except for the use of olive oil instead of melted butter. Amounts are really going to be flexible, I only made four rolls for us, we had three at dinner and one was my lunch next day, still delicious. I never go through the trouble of making the ice bath, I just rinse the blanched asparagus in running very cold water in a colander, and call it a day. But do as it pleases you, your kitchen, your rules. I have stopped brushing phyllo with butter a long time ago – the olive oil spray is amazingly easy, never hurts the sheets and gives enough flakiness without the extra saturated fat. We love the taste also, so it is a win-win situation for us.

I hope you give this super easy recipe a try, it is wonderful! And if you want to go the vegetarian route, maybe a little black olive tapenade or red bell pepper pesto could be nice instead of the prosciutto.

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CHICKEN ROLL-UPS WITH ASPARAGUS

Posted in Poultry by

The inspiration for this recipe came from Alex Snodgrass’ cookbook The Defined Dish, a favorite of mine. It was designed as a Paleo or Whole30 version, but I modified it to our style of cooking and we both loved the results.

CHICKEN ROLL-UPS WITH ASPARAGUS
(inspired by The Defined Dish)

makes 4 roll-ups, recipe can be doubled

2 chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise and pounded thin
4 slices prosciutto
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed to fit the size of the roll-ups
4 fresh sage leaves
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup grapeseed oil + 1 tablespoon
1 shallot, minced
1 carrot, very finely diced
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup dry white wine
juice of half a lemon

On a cutting board, arrange the prosciutto slices next to one another and layer one chicken cutlet on top of each slice. Spread a thin layer of the mustard on the top of each cutlet. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Lay 3 stalks of asparagus at the bottom, perpendicular to the cutlet . Use the prosciutto to gently roll the chicken and asparagus into little bundles, flipping the rolls over so the seam side faces up. Place a sage leaf on top of the seam and thread a toothpick through it to fasten the chicken roll together and secure the sage leaf on top. Pour the flour onto a large plate. Gently roll each bundle to coat lightly, shaking off the excess.

In an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, heat ¼ cup of the olive oil. Place the roll-ups in the skillet sage-side down and cook until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the bundles over and crisp the other side, cooking for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the browned roll-ups to a plate. Wipe the skillet dry and heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and carrot pieces and cook until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, white wine, and lemon juice and bring the mixture to a simmer. Nestle the bundles into the sauce, sage-side up, then transfer the pan to the oven, uncovered. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the asparagus is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. To serve, remove the toothpicks and spoon the pan sauce over the roll-ups.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I made this just for me and the husband, so four were enough, but if you intend to use it for a dinner party, or you have a big family, just double it all. It is elegant and quite flavorful. I also love the fact that the asparagus could go in without any pre-cooking, making it so easy. Delicious recipe, definitely goes into our rotation!

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CRISPY ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH TOASTED BREAD CRUMBS

Posted in Salads, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by

Spring: time to enjoy asparagus in all possible ways! I adapted this recipe from Alexandra’s blog. She always has great recipes, both savory and sweet. I have made it exactly as published, but decided to modify it by briefly running the cut asparagus in the microwave. You can skip that and follow Alexandra’s take if you prefer.

CRISPY ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH TOASTED BREAD CRUMBS
(slightly modified from this post)

for the bread crumbs:
1 cup of bread crumbs, preferably from fresh bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

for the salad:
1/2 cup walnuts, slightly toasted
1 lb. asparagus, tough bottoms trimmed
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and black pepper to taste
zest from 1 lemon (I used Meyer lemon)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Make the toasted crumbs: Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the crumbs and the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crumbs are golden brown. Reserve. You will use 1/3 to 1/2 of the crumbs in the salad. It is easier to make a larger amount so it won’t burn easily. Save the rest to use over pasta or in other tasty concoctions.

Make the dressing by whisking the lemon juice and zest, oil, red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.

Prepare the asparagus: Using a sharp knife, slice the asparagus thinly on the bias. Place in a microwave safe dish in a single later, cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 minute. Remove the paper towel and allow it to sit at room temperature.

Assemble the salad: combine the toasted walnuts, asparagus, toasted crumbs, Parmigiano cheese in a large bowl, drizzle the dressing all over, mix gently to combine. Shave more Parmigiano on top right before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

.

Comments: This is a wonderful mixture of tasty ingredients, I think the key is the toasted bread crumbs, quite unusual and perfect to add a little twist. Warming up the asparagus in the microwave killed the sharpness that it has when totally raw, and I think it made the dressing permeate better. But the salad is delicious with the raw asparagus also. Leftovers were great next day, I just removed from the fridge for 30 minutes before digging in.

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STICKY SPICY PORK OVER GOLDEN RICE

Posted in Pork by

Super simple recipe. If you use ground pork, no need to add any oil to the skillet. If you use ground turkey, add a tablespoon of grape seed oil before sautéing it.

STICKY SPICY PORK WITH ASPARAGUS AND EDAMAME
(inspired by Modern Proper)

1 pound ground pork
1/2 tsp salt
small bunch of asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup frozen edamame, no need to de-frost
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Gochujang sauce (or more to taste)
minced ginger, to taste (I used about 2 tsp)

Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the pork, season with salt, and use a spoon to break it up into large pieces. Cook, until beginning to brown and crisp, about 8 minutes, resisting the temptation to move it around. You want to get a nice crisp layer in the bottom. Add the asparagus and edamame, stir everything around, and cover the pan. Simmer for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the soy sauce with Gochujang and ginger.

Open the pan, add the prepared sauce and cook, stirring for another couple of minutes, until veggies are crisp-tender. Serve over golden rice (recipe available here) or plain steamed rice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is the type of recipe that is at the table in no time… Make sure to prepare the rice in advance. If you follow my recipe for the golden rice, it sits in the burner for exactly 30 minutes, so you can start that step and 10 minutes later get going with the pork. Do not use asparagus that are overly thick, if that’s all you have, steam them for a couple of minutes in the microwave before using in this preparation. Finally, the most important thing is to get that crispy bottom on the pork before moving it around. Leftovers were still awe-inducing on day #2…

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BULGUR PORK TOMATILLO PLATTER

Posted in Pork, Rice and Grains by

Some call it bowls, but I will go with platter. It is one of my favorite ways to enjoy a meal, all components served together. Not too long ago “sheet dinners” were a thing. It seemed like every popular food blogger was showcasing them. I never joined that party, because I find it hard to perfectly time the cooking of different items on the same sheet pan. You have to do a lot of rearranging and/or adding ingredients in stages. It never appealed to me. But in this preparation, items are cooked each to their optimal stage, and then simply placed together for the finale.

BULGUR PORK TOMATILLO PLATTER
(from the Bewitching Kitchen, inspired by many sources)

for pork:
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
salt and pepper to taste

for veggies:
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 oz asparagus stalks, cut in pieces
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, sliced thinly
splash of water
salt and pepper to taste

to serve:
1 cup bulgur wheat
tomatillo salsa (store-bought)
blood orange segments (or regular orange)

Marinate the pork. Mix olive oil, soy sauce, honey, salt and pepper, emulsify with a whisk. Cover the pork with it and leave for several hours in the fridge. I like to butterfly the pork tenderloin, but you can leave it whole. Grill the pork to your liking, when butterflied I like to grill it for a total of 16-18 minutes. We do not like pork pink in the center, so do as you prefer.

Cook the bulgur in 2 cups slightly salted water, boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until water is absorbed and grain is cooked. Reserve.

Heat the final tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add asparagus, bell pepper, water, salt and pepper. Cover, and cook for 2 minutes, then remove the lid, increase the heat and cook until the bell pepper starts to get some golden color.

Assemble the dish. Place the cooked bulgur on a platter, top with the cooked veggies. Cut slices of the grilled pork and arrange on top. Add orange segments, and drizzle a nice amount of tomatillo salsa all over the dish. You can process the salsa in a small food processor to make it smooth, or use it straight from the bottle.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This was one delicious meal! I know you can make your own tomatillo sauce from scratch, but we often use bottled and don’t mind it at all. It makes life easier and there is no compromise of flavor. You can use freekeh, quinoa, couscous, in place of the bulgur. Bulgur cooks so fast, it is a great option. The blood orange gives that burst of freshness, and goes perfectly well with the tomatillo salsa. This will be incorporated in our regular rotation, no doubt. I hope you’ll give it a try!

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