what can I do with asparagus?

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2

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  • JustAmy
    JustAmy Posts: 291
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    Its always takes me a long to work the grill. Could I use one of the G.Forman ones instead?

    YES! just use some spray butter (crisco no fat) and a little garlic powder ~ it only takes 3 minutes if you like it al dente, I LOVE it this way! If you still don't like it, feel free to send it all to me, I can "dispose" of it for you:laugh:
  • cattiemac
    cattiemac Posts: 251 Member
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    I like to saute mine with some garlic. Or mix it with a little olive oil and some spices and roast it in the oven or grill it.
  • ErinSarah12
    ErinSarah12 Posts: 16 Member
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    I love roasting asparagus in the oven with a bit of lemon and olive oil. Or, I put it in low carb shepherd's pie!
    http://www.recipezaar.com/healthy-shepherds-pie-414445

    Yum!
  • kd_0115
    kd_0115 Posts: 10
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    Everyone in my family loves this one:

    Ingredients:
    1 lb asparagus (washed and trimmed)
    1/4 cup ranch dressing (I use fat free)
    1/4 cup parmesan cheese
    1/2 cup Ritz cracker (crushed)

    Directions
    Steam asparagus for 2 minutes in microwave.
    Mix with ranch dressing and place in a casserole dish. Top with parmesan and Ritz crackers.
    Bake at 350° for about 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Sunsh1ne
    Sunsh1ne Posts: 879 Member
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    Mmm, I love asparagus. When I was a kid, we grew it in the back yard! My family's favorite way to make it is to steam it in the microwave, covered, with a tablespoon or two of butter and a good glug of balsamic vinegar on top. Or you can do what I do to get my mom to eat brussels sprouts (you read that right) and pan-roast them with a little bacon or pancetta, a squeeze of lemon juice and some parmesan cheese, or just sauteed with Chinese black bean garlic sauce.
  • jw17695
    jw17695 Posts: 438 Member
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    I thought oils and butter were bad. Are sprays any better? Is it still healthy if I use some of those?
  • arfrazee
    arfrazee Posts: 518
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    My brother ususally marinates asparagus in either soy sauce or low fat italian dressing...then he sautes it in olive oil.
  • shannonsmallmon
    shannonsmallmon Posts: 5 Member
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    take fresh garlic and sautee it then add asparagus and sautee that for about 10 minutes with a little bit of garlic salt is my favorite way... Tonight I am taking chicken breast slicing it down the middle almost all the way putting a slice a cheese in there and 3 asparagus spears and the closing the chicken with toothpicks then season to your liking then bake in the over its very yummy
  • helmsprecher
    helmsprecher Posts: 3
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    thanks for all the great ideas It grows wild here in eastern Utah and it will be showing up here sometime in April We can never get enough My kids love hitting the ditches looking for it they have been doing it all their life and they are now in their 20's now we are teaching the two grandkids how to spot it. Nothing like fresh wild asparagus Now I have more ideas how to fix it :flowerforyou:
  • kalmf
    kalmf Posts: 351 Member
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    Yum! I'm having asparagus cravings.

    The main rule is to not cook the asparagus too long. If you need to get the thicker stuff, snap off the ends and then use a vegetable peeler to shave most of the stalk, it tenderizes them and gives you a greater yield. Many old-school American recipes have you cook them until they are disgustingly slimy. If they are cooked al dente, they have a crisp texture and are delicious. I can't handle over cooked asparagus (like it usually is in quiche and cassaroles) I love it grilled or steamed and I love the portabello recipe. 'Course even after trying all of the above - you might still hate them!
  • schacher
    schacher Posts: 3
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    I steam it and while it is steaming sprinkle it with Garlic salt. Also you can bake it in the oven at 400 degrees just put olive oil on it and rub with minced garlic and then back about 15 minutes until tender. Very yummy!
  • lreed
    lreed Posts: 348 Member
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    We usually drizzle a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar (or balsamic syrup - basically a balsamic vinegar reduction), salt and pepper and roast them in the oven (about 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes) and we think it's delicious. I've also put some parmesan on it too, but I don't think it even needs it. Typically roasting any veggies makes them taste sweeter.
    Yep, this is how I like them and I don't like them steamed!
  • cdickey
    cdickey Posts: 230
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    I love asparagus! I normally trim the big ends off and then sautee it with a little butter, garlic pepper and creole until just tender. Not to done or it will be mushy.

    This is a new favorite of mine too. Sautee some chopped asparagus and sliced mushrooms with a little butter and when nice and tender crack a couple of eggs into the skillet. Scramble it all up together and when the egg is done dice up a wedge of LC cheese and stir it all together. Delicious with a slice of low cal toast.
  • leelu
    leelu Posts: 136 Member
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    I make a dish pretty often either as a side with a peice of meat or as a breakfast with an egg.

    Cherry tomatoes
    Asparagus
    Mushrooms

    dice everything and pop in to a hot pan sprayed with olive oil, season with salt n pepper.
  • mel_istheshit
    mel_istheshit Posts: 102
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    I just made cream of asparagus soup last night for company! If you do a search of the message boards there is a really good recipe that gets the creaminess from a potato rather than actual cream. I add a dallop of reduced fat sour cream to my bowl and it is devine!! It really feels like a guilty pleasure without actually being one (although if you use a recipe with cream it probably is a guilty pleasure). I'm actually planning on having it for dinner again tonight... it's that good!

    My second favorite way is to grill it, but most of the time I will just cut off the stalky ends and steam it in the microwave then hit it with salt and lemon pepper.
  • Sunsh1ne
    Sunsh1ne Posts: 879 Member
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    I thought oils and butter were bad. Are sprays any better? Is it still healthy if I use some of those?

    No food is "bad" - eating anything in excess is bad. So as long as you limit how much oil or butter you use - say, a tablespoon to make 3-5 servings - you're fine. Also, a lot of oils contain good fatty acids like omega-3's that you want to have in your diet, that help keep your heart, brain, skin, and hair healthy. Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils are the ones you should look out for, though, they are bad stuff.
  • LillyJ
    LillyJ Posts: 7 Member
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    Chop the end off the asparagus, we normally have 2-3 spears per person.
    Chop up 2 cloves of garlic into small chunks.
    Melt a little bit of butter in a pan with the garlic chunks and then add the spears.
    Keep turning them and cook for about 10 mins.
    Simple & VERY tasty!!! :):)
  • dmags
    dmags Posts: 303
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    I got this from the Moosewood cookbook years ago. Toss asparagus with olive oil, a little balsalmic, and garlic ( I use the roasted garlic in the jar from the produce section. spread in a single layer on a cooking sheet (line with foil) Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes. A few minutes before it is finished cooking, sprinkle with parmesean cheese. I made this a few years ago for Thanksgiving, and now it is a standard thing. People in my family look for it. You can also marinade them the same way and put them on the grill. The foreman works great too.
  • roserex
    roserex Posts: 90 Member
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    I too love it. I steam mine and barely touch some butter to it. The trick is to get the skinny ones and steam a short time. (Bright green). Crisper is better. Sometimes I will throw on Mrs. Dash seasonings (lots to choose from). However, I am going to try some of these other recipes-sounds wonderful.
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    I resurrected this post to pass on a recipe that was on Rachel Ray today. She made it with green beans, but suggested asparagus would work well too. I don't know about you, but I think this sounds YUMMY!!!

    Warm Provencal Chicken Salad
    Ingredients
    1/2 to 2/3 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    2 pounds baby white or gold potatoes, halved
    4 small onions, sliced 1/2-inch thick wedges
    8 to 10 cloves garlic
    1 pound trimmed green beans or asparagus, halved
    1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
    1/2 cup black pitted Nicoise olives
    8 pieces boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
    1 shallot, coarsely chopped
    A small handful of sage leaves
    A small handful of tarragon
    A couple of sprigs fresh marjoram or 2 teaspoons dried
    1 cup flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed
    2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

    4 cups arugula
    Baguette
    Yields: Serves 4
    Preparation
    Heat oven to 450˚F.
    Place potatoes, onions and crushed garlic in a bowl and toss with just enough EVOO to coat, a couple of tablespoons. Season liberally with salt and pepper, place on baking sheet and place in oven. Roast 45 minutes, turning once.
    Place green beans or asparagus in bowl with tomatoes and pitted olives, dress with a little EVOO, salt, pepper and place on baking sheet. Roast 30 minutes.
    Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle or grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat chicken lightly in EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken 12 minutes, turning once, then thinly slice on an angle.

    While chicken cooks, place shallot, herbs and mustard in food processor and season with salt and pepper. Pulse chop to finely chop the mixture then stream in about 1/4 to 1/3 cup EVOO to form a pesto-like sauce. Scrape sauce into a large, shallow bowl.
    Pile roasted vegetables, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, olives and arugula into a bowl. Top salad with sliced chicken and serve with crusty baguette.

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