Tag Archives: asparagus

Tartine with Eggs and Asparagus

How is everyone feeling after last week? Good because you behaved yourself and ate well? Or bad because you ate way too many cookies, along with anything else you could get your hands on? I’m in the second category and while I loved every little morsel that touched my lips, the guilt has set in and I’m not waiting for the calendar to hit January to get things back to normal. I got home from visiting my sister on Saturday and yesterday I decided no more cookies, no more chocolate, and no more throwing restraint out the window. I woke up and the first thing I did was go over to the produce stand and load up on fruits and veggies. I have found that when I commit to eating some kind of fruit or veggie with every meal or snack, I always do better. So now I have a loaded fridge and I’m feeling good going into this week. I’m starting it off right today with this Tartine with Eggs & Asparagus.

Asparagus, which is cooked until perfectly crisp and bright green, is partially chopped and added to eggs mixed with milk and Parmesan cheese. Thin slices of bread (I used leftover sourdough) is broiled until golden and toasted and then rubbed with garlic. Once the egg/asparagus mixture is scrambled to your ideal consistency, it is piled on top of the toast and garnished with the remaining asparagus tips. To keep the calories down, I used skim milk instead of whole milk and not as much Parmesan cheese. The best part of this open-faced breakfast sandwich in my opinion? The garlic! Just a little rubbed onto the toasted bread provides such a pleasant flavor to the eggs that I devoured this dish in an embarrassingly short period of time. Getting some veggies in with my breakfast feels like a step in the right direction – especially after eating cookies for breakfast last week.

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In a skillet, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Salt the water, add the asparagus and simmer until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the asparagus to a large bowl of ice water; let cool and drain. Cut the top 4 inches from the asparagus spears and set aside. Thinly slice the bottom halves of the asparagus spears.

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Preheat the broiler or a grill pan over high. Cook the bread until toasted and charred in spots. Rub the toasts with the cut sides of the garlic clove. Drizzle with the EVOO and sprinkle with flaky salt.

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In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, thinly sliced asparagus and cheese. Season with pepper.

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In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium. Add the egg mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggs begin to firm up.

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Mound the eggs on the toasts and arrange the asparagus tips on top.

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Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

  • Skim milk
  • Sourdough bread

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine

Asparagus and Pistachios

Asparagus…what is that? For that matter – vegetables? What are they? My eating habits haven’t been very good lately. I can’t remember the last time I ate something green. I’m ashamed of myself. I was on a zoodle kick for a while (zucchini noodles for those of you not in the know) so that was a positive thing. But somewhere over the last few weeks, probably since I had food poisoning last month, my fruit and vegetable intake has plummeted. Now that I think about it, I think my disinterest in vegetables started right around the time candy corn showed up in the stores. I’ll happily bypass the veggies to make room for candy corn. So when I came across this recipe for Asparagus & Pistachios, I figured it was time to put those green guys in my cart and bring them home with me.

Asparagus is cooked until crisp and green before being topped with a flavorful pesto made with pistachios, basil, parmesan, garlic, and lemon.  This pesto is thick and vibrant and, although not your typical pesto, full of flavor. I added a little extra olive oil to thin it out and really loved this pesto. Pistachio anything in general though is pretty much a sure thing with me. Pistachio ice cream? Absolutely. Pistachio pudding? Gimme. Pistachio pizza? Any day of the week. With additional pistachios providing a little crunch, this asparagus is a great new twist for those everyday spears. So I guess the only thing to say is… pistachio asparagus? I’m sold.

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In food processor, pulse 1/4 cup pistachios, basil, parmesan, garlic, and lemon until crumbly.

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In skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add asparagus; cook 4 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water; boil 2 minutes. Season.

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Top with pesto and remaining nuts.

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Additions:

  • More olive oil

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine

Asparagus with Tomato and Feta

Here we go again with Thanksgiving. Where does the time go? Well, hopefully you’ve got some fun and happy plans. Me? I’ll be keeping it small but my day is planned: coffee, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, eat a little food, watch football, eat a little more food. Oh and drink bourbon or wine somewhere in between, depending on how I feel. Well, I struggle with vegetables sometimes and rather than steamed broccoli or boring green beans or roasted Brussels sprouts, how about something untraditional like this Asparagus with Tomato and Feta instead?

Grape tomatoes and asparagus are roasted in the oven and topped with white balsamic vinegar and feta cheese, adding tons of flavor and color to these healthy spears. Sure, this dish may look a little more like Christmas than Thanksgiving but so what? ‘Tis the season, right? Whatever veggie you dish up with your turkey tomorrow, I certainly home you enjoy it, eat a bunch, pop a button on your pants, and appreciate every second of it. Be thankful, because I’m thankful for each one of you.

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Preheat oven to 425°F. Place tomatoes and olive oil on a jelly-roll pan; toss. Bake at 425°F for 4 minutes.

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Add asparagus; bake 9 minutes.

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Top with vinegar, salt, pepper, and crumbled feta cheese.

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Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

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