Edible and Healthy Spears.

Before the internet and cable/satellite television, home cooks found out about new recipes, food products, growing and harvesting of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs by only a few sources.  Cooking and gardening books/magazines at a local bookstore (oh, the smell and feel of a real book’s pristine pages), shows featured on PBS, newspaper columns and featured articles, advice from friends, family and neighbors, or a shop which was dedicated to one or the other.  Now, by the click of a mouse, or the swipe of a finger across a screen, the world has become everyone’s oyster; or, in my case, salmon and asparagus.

Facebook features pages and pages on the topics of cooking and gardening.  Posts are constantly being shared, and shared again, so it is no wonder they pop up on a newsfeed.  One such post was about salmon and asparagus, baked together within an aluminum foil pouch.  I have cooked with aluminum foil pouches before, but not ever considered the combination of these two items. 

Normally, with salmon, I have seared it in a hot skillet; grilled on a hot barbecue rack; baked in an oven.  Typical seasonings or sauces would be teriyaki, butter, lemon and dill; oh heavens, not all at the same time!  This new recipe though did combine butter with lemon, and I was curious as to how that would turn out; a sort of piccata perhaps?

Teriyaki Salmon, Fried Rice, Asparsgus

Then there was cooking the asparagus with the salmon, how would these two distinct ingredients influence each other?  When it comes to asparagus, adding it as a main ingredient to quiche is a favorite.  Sautéing it with butter and toasted almonds makes a delicious side dish; or a main dish when featured in a savory omelet.

Then it happened, an advertisement appeared for Muhlestein Greenhouse (217 East 300 South, Monticello, UT, 84535; (435) 587-2704) for asparagus crowns at only $2 each!  How appropriate that I was attempting a new asparagus related recipe, and looking to start a new vegetable garden this year as well.

Asparagus Crowns and Roots; soak in water until reading for planting.

Asparagus, tall and usually green (there are also white and purple varieties), a bit woodsy at the base, and so tender to eat when picked early.  The spears are actually the leaves of the plant, and become more fibrous as they are left to grow.  The spaced out triangular sections which look like leaves eventually grow out lovely feather-like branches that will flower.  Pollen bearing flowers are male, while fruit bearing are female, but the crown is how this vegetable becomes king, or queen.  Underground, the root system can spread up to six feet; above ground is three feet; so plant those crowns with room to spare.

Asparagus loves sunlight (8 hours/day), and well-drained soil, so pick an area in the garden that will obtain both.  Regular watering is 1 to 2 inches of water/week during its first two growing seasons; older plants about 1 inch/week.  While dappled sunlight will still allow growth, it will not be as profuse as with full sunlight.

There are many health benefits to asparagus; low in calories, nutrient rich in fiber, folate, potassium, iron, and vitamins A, C and K; weight loss, improved digestion, healthy pregnancy outcomes and lower blood pressure.  Unless allergic, a person could eat asparagus on a daily basis, however, there is a foul side effect to doing that.  The creation of asparagusic acid occurs within 15-30 minutes after consumption.  As the digestive process continues, sulfur compounds are released, then expelled during urination.  So, the usual rule of thumb applies to this vegetable as well, “eat within moderation”; or wear a gas mask while peeing.

Now to the recipe which was easy to make, and born from it was a new side dish as well.  When it came to taste, my husband thought it was quite delicious, and enjoyed the combination of vegetable stock, garlic, butter and lemon.  Me?  Not so much, and I believe it was the garlic that turned me off.  Do not go by our likes/dislikes, try it out; it is your pallet, so create! The use of the aluminum foil was a typical Reynold’s Wrap commercial; easy, and basically, minimal cleanup.

Ah, timing.  Cooked together, 15 minutes, at 425F, will give a fully cooked and moist salmon portion; the asparagus will be tender, yet still maintain a slight bite, aka al dente.  However, if cooking the asparagus alone, 10 minutes for al dente; 15 minutes will make the spears very soft.  Now the very soft version is not a bad thing, especially if wanting to create a “nest”, place a cooked protein within, and wallah…haute cuisine!

Another hint to make this dish more wow; instead of using broth, use Knorr Concentrated Stock; each container equals the two tablespoons needed.  The hot sauce in the recipe?  Definitely optional.

 

Baked Salmon in Foil with Asparagus and Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce

(Homemade Recipes: https://www.facebook.com/groups/714953342604517/)

 Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets

2 tablespoons vegetable broth or chicken broth 

1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce  

4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

3-4 tablespoons butter, diced into small cubes (or ghee)

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley or cilantro

1 lb. (450g) medium-thick asparagus, woody ends trimmed

 

Directions:

To prepare the oven-baked salmon in foil packs: Preheat your oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Cut 2 sheets of 14 by 12-inch (35 x 30 cm) heavy-duty aluminum foil then lay each piece separately on the countertop. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the garlic butter sauce: broth, lemon juice, and hot sauce.

Season both sides of the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and divide salmon onto the aluminum foil near the center then place trimmed asparagus to one side of the salmon, following the long direction of the foil.

You can adjust salmon fillets seasoning with more salt and pepper, then sprinkle garlic on top. Drizzle the garlic butter sauce generously over the salmon fillets and asparagus.

Divide butter pieces evenly among the foil packets, layering them over the salmon fillet and asparagus.

 

Wrap salmon foil packets in and crimp edges together then wrap ends up. Don’t wrap too tight – keep a little extra space inside for heat to circulate. Transfer the salmon foil packs to a baking sheet and bake salmon in the oven, sealed side upward until salmon has cooked through, about 9 – 12 minutes. Carefully unwrap the baked salmon in foil packets then drizzle with more lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro and a slice of lemon.  

 

…and my side dish.

Asparagus Side Dish Only (Perfect with Teriyaki Salmon too!)

 Ingredients:

1 lb. asparagus, woody ends trimmed

2 tablespoons vegetable broth or chicken broth (or Knorr concentrated stock, 1 container)

2 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. lemon juice

Bend Asparagus

Will Snap Apart Before Woody Section

Ready for Cooking

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425F.

Place long sheet (double length of asparagus) aluminum foil onto pan.  Place asparagus long ways on sheet. Put broth, butter, garlic and pepper into small bowl; microwave for 30 seconds.  Add lemon juice and mix thoroughly.  Pour over asparagus.

Fold foil over asparagus and seal sides.  Bake in oven for 20 minutes, or 15 minutes for al dente.

 Remove from foil; place on serving platter.

 Makes 4 servings.

*Option: French green beans aka Haricots Verts

Mary Cokenour

Stir Fry Instead of Butter or Cheese.

I'm not a huge fan of broccoli or asparagus, but my hubby is and I will make these vegetables for him.  Usually it's, "Hunny, how do you want your broccoli?" and he will either answer "butter" or "cheese".  For the asparagus, I use it to make two quiches, one for him and one for his mother.  Yep, it's a "rut" thing.

Well I'm tired of being in a rut, so this time I decided not to ask him how he'd like his broccoli; nor even ask his opinion when I worked out how I was going to cook it.  Let him be surprised!

For the stir fry, I chopped up one medium sized head of broccoli; removing the woody ends off a half pound of asparagus, I cut that up into one inch pieces.  Now a medium sized stockpot, filled halfway with water and three tablespoons of salt, was coming to a boil on medium-high heat.  I put the cut up vegetables into the boiling water to cook for only three minutes; I had ready a large plastic mixing bowl filled halfway with cold water.  After three minutes, I used a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables from the stockpot to the mixing bowl; the cold water would stop the cooking process and keep them bright green.  I strained the vegetables, spread them out on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels and let any excess water be absorbed.

I had a couple of very small bell peppers (one orange, one red), cut them open, seeded, and cut into half inch pieces.  A large skillet went onto the stove top, three tablespoons of olive oil inside and the heat turned up to medium-high.  I put the broccoli, asparagus, bell pepper in plus a heaping tablespoon of minced garlic and a tablespoon of Italian herb mixture.  It only took five minutes for the entire mix to heat up nicely; I didn't want any of the vegetables to wilt or get any browned edges.  Hubby's opinion?  Oh yeah, he liked it big time!  He thought it tasted fresh and savory; especially when paired with the protein cooked up with it...New York Strip Steak.



The steak was prepared via a lazy woman's grilling; seasoning the steaks with sea salt and ground black pepper (both sides); they were laid on an aluminum jellyroll pan brushed lightly with olive oil.  A large onion was cut into rings and laid along side the steaks; into a preheated to 450F they went for twenty minutes (turn the steak and onions over after the first ten minutes).

Now this kind of rut we can both live with for awhile.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Something New with Asparagus and Mushrooms.

Asparagus is not one of our favorite vegetables; its taste is harsh and overwhelms, even with baby asparagus. If I happen to receive baby asparagus with my Bountiful Basket, I usually make quiche or cream of asparagus soup; the last two bunches though I froze after blanching them in water. I still needed to figure out what to do with them, and the recipe I created was influenced by a mushroom appetizer we recently enjoyed at Bernardone's in Farmington, New Mexico.

Even though I had cut off the "woody" ends that had developed even on baby asparagus, the freezing process caused the ends to stiffen up, so they needed to be trimmed once again.  I had missed a few and it was immediately evident once hubby tried to chew on those tough ends.  Other than that, the asparagus flavor was still overwhelming when the dish was freshly cooked, but mellowed once it sat in the refrigerator for 24 hours and was reheated.  If you're an asparagus lover, you'll like this recipe with added mushrooms and a bread crumb and cheese topping.  Me?  No, I'm still not fond of asparagus, but at least I tried it to see how it tasted.

Baked Asparagus with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

2 lbs baby asparagus, ends trimmed
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup olive oil, divided in half
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 Tbsp Italian herbal mix
1/4 cup grated cheese

Preparation:





Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 3 quart baking dish with nonstick spray.  Spread the asparagus in the baking dish and drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil over it.









Spread mushrooms over asparagus.












Mix bread crumbs with the herbs and spread evenly over the vegetables.











Drizzle remaining olive oil over the bread crumbs; place dish in oven and bake for 45 minutes.

 

Spread grated cheese over bread crumbs and bake for an additional 15 minutes.








The asparagus and mushrooms will absorb the flavor from the olive oil and be tender.  The bread crumbs will only crisp up slightly.  If you want a crispier topping; sauté the bread crumbs in the olive oil for 3 minutes; top the vegetables and bake for only 30 minutes before adding the grated cheese and baking the additional 15 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Still Getting My Greek On.

While I still have not committed to going on a totally Mediterranean diet, I still make recipes with a Grecian accent. Participating in the Bountiful Baskets program sometimes give me the incentive to experiment. There are times I receive items in my basket and say to myself, "Now what in the heck am I going to do with this?"

Well here's the answer; not only is it quick and easy, but light and delicious.

 

Mediterranean Pasta

Ingredients:

8 oz tubular pasta (ziti or penne)
8 spears baby asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley
1/2 tsp crushed dried oregano
2 Tbsp crumbled Feta cheese

*Optional: 1/2 cup grilled chicken or shrimp

Preparation:

Cook pasta until al dente'.  To save time and water; place the asparagus pieces in a colander; put on top of pasta pot of boiling water and steam asparagus until they turn a bright green.  Immerse asparagus into cold water to stop the cooking process.

In a large skillet, medium-low heat, warm up olive oil; add in pasta and asparagus; toss to coat and let cook 2 minutes.  Mix in tomatoes, parsley and oregano (also optional chicken or shrimp) and let cook another 3 minutes.

Divide between 2 plates and sprinkle tablespoon of cheese over each.

Makes 2 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Real Men Make Mom Quiche.

Mothers' Day will be this coming Sunday, but unfortunately, my son William will still be in Pennsylvania. However, he has decided to move here; the tickets have been bought, vacation time has been scheduled and he'll be arriving the weekend of May 26th. We're all feeling a bit excited and nervous at the same time; it's been three years since we moved to Utah and he decided to stay behind. Talk about new adventures!

Anyway, if he was here for Mothers' Day, I would love to see a demonstration of the culinary skills he acquired while working as a cook. Now we've all heard the saying, "real men don't eat quiche"; well I want to see it made. I know he reads my blog, so Bill, pay attention as you'll be tested soon after you arrive and settle in.

Quiche was already written about in January 2011, but I'll do a quick recap.

Basic Quiche

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups half n’ half
4 eggs, beaten
1/8 tsp salt (can be adjusted up or down dependent on ingredients added in)
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 – 9” unbaked deep dish pastry shell

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine half n’ half, eggs, salt and pepper. Pour into pastry shell; bake for 45-50 minutes, or until egg mixture is golden brown and set.

See guys, easy peasy, so now I'm going to throw in a curve ball...Asparagus. It's basically a super vegetable; low in calories and sodium; contains zinc, iron, folic acid, vitamins A, C, E and K and whole bunch of other minerals I won't bore you with. The popular type seen in stores is a green color which will become woody as it grows older. The tougher the stem, the older the asparagus, so look for those young, tender shoots.

There is a white variety which is basically the green type that has been grown inside a hill of dirt; the sun kept off of it to keep photosynthesis from occurring and turning the vegetable green. I love this type in Vietnamese Crab Asparagus soup, and I'll post that recipe one of these days.

For the quiche, I steamed 10 spears of asparagus till fork tender; and sauteed a quarter cup of diced onions in butter, on medium heat, till soft, but not browned or burned. I added the onions and a half cup of shredded Swiss cheese to the basic quiche mixture. After pouring the mixture into the pie crust, the fun really began. I started to place the asparagus spears in a tree design, cutting some of the spears in half to make smaller "branches" for the tree. Now the spears will float a bit in the liquid, so don't expect a perfect design, but from the picture above, I'd say it came out kind of cute.

So there's the challenge for you real men out there; make a quiche for your mom on Mothers' Day. It might not turn out perfect, but in her eyes, you, and it, will be.

Mary Cokenour